Ladybrand is a town at the foot of the Platberg, 126 km east of Bloemfontein, 37 km south-east of Clocolan and 19 km north of Maseru. It was founded in 1867 on the farm Mauershoek and attained municipal status in 1904. Named after Lady Catharina Frederica Brand, wife of Sir Christoffel Brand (1797-1875), first Speaker of the Cape Legislative Assembly.

Located in the Eastern Free State, South Africa, and it is approximately 3 hrs drive from the Kwa-Zulu Natal Drakensberg border, 2 hrs from the Eastern Cape border and 1 hr 45 min from Bloemfontein, the Capital city of the Free State. Ladybrand is strategically located 15 km from Maseru the Capital City of Lesotho, and ideally situated to explore Lesotho with day trips to the Mountain Kingdom.

The area has a rich cultural and historical heritage and is also home to more than 300 Bushmen rock art sites. Some of the attractions found in this area include the fossilized Dinosaur Footprints, Rose Cottage Cave where early man lived for at least 110,000 years, Iron Age settlements, Battle sites including the Lifaqane wars, British/Basotho wars, Boer/Basotho wars and the South African War/Anglo Boer War, The Cave Church at St. Augustine`s, The Grave of Prophetess Mme Mantsopa and the fountain/spring believed to have healing waters. This area is also home to Historical buildings built from sandstone and many declared National Monuments. Most of these unique sandstone buildings were designed by the famous Sir Herbert Baker who also designed the union buildings in Pretoria. We also have Outdoor sports facilities, arts & Crafts, Bird watching spots, and Accommodation facilities with Conference Venues to cater for events.

Ladybrand Tourism

Tourism Contact:  – 058 713 0012

The Stables

This great rock shelter was used by the Boers to stable horses during the Basotho War of 1858. Is a crack against the mountain, the Boers kept their horses at night during the battles with Moshoeshoe and could easily stable 40 horses.
Contact: 051-9240654/0785679940

Modderpoort

The first order in South Africa called the society of St. Augustine. Bishop Twells of Bloemfontein purchased the farms Modderpoort and Modderpoort Spruit in 1865 as a base for missionary work in the area. The property was situated within the so-called “Conquered Territory” lost by the BaSotho through conquest in the years 1843-1869.
Contact: 051 924 3318
A booking has to be made for a tour. On average takes an hour and a half.

The Cave Church – It was in fact not before 1869 that Canon Henry Beckett, the Superior of the Society of St Augustine, accompanied by four brothers, set up the mission, initially in a cave converted as church and dwelling. This church becomes a place of pilgrimage for local as well as foreign communities. The Sunday closest to the feast of St Augustine a diocesan service is held outside the cave church.
Rose cottage cave – The middle Stone age levels of Rose Cottage Cave have produced several radiocarbon dates of greater than 50 000 years, and because of the restricted half-life of carbon, these dates obtained from charcoal samples are likely to be minimum estimates.
The Grave of Prophetess Anna Mantsopa Makhetha – A long, long time ago in a land not so far from here a powerful prophetess was born, named Mantsopa. She was believed to hold the gift to see into the future and to communicate with the ancestors. She correctly predicted that the Basotho would win the war against the British and that would be followed by a good harvest.
Many of her prophecies came true and due to that, she had a large following. She was also taken in by the missionaries to help them in converting people into Christianity. She went to live at Modderpoort where she died at the age of 111 years in 1904.

Oldenburg Game Park

Bushmen Paintings, The Game Park consists of Giraffe; Black Wildebeest; Eland; Red Hartebeest; Gemsbuck; Blesbuck; Impala; and Springbuck.

Contact details: Tel: 051 924 0738 Email: rentia@oldenburg.co.za www.oldenburg.co.za

No day visitors are allowed. Several units are available for accommodation. Fisherman Cottage – Main Lodge – Farm House. Game Drives and more.

Tandjiesberg

Tandjiesberg is one of 12 rock art national heritage sites in South Africa. The place is declared a national monument and is currently under the leadership of National Museum of the Provincial Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation. Was named after the mountain that is shaped like teeth
Contact: 078567 9940
National Heritage Site Monument and the site is protected, will require a guided tour.

Antjie Scheepers Monument

Anna Susana (Antjie) Scheepers was born in the Somerset East district on 26 January 1806 and was married to Gerhardus Scheepers A stock farmer. In 1835 the Scheepers family left the Cape Colony as members of the tregardt-trek. Gerhardus Skeepers died of Malaria on this Trek and Antjie had to take full responsibility for the support of her family.
Together with five of her children she managed the Dangerous journey to Delagoabaai and survived the dreaded Malarial fever. Together with the other survivors, she arrived in port Natal with the “Mazeppa‖” on July 1838. In 1844 Antjie Scheepers Married Ignatius Vermaak, a widower from Uitenhage. After his death, she went to “Welgevonde”, A farm near Ladybrand, to stay with her youngest son. Here she died in the age of seventy-two, On 2 August 1878. Her mortal remains now rest inside the Monument which was erected in her honour on the Ladybrand school grounds.
Contact : 078 567 9940

The Claerhout Museum

The town, Tweespruit, has got the world famous artist Father Claerhout and his studio is visited by hundreds of people from all over the world. The Claerhout museum and Unicom School were designed by Sir Herbet Baker who was also the designer of the Union Building in Pretoria.
Pallecan Arts (in Excelsior, about 32 km’s from Tweespruit) was given permission by Father Claerhout to reproduce his Artwork.
Contact: 0733381784 or email rina@claerhout.biz
An entrance fee is payable to access the museum.

Return to the Free State page or visit the Free  State towns/Cities page. For more information on tourism in the Free State please visit the Free State Tourism page.

Ladybrand falls under the municipality of Mantsopa Local Municipality. Mantsopa Local Municipality is situated in the Eastern Free State and covers an area of 345 square kilometres. The five towns situated in Mantsopa are Ladybrand, Hob House, Tweespruit, Thaba-Phatswa and Excelsior.

Key Statistics 2011