More SA city and town name changes coming in 2023

The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture aims to publish at least three national gazettes in 2023 detailing name changes in the country.

By: Garrin Lambley

The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture aims to publish at least three national gazettes later in 2023 detailing name changes for geographical features in the country.

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In the department’s annual performance plan for 2023/24, it confirmed it was working with the South African Geographical Names Council, with the goal to gazette name changes in the second, third and fourth quarters of the year.

Name changes can apply to cities, towns, villages, rivers

According to the BusinessTech website, the South African Geographical Names Council is an advisory body that facilitates name changes by consulting with communities to advise the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Name changes are handled in consultation with provincial councils, and can apply to cities, towns, villages, rivers, mountains and various other geographical features.

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As reported by The South African website, South Africa has seen several key changes over the last few years, mainly in the Eastern Cape.

Most recently in March 2023, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture gazetted new name changes for two towns in the province.

Fort Beaufort will now be called KwaMaqoma, while Somerset East will now be called KwaNojoli.

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In August 2022 and February 2021, several significant changes took place.

They included new names for Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), Cradock (Nxuba) and Uitenhage (Kariega), King Williamstown (Qonce), East London Airport (King Phalo Airport) and Port Elizabeth Airport (Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport) among several others.

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