Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 23, 2026

Lady Frere

Lady Frere is a small town in Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town was renamed to Cacadu in 2017 after changes to the country's colonial names. Cacadu, meaning "bulrush water", is the Xhosa name for the White Kei River, which rises in the district. It is one of the largest rural parts in the former Transkei.

Last revised
Jul 23, 2026
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Lady Frere
Cacadu
Lady Frere
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Coordinates: 31°42′11″S 27°14′02″E / 31.703°S 27.234°E / -31.703; 27.234
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceEastern Cape
DistrictChris Hani
MunicipalityEmalahleni
Area
 • Total
22.1 km2 (8.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)1
 • Total
4,024
 • Density182/km2 (472/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African98.3%
 • Coloured0.6%
 • Indian/Asian0.2%
 • White0.1%
 • Other0.6%
First languages (2011)
 • Xhosa91.6%
 • English4.1%
 • Other4.4%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
5410
PO box
5410
Area code047

Lady Frere (officially Cacadu) is a small town in Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town was renamed to Cacadu in 2017 after changes to the country's colonial names.23 Cacadu, meaning "bulrush water", is the Xhosa name for the White Kei River, which rises in the district. It is one of the largest rural parts in the former Transkei.4

History

The town was established 1879,5 and became a municipality in 1900.6 The town was named after the wife of Sir Henry Bartle Frere, governor of the Cape Colony from 1877 to 1880.7

References

References

  1. Sum of the Main Places Lady Frere and Bhongolwethu from Census 2011.
  2. "New names, but no signs say EC residents". SABC News. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. "85 towns hit with name changes in South Africa – and more are on the way". BusinessTech. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  4. "Cacadu District Municipality | South African History Online". sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  5. Erasmus, B. P. J. (1995). On Route in South Africa. Internet Archive. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. 209. ISBN 978-1-86842-026-1.
  6. Standard Encyclopaedia of South Africa. Vol. 6. Internet Archive. Cape Town: Nasou. 1970. p. 517. ISBN 978-0-625-00320-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. Raper, P. E. (1989). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-947464-04-2 – via Internet Archive.