Thaba ‘Nchu is a town in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State province of South Africa.
Overview
| Country: | South Africa |
| Province: | Free State |
| Municipality: | Mangaung |
| Established: | 1873 |
| Total Area: | 36.39 km² (14.05 sq mi) |
| Population: | 70,118 (2023) |
| Population Density: | 1,927/km² (4,991/sq mi) |
| Time Zone: | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal Code (street): | 9780 |
| Area Code: | 051 |
About
Thaba ‘Nchu is located on the N8 National Route, 64 km east of Bloemfontein (the Provincial Capital) and 18 km east of Botshabelo.
Thaba ‘Nchu is directly linked to Excelsior, which is 42 km away in the northeast, via an untarred road.
Established in 1873, Thaba ‘Nchu is one of the oldest settlements in the Free State province.
Thaba ‘Nchu’s population is largely made up of Tswana and Sotho people. The town was settled in December 1833 and officially established in 1873. The town grew larger following the 1913 Natives’ Land Act that declared the area a homeland for the Tswana people.
As you approach Thaba ‘Nchu, it becomes fairly obvious where the town got its name. The mountain that looms over the nearby town of Botshabelo often falls into shadow whereupon it becomes a ‘black mountain’ or Thaba’Nchu, as the Tswana name translates.
The N8 between Bloemfontein and the Lesotho border conveniently passes through the southern parts of Thaba ‘Nchu, which makes it easy to reach, and it is fairly popular with Bloemfontein residents, who head out here over the weekends to the Thaba’Nchu Sun Hotel & Casino and an adjacent game farm (Maria Moroka Game Reserve) that provide entertainment.
