Tarkastad

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title: "Tarkastad" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-enoch-mgijima-local-municipality", "populated-places-established-in-1862", "1862-establishments-in-the-cape-colony"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-the-enoch-mgijima-local-municipality" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarkastad" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameTarkastad
image_skyline{{multiple image
total_width280
borderinfobox
perrow1/2/2
image1Tarkastad_straattoneel.jpg
image_captionClockwise from top: The main street in Tarkastad in 2012, Dutch Reformed Church, Tarkastad, Nature around Tarkastad, World War I Memorial.
pushpin_mapSouth Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameSouth Africa
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Eastern Cape
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Chris Hani
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Enoch Mgijima
subdivision_type4Main Place
established_titleEstablished
leader_titleCouncillor
population_total1,604
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1
demographics1_title1Black African
demographics1_info154.0%
demographics1_title2Coloured
demographics1_info229.9%
demographics1_title3White
demographics1_info314.5%
demographics1_title4Indian/Asian
demographics1_info40.5%
demographics1_title5Other
demographics1_info5
demographics_type2First Languages (2011)
demographics2_title1Afrikaans
demographics2_info144.9%
demographics2_title2Xhosa
demographics2_info241.6%
demographics2_title3English
demographics2_info310.0%
demographics2_title4Others
demographics2_info42.5%
demographics2_info5
timezone1
utc_offset1+2
postal_code_typePostal code (street)
postal_code5370
postal2_code_typePO box
postal2_code5370
area_code_typeArea code
::

| name = Tarkastad | image_skyline = {{multiple image | total_width = 280 | border = infobox | perrow = 1/2/2 | caption_align = | image1 = Tarkastad_straattoneel.jpg | image2 = In love with my home ------.jpg | image3 = NG kerk Tarkastad 5.jpg | image4 = Tarkastad, South Africa - panoramio.jpg}} | image_caption = Clockwise from top: The main street in Tarkastad in 2012, Dutch Reformed Church, Tarkastad, Nature around Tarkastad, World War I Memorial. | pushpin_map = South Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Eastern Cape | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Chris Hani | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = Enoch Mgijima | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | leader_title = Councillor | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | population_total = 1,604 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial Makeup (2011) | demographics1_title1 = Black African | demographics1_info1 = 54.0% | demographics1_title2 = Coloured | demographics1_info2 = 29.9% | demographics1_title3 = White | demographics1_info3 = 14.5% | demographics1_title4 = Indian/Asian | demographics1_info4 = 0.5% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = | demographics_type2 = First Languages (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = Afrikaans | demographics2_info1 = 44.9% | demographics2_title2 = Xhosa | demographics2_info2 = 41.6% | demographics2_title3 = English | demographics2_info3 = 10.0% | demographics2_title4 = Others | demographics2_info4 = 2.5% | demographics2_title5 = | demographics2_info5 = | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code (street) | postal_code = 5370 | postal2_code_type = PO box | postal2_code = 5370 | area_code_type = Area code Tarkastad is a Karoo semi-urban settlement situated on the banks of Tarka River in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Tarkastad is on a plain to the north of the Winterberg mountain range on the R61 between Cradock and Komani and only three hours from Gqeberha. The name Tarkastad is believed to come from the Khoi-Khoi word Traka (meaning women) or the Celtic word Tarka (meaning otter) and the Afrikaans word Stad (meaning city). The fact that the town is overlooked by Martha and Mary; two peaks which look like two women resting after a hard day's work, also lends to the name.

History

The first people to occupy the area around Tarkastad were the San who left an abundance of rock art paintings in Grootvlei just north of the town. The first farmers settled in Tarkastad in 1795 who built watermills, inns and both a Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian Church. the English 1820 settlers moved in, and in 1862 Tarkastad was established as a church centre and became a municipality in 1864. where the Battle of Elands River (1901) was fought during the Second Boer War. The grave of Lt. Richard Sheridan, cousin of Winston Churchill, who was killed in the Battle of Elands River can be found on the Modderfontein farm just outside Tarkastad. Victorian cast iron lamp posts, old water mills and broekie lace adornments indicate the British colonial influence.

Tarkastad's first Municipal Manager after apartheid was Smilo Dayi an ex-political prisoner. The first mayor after apartheid was Ntsikelelo Sampempe.

A family house in Tarkastad was the birthplace of anti-Apartheid activist and African nationalist, Steve Biko.

Climate

Scientists have stated that Tarkastad has one of the healthiest climates in the world.

Economy

Surrounded by commercial farms, which specialize in crop, animal farming (Merino sheep, goats and cattle) and game farming, Tarkastad caters for the surrounding villages in Ntabethemba such as Tentergate, Khwezi and Khayalethu. Although no longer the capital of the Tsolwana Local Municipality which has been absorbed into the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, the town still offers public and administrative services for surrounding villages.

Landmarks

  • Tarkastad rock engravings in Grootvlei
  • Tarkastad War Memorial
  • Blanco Guest Farm-A game farming outside of Tarkastad
  • Presbyterian Church (1881)
  • Dutch Reformed Church (1880)
  • Thrift Dam

Demographics

The following statistics describing Tarkastad are from the 2011 census.

  • Area: 81.79 sqkm
  • Population: 1604 : 19.61 PD/sqkm
  • Households: 499: 6.10 /sqkm

::data[format=table]

GenderPopulation%
Male74246.26%
Female86253.74%
::

::data[format=table]

RacePopulation%
Coloured48029.93%
Black African86653.99%
White23214.46%
Indian or Asian80.50%
Other191.18%
::

::data[format=table]

First languagePopulation%
Afrikaans66744.89%
isiXhosa61841.59%
English1489.96%
Sesotho40.27
Setswana20.13
Sign language20.13
isiZulu30.20
isiNdebele100.47
Sepedi60.40%
Other251.68%
Not applicable118
::

Nearby villages and towns

Notable people

  • Steve Biko (1946–1977), South African anti-Apartheid activist

References

References

  1. "Tarkastad". Roots Web.
  2. "Tarkastad". Namakwa.
  3. "Tarkastad, Eastern Cape". Show Me.
  4. [http://www.shieldtours.co.za/anglo_boer_war_eastern_cape.htm Eastern Cape and the Anglo-Boer War] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-02-13)
  5. "Tarkastad Climate". SA Explorer.
  6. "Tarkastad census". Adrian Firth.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

populated-places-in-the-enoch-mgijima-local-municipalitypopulated-places-established-in-18621862-establishments-in-the-cape-colony