The January 2026 Renaming List
The most prominent changes approved this week, which will be legally binding once gazetted, include:
East London → KuGompo City
Graaff-Reinet → Robert Sobukwe Town
Aberdeen → Xamdeboo (formerly listed in some proposals as Camdeboo Town)
Adendorp → KwaMseki Bishop Limba
Nieu-Bethesda → Kwa Noheleni
Other Major Changes (2020–2025)
This decade has seen some of the largest urban renamings in South African history, particularly in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
| Year | Former Name | New Name | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Eastern Cape | ||
| 2021 |
Uitenhage
|
Kariega
|
Eastern Cape |
| 2021 |
King William’s Town
|
<Qonce
|
Eastern Cape |
| 2021 |
Maclear
|
Nqanqarhu
|
Eastern Cape |
| 2021 |
Berlin
|
Ntabozuko
|
Eastern Cape |
| 2021 |
Brandfort
|
Winnie Mandela
|
Free State |
| 2022 | Eastern Cape | ||
| 2023 |
Fort Beaufort
|
KwaMaqoma
|
Eastern Cape |
| 2023 |
Somerset East
|
KwaNojoli
|
Eastern Cape |
| 2024 |
Ladysmith
|
uMnambithi
|
KwaZulu-Natal |
| 2024 | Eastern Cape |
Infrastructure & Road Changes
Airports (2021): Port Elizabeth International Airport became Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, and East London Airport was renamed King Phalo Airport.
Roads (2023/24): In Johannesburg, the major thoroughfare William Nicol Drive was renamed Winnie Mandela Drive.
These changes are part of a National Programme aimed at transforming South Africa’s heritage landscape.
