Genadendal

Genadendal is a small forgotten village on the doorstep of Greyton. The village is known mostly for its rich history and the tribute Nelson Mandela paid to it by naming the official presidential residence in Cape Town Genadendal.

Genadendal was originally called Baviaanskloof (Baboons Ravine) when it was inhabited by the Khoi. It was established in 1738 when an ambitious Moravian missionary, named Georg Schmidt, journeyed to this area flanked by lush mountainsides to evangelise the Khoi that were living there. He named it Genadendal, which means Valley of Grace. The Khoi tribes were suffering from a smallpox epidemic and were left landless by the influx of white farmers. Schmidt managed to pull a small congregation together where he began to teach the Khoi to read and write.

The work Schmidt was doing soon came under scrutiny by the Dutch church after he started baptising people while he was supposedly unordained. The Dutch clergy in Cape Town soon stepped in and forced Schmidt to leave South Africa in 1743.  However, Schmidt's work was not forgotten by the community and they went on to build the first Teacher's Training College in South Africa in 1838.

Genadendal flourished during these years. It opened the first guest house and chemist in the Binneland (interior of the country) in 1830 and it boasted one of the best public libraries in the Cape. The people of Genadendal were famous for selling their hand-crafted goods. However, things changed for Genadendal in the late 19th century. Factories were erected that began mass producing products that were much cheaper than the locals' hand-made goods and, worst of all, the Teacher's Training College was shut down because the Department of Education didn't see the point of coloured people receiving an education when they were destined to work on farms as labourers.

Nelson Mandela recognised the “tangible and intangible history” of Genadendal which is why he honoured the small village. Today there are a few thousand occupants, many of which can trace their family back generations to the Khoi. Many people love visiting the town today because of its history and it being built on the very first missionary in South Africa.

Some of the hiking and mountain bike trails of Greyton venture through Genadendal. It is a great place to stop where you can soak up the history by visiting the Genadendal Mission Museum or walk through the Moravian Church Square that is lined by old buildings. There are more than a dozen buildings that date back to the 1800s, contributing to the historical charm of the village. After the quiet contemplation and wandering through the peaceful space there are several restaurants that serve traditional comfort food that will transport you back to your childhood days.