Ladismith

For the town in KwaZulu-Natal, see Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal.

Ladismith
Clockwise from top: View of Ladismith, Ladismith Town Hall, Albert Manor, Hoeko where C J Langenhoven was born, Dutch Reformed Church.
Ladismith Location within Western Cape Ladismith Location within South Africa
Coordinates: 33°29′S 21°16′E
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Garden Route
Municipality	Kannaland
Area
• Total	25.8 km2 (10.0 sq mi)
Elevation	540 m (1,770 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	7,127
• Density	276/km2 (715/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	6.4%
• Coloured	81.3%
• Indian/Asian	0.3%
• White	11.5%
• Other	0.5%
First languages (2011)
• Afrikaans	95.7%
• English	1.9%
• Other	2.4%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	6655
PO box	6655
Area code	028

Ladismith is a town and agricultural centre in the western Little Karoo region of South Africa's Western Cape province.

Geography

It is situated adjacent to a series of fertile, irrigated valleys, at an elevation of 550 m above sea level, at the southern base of the Swartberg. It is currently included in the southern Kannaland Local Municipality. The nearest towns are Calitzdorp to the east, Vanwyksdorp and Riversdale to the south and Laingsburg to the north.

History

In 1852 the farm Elandsvlei was set aside for the town, and it became a municipality in 1862. It was named after Lady Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, the wife of Sir Harry Smith, one of two towns in South Africa named after her, the other being Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal.

Point of interest

In 1999 the Ladismith Cheese Company (PTY) ltd was established and is well known for variety of cheeses and produces powdered milk.

External links

• Ladismith, official page
• Media related to Ladismith at Wikimedia Commons