Balfour, Eastern Cape

Balfour is a town in Raymond Mhlaba Municipality, Amatole District Municipality, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Balfour
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Coordinates: 32°32′24″S 26°40′23″E
Country	South Africa
Province	Eastern Cape
District	Amathole
Municipality	Raymond Mhlaba
Area [1]
• Total	7.98 km^2 (3.08 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	3,102
• Density	390/km^2 (1,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
• Black African	96.9%
• Coloured	3.0%
• Other	0.1%
First languages (2011) [1]
• Xhosa	95.2%
• Afrikaans	3.2%
• Other	1.5%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	5740
PO box	5740

The village, which lies at the foot of the Katberg, was established as a mission station of the Glasgow Missionary Society in 1828 by John Ross and McDiarmid, and named after Robert Balfour, first Secretary of the Society.[2]

Throughout the nine Frontier Wars, the town experienced some heavy fighting.[3] Today, tobacco, citrus, wool and beef farming are practised in the area.[3]

References

1. "Main Place Balfour". Census 2011.
2. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 67.
3. "Balfour". South Africa Travel & Tourist Guide. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2013.