Swartruggens

Swartruggens is a small farming town in North West Province, South Africa that was established in 1875.

Location
The town is located by the Elands River, 69 km east of the town of Zeerust, 56 km west of the city of Rustenburg and 34 km north-west of Koster. It is on the N4 road.

It takes its name 'Swartruggens' from a series of hills there, formerly known as Zwartruggens, the Dutch name for 'black ridges'.

History
The town of Swartruggens was founded in 1875 on the farm Brakfontein.

After the Siege of Mafeking, during the Second Anglo-Boer War, one of the supply depots was established by Robert Baden-Powell in Swartruggens, as he moved to Pretoria.

A cemetery for British war dead from the Second Anglo-Boer War is located in the town.