About Welkom

Welkom was laid out from scratch in 1947 to serve the newly discovered Free State goldfields, and it remains one of South Africa's few deliberately planned cities, with a distinctive layout of concentric circles and cul-de-sacs designed around its mine shafts rather than a conventional grid. For decades it was the beating heart of the Free State gold rush, home to giants like the President Steyn and Harmony mines, and its wide, tree-lined streets earned it the nickname "the City of Roses." As deep-level gold mining has declined, the town has leaned into diversifying its economy, including motorsport at the Phakisa Freeway raceway on its outskirts. Matjhabeng, the surrounding municipality, still carries the mining legacy in its townships and suburbs built to house generations of goldfields workers.

Welkom's spring run leans heavily on gospel and local festivals this time around. The Central University of Technology campus hosts the 70th Anniversary Gospel Show this week, with St Dominics Catholic Church following close behind with the Maria Mabasotho Sacred Heart Gospel Show. Halloween weekend brings a double dose of festival energy, as Griffons Rugby Stadium stages WonderWhizFest and Rovers Rugby Club answers with the Matjhabeng Skhambane. November closes out with the Evening of Glory at Ferdi Meyer Hall.