Klerksdorp is the oldest European settlement north of the Vaal River, and thus of the former Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Z.A.R), also known as the Transvaal Republic.

The most prominent of the first settlers was Hendrik Grobler[4] who claimed a farm of about 160 km2 (62 sq mi), called it Elandsheuwel ("Hill of the Eland").

He gave plots of land and communal grazing rights on this farm to other Voortrekkers in return for their labour in building a dam and an irrigation canal.

This collection of smallholdings was later given the name of Klerksdorp in honour of the first landdrost (magistrate) of the area, Jacob de Clercq.

In the same year, an official document, an inspection report, spoke of the "town of Klerksdorp" when the residents requested additional pieces of land.

Seven years later, in 1857, state attorney J. H. Visagie wrote to government secretary C. Moll that it was desirable that regulations be drawn up for Klerksdorp.

[5] In November 1885[4] gold was discovered in the Klerksdorp district by M. G. Jansen van Vuuren[6] as well as on the Witwatersrand, which lies about 160 km (99 mi) to the east.

As a consequence, thousands of fortune-seekers descended on the small village, turning it into a town with 70 taverns and even a stock exchange of its own.

This also led to an early demise for the Stock Exchange that stood empty for many years, were converted to a cinema in 1912 and finally being demolished in 1958.

The graves of the victims of both the concentration camps can still be visited today in the Old Cemetery Complex just outside town,[14] numbering just below a thousand.

Today Klerksdorp is celebrated as the birthplace of Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu on October 7, 1931.

The life work of Desmond Tutu has been to heal the scars left among the descendants of the many battles for control of South Africa.

He somehow managed to rise beyond pettiness and division to bring all these forces together with displaced native peoples in places such as this creating an international role model.

The store, known as "Taylor and Leask", was the only one at Klerksdorp and became the centre of the town's activities and the rendezvous of hunters and traders who brought ivory and skins from the "interior" (Matebeleland and Mashonaland) and refitted for their next expedition.

When Taylor died of fever in 1878, Thomas Leask bought out Mrs Taylor and re-established the firm on his own account, as "Thomas Leask and Co.[16] The introduction in April 1890 of a new gold recovery process by Mr John S. McArthur and Dr Forrest (known as the McArthur Forrest Cyanide Process, and mentioned earlier) made it possible to recover most of the gold contents which had hitherto been lost.

This process signalled a new era of prosperity and brought about a revival, since advantage was taken of the newly-discovered methods and cyanide plants were built on several local mines.

Subsequent periods of depression and slumps have since hit the Klerksdorp district, but they have been mild in comparison with the dreadful experiences of 1889 and 1890.

[5] The greater city area surrounding Klerksdorp incorporates the towns of Orkney, Kanana, Stilfontein, Khuma, Hartbeesfontein and Tigane, giving it a population of more than 350,000 inhabitants.

Due to their geographical location and interconnectedness, there has been talk of amalgamation between Klerksdorp, Stilfontein and Orkney since 1975 and in 1979 a commission of inquiry into the matter was established.

Apart from mining, Klerksdorp is positioned as a notable medical, retail and educational centre for North West Province and Northern Free State.

From Hartbeesfontein, the R503 goes south-east for 20 kilometres to enter the city of Klerksdorp and reach its terminus at a T-junction with the N12 National Route in the suburb of Freemanvile (west of the town centre; north of Jouberton.

The first rail connection was that from Krugersdorp in 1897, the station was built by Netherlands–South African Railway Company and officially opened by President Kruger on the 3 August 1897.

However, due to the already mentioned slump in the gold mining industry, the further setback with rinderpest and the Second Freedom War, citizens were not fortunate enough to enjoy these luxuries early.

The Harry Oppenheimer Stadium situated between Klerksdorp and Vaal River Operations is a popular sports field for some of the bigger schools' athletics competitions.

[35] His great-grandfather was Giuseppe Volpi dei Misurata (1877-1947), known as Italy's Rockefeller, who served as the Italian Minister of Finance between 1910 and 1940, as well as the last Doge of Venice and Governor of North Africa.

[36] Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 1931 – 26 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.

The SAPS crime report[41] showed the following information: In comparison to other major towns and cities in South Africa, Klerksdorp is still considered one of the safer locations in the nation.