Nieu-Bethesda (Afrikaans for New Bethesda) is a village in the Eastern Cape at the foot of the Sneeuberge, approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Graaff Reinet.

There was a very strong water supply on the farm and BJ Pienaar changed the course of the Gats River to drain the marshes and turn the area into fertile fields – where Nieu Bethesda stands today.

On 15 December 1874, the farmers of this area met for the first time with a view to establishing a village and Dutch Reformed Church congregation.

The Dutch Reformed Church which was founded in 1875 in the area began holding its services in BJ Pienaar's wagon house.

She and Malgas constructed cement and glass statues inspired by biblical texts, the poetry of Omar Khayyam, and the works by William Blake.

Kitching became famous for collecting specimens in Nieu Bethesda for Robert Broom, the keeper of vertebrate palaeontology at the South African Museum.

Kitching was the first member of staff to be appointed to the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, set up at the University of Witwatersrand in 1945.

There are no ATMs in Nieu Bethesda and the town relies on Graaff Reinet for banking services.

[9] Media related to Nieu-Bethesda at Wikimedia Commons This Eastern Cape location article is a stub.