His daughter was married to another Viljoen whose farmhouse became the original once-famous Orange Grove Hotel, located in the suburb.

[4] Famous former residents include Mohandas Gandhi, who stayed at 34 Grove Road in his early years of practising law in Johannesburg.

Louis Botha was also a direct link to Alexandra Township, where a large part of the work force which found employ in Orange Grove and surrounding suburbs, resided.

The surrounding suburbs are (clockwise from the north) Maryvale, Sydenham, Doornfontein 92 IR, Linksfield, Fairwood, Mountain View, Houghton Estate, Fellside, Victoria, Norwood and Orchards.

This was in part because the majority of residents in Orange Grove were primarily Italians who had immigrated from Italy in search of work during the early 1950s.

Despite the fact that Orange Grove was colloquially known as 'Little Italy', the mixture of these cultures provided a truly cosmopolitan, European, feel on its main thoroughfare, Louis Botha Avenue, during any day of the week.