[2] He proposed Natal as the final destination of their migration and selected a location for its future capital, later named Pietermaritzburg in his honour.

After moving to the vicinity of Grahamstown, Retief, like other Boers, acquired wealth through livestock, but suffered repeated losses from Xhosa raids in the period.

Retief wrote their (Dutch-speaking settlers, or Boer) manifesto, dated 22 January 1837, setting out their long-held grievances against the British government.

When several parties on the Great Trek converged at the Vet River, Retief was elected "Governor of the United Laagers" and head of "The Free Province of New Holland in South East Africa."

Bantjes and two companions were sent back to the laager at Kerkenberg with a message to the camp on 2 November 1837, announcing to the trekkers that they may now enter Natal.

Due to his favourable impression of the region, Retief started negotiations for land with the Zulu king Dingane kaSenzangakhona (known as Dingane/ Dingaan) in November 1837.

After Retief led his band over the Drakensberg Mountains, he convinced Voortrekker leaders Gerrit Maritz and Andries Hendrik Potgieter to join him in January 1838.

Bantjes drew up the famous Piet Retief/Dingaan Treaty outlining the areas of Natal to be secured for the Boers to settle and start their new farms and harbour.

Despite warnings, Retief left the Tugela region on 25 January 1838, in the belief that he could negotiate with Dingane for permanent boundaries for the Natal settlement.

Retief, his son (Pieter Cornelis), men, and servants, about 100 people in total, were taken to a nearby ridge, kwaMatiwane, named after Matiwane, one of Dingane's tribal chiefs who was executed in a horrific manner.

Dingane then directed the attack against the Voortrekker laagers,[9] which plunged the migrant movement into temporary disarray and in total 534 men, women and children were killed.