KwaMaqoma

South Africa , South Africa

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KwaMaqoma is a town in the Amathole District of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, officially renamed from Fort Beaufort in March 2023, with a recorded population of 25,668 in 2011.

The town was established in 1837 and became a municipality in 1883, originally named after the 5th Duke of Beaufort, Henry Somerset, the father of Cape Governor Lord Charles Somerset. The renaming to KwaMaqoma honors Chief Maqoma (also known as Nkosi Jongumsobomvu Maqoma), a Xhosa warrior chief and commander of gallant warriors who played a key role in anti-colonial resistance wars against British dispossession.

Today, the town sits on the banks of the Kat River between the Katberg and Amatola mountain ranges and is known for citrus farming. The town features historical buildings and attractions worth visiting, including the recently reopened KwaMaqoma Museum (formerly Fort Beaufort Museum), which was renovated and renamed in May 2025. 

Chief Maqoma has increasingly become part of South Africa's cultural heritage landscape, with commemorative statues erected in recent years as part of heritage projects honoring this important anti-colonial resistance figure.