Reitz

The small farming town of Reitz in the north Eastern Free State is known for its massive grain silos – the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Free State Farmers Co-operative has its headquarters in Reitz, making it one of South Africa’s most important agricultural centres, along with Bothavile. Like all town in South Africa’s ‘Maize Triangle’, Rietz is surrounded by corn fields, or ‘mielie’ fields as we call them, though there are also wheat fields and other crops, and the town has been developed around an historical and beautiful Sandstone Church.

Reitz hosts the Bieliemielie Festival each year in February – a well sponsored and quite big Corn Harvest Festival which is far more entertainment and family fun based and than the NAMPO Harvest fair held in Bothaville in May, which is more of a Trade Expo.

Getting there: See the Riemland Route: Take the R57 from Sasolburg through Heilbron to Petrus Steyn, then onto Reitz instead of turning south for Lindley.