About Modderpoort

Modderpoort has a long history of religious presence and is unique in that it has a concentration of buildings, graves, art, and landscape that are significant to several religious groups. 

In the vicinity there are rock art sites which were created by the San, who lived in the area until the 18th century.

From 1869 there has been an Anglican Christian presence. The first Anglican mission community, a religious brotherhood known as the Society of St Augustine (SSA), arrived in 1869. The SSA brothers lived in the Cave Church for the first few years of their time at Modderpoort. 

The SSA's work was hampered by a lack of recruits and their membership growing older. In 1902, the SSM was invited to take over mission work at Modderpoort. They ran Modderpoort until 1988 when they widthdrew from South Africa. 

While there continues to be an Anglican Christian presence, the Cave Church, or Rose Chapel, – one of Modderpoort's most interesting features – is a holy site for followers of Mantsopa Makhetha (c. 1793–1908). 

Mantsopa is a famous name associated with Modderpoort. She was an adviser to the Moshoeshoe I, King of the Basotho, and became renowned as a prophetess. Following her conversion to Christianity in 1870, she lived at Modderpoort until her death in 1908, and was buried in the mission cemetery. Followers of Mantsopa make pilgrimages to Modderpoort to visit her grave and the Cave Church where she is reputed to have lived.