South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives), 1660-1994
Index and images of baptisms, marriages, and membership records of the Dutch Reformed Church. This collection contains records from various locations which were part of historic Cape Colony, including Namibia, Cape of Good Hope province and Transvaal province. Record coverage will vary depending on location. The original registers are held in the Dutch Reformed Church Archives in Cape Town, South Africa. This collection is being published as images and records become available.
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South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives)
What is in This Collection?
This collection dates from 1660 through 1970 and includes records of baptisms, marriages, and membership records for South Africa. The collection also includes marriage records for Karas, Namibia from 1936 through 1960. The Dutch Reformed Church records have been well maintained and are in good condition. Baptisms and marriages are found in different registration formats, usually in bound registers, which are kept at the local church archives in the care of the registrar. Since 1928 the registrar sends the registries to be archived at the Central Archive of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town, South Africa.
When South Africa was settled by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries, they transplanted their Dutch Reformed theology into the African continent. The Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa was formally established in 1652 and became the only official church in South Africa until 1778 when freedom of public worship was given to other churches. The history of the Dutch Reformed Church has been very much bound up with the politics of the Afrikaner community of South Africa.
The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa consists of three separate churches: the Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk (the largest and usually called the Dutch Reform Church; the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (largely restricted to the Transvaal); and the Gereformeede Kerk in Suid Afrika (the Doppers). During the 17th and 18th Centuries, the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk) was the only officially recognized Church denomination in South Africa and many white residents of the Cape belonged to it. In later years other church denominations were created in Cape, leading to a decline in the membership of the Dutch Reformed Church.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
Reading These Records
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading them see:
To Browse This Collection
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives), 1660-1970. |
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
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Baptism:
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Marriage:
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Collection Content
For additional details about these records and help using them see South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.
Sample Images
1816 Baptism Record
1902 Marriage Record
1862-3 Membership Record
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Coverage Table
The collection includes records from the following municipalities in Namibia and South Africa:
How Do I Search This Collection?Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
Search the IndexSearch by name on the Collection Details Page.
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Collection Details
Language
Afrikaans, Dutch, English
Location of Original Records
State Archives, Cape Province
"South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives), 1660-1994 ." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 18 February 2026. State Archives, Cape Province.
