“They Speak English”: Americans Visiting Orania Say the Town Reminds Them of What the US Used To Be

• A group of Americans toured the Northern Cape town of Orania in early March and shared their honest reactions to what they found there
• The visitors praised the schools, the cleanliness and the strong sense of community they experienced during their time walking through the town
• One American said the town reminded him of a part of his home state and described it as a place full of great people

A group of Americans visited Orania in the Northern Cape and could not stop talking about what they found.

The visitors toured the small Afrikaner town on 5 March 2026. Orania’s official Facebook page shared a clip of them sharing their thoughts. One visitor said the town reminded her of northern Michigan and described it as a place that felt like a version of America that no longer exists.

What makes Orania different from the rest of Mzansi

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Orania is unlike any other town in the country. A local census from December 2024 put the population at 3,025. The town has been growing at about 12% a year. This is far above the national average. The town operates without receiving a single cent from the government at the local or municipal level.

It funds all infrastructure and public services itself. This includes self-funding a security system, a medical centre, and solar panels that cover nearly half its electricity needs.

Orania issues its own currency, known as the Ora. It is pegged to the South African rand and operates its own radio station. Every resident, including those doing manual work, is white and Afrikaans-speaking. It has grown into a functioning small town with schools and a shopping centre.

Why have Americans taken a strong interest in Orania

The timing of the visit lines up with U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about the white Boer minority in South Africa being “disadvantaged” and offered asylum in the US.

Watch the Facebook video below:

Mzansi reacts to the review

Briefly News compiled a series of comments from South Africans watching online below.

Esther Graef commented:

“Why doesn't Malema start communities like this with his own people? Get everyone working, cleaning up, start schools, normal toilets and water. Grow your own food. “

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Gino Veronie wrote:

"They speak English, is that not going against your call to freedom, and yet white English Americans are welcomed. Apple does not fall far from the tree be it an apartheid, ANC or an Orania tree."

Jo-Anne Combrink asked:

"So it's okay if you don't speak Afrikaans?"

Monica Koen said:

"Please go back and spread all the positives you have experienced. Bring more visitors so they can also experience what can be done if the will power is there."

Victor Louw noted:

"They didn't speak Afrikaans, but I'm glad the community there accepted their visit."

More articles involving Orania

• Briefly News previously reported that a Northern Cape man shared a video debunking claims that revolts were happening in the Afrikaner-only town of Orania.
• The Northern Cape town of Orania has recorded its highest number of births in a single year since its establishment in 1991.
• An Afrikaner man shared footage of Orania's tallest building being erected, a historic moment for the town located in the Northern Cape.

Source: Briefly News