Our Story

Africlassic promises you an enjoyable, comfortable and memorable experience. We will make you feel at home, take care of you and truly create "Your Home in Africa".

Africlassic Harrismith – Huize Sandwijk promises you an enjoyable, comfortable and memorable experience. We will make you feel at home, take care of you and truly create “Your Home in Africa”.
Africlassic Harrismith – Huize Sandwijk is anchored on the foothills of Platberg Mountain in the scenic and mountainous Drakensberg Highlands Area. Harrismith offers a serene environment with cool fresh mountain air and a weather system which changes continually creating dramatic backdrop scenes of cloud and mountain. The breath-taking scenery of Platberg Mountain from the beautiful garden combined with the historic home sets the scene for a truly remarkable experience.
This timeless beauty and elegant home was built in the 1950’s by Jan Benjamin van Sandwyk (born 8 January 1907), 10th child of Cornelis Marinus van Sandwyk (Born 30 November 1847) and Aletta Cecilia Petronella van Zijl (Born 23 June 1873.) He excelled from a very poor upbringing out of a family of 14 children and turned himself into a very successful businessman.
How did the Van Sandwyk family land in South Africa? Cornelus van Sandwyk and Kato van Vollenhoven were students in 1869 at the University of Utrecht, Holland and fell in love. Their respective families disapproved the relationship and they eloped and got married in London in 1869. Not able to return to their families they decided to run away to South Africa and specifically the newly discovered Kimberley diamond fields. Kato had an uncle in South Africa. They boarded a ship at Tilbury, London and sailed to Cape Town, South Africa. From Cape Town they travelled by ox wagon to Kimberley. They did not like the life in Kimberley and enquired about the whereabouts of her uncle and were told that they would find him in Bethlehem. They left Kimberley and ended up in Harrismith where they settled. Cornelus operated a transport wagon business and the odd job here and there. Tragedy struck the runaway couple when Kato and her child died in 1895 during the birth of their first child. Far from their family and original homeland Kato was buried in Harrismith with her baby in her arms. Cornelus, now aged 48 remarried Alletta van Zijl aged 22. Needless to say that with 14 children to her credit she must have been one remarkable women!
Each of our rooms are named after a mountain in the Harrismith surrounds and we have dedicated each room to all the Van Sandwijk Family members and their surviving families.

• Platberg dedicated to our forefather Cornelus Marinus van Sandwijk (Born: 30 November 1847), his runaway bride Kato van Vollenhoven (Born: … Died: ….) and his second wife and mother to 14 children Aletta Cecilia Petronella van Zijl (Born: 23 June 1873, Died)
• Loskop dedicated to Cornelis Marinus, Born 01 January 1896
• Verkykerskop dedicated to Johannes Hendrik, Born 9 October 1896, Died 21 May 1898
• Glen Paul dedicated to Marinus Cornelius, Born 20 February 1899
• Mooihoek dedicated to Johannes Hendrik II, Born 6 May 1900
• Tandjesberg dedicated to Anna Sussanna Elsie Petronella, Born 26 July 1901
• Skeurklip dedicated to Maria Hendrika, Born 28 March 1903
• Kerkenberg dedicated to Aletta Petronella, Born 16 August 1904
• Voortrekkerskop dedicated to Geloudes, Born 16 August 1904, Died 28 September 1904
• Rensburgskop dedicated to Catherina Albertina Born 10 November 1905
• Bakerskop dedicated to Jan Benjamin, Born 8 January 1907
• Tafelkop dedicated to Geloudes II, Born 21 January 1909
• Nelsonskop dedicated to Wilhelm, Born 16 January 1910
• Tintwa dedicated to Wilhelmina , Born 14 May 1913
• Tafelkop Johanna Magdalena, Born 7 February 1915