What Is Makhanda and How Does It Relate to Rhodes University?

Makhanda is the South African city in the Eastern Cape where Rhodes University is located; it was formerly known as Grahamstown, which is why both names still appear in university and travel materials. If you are trying to place the university on a map, plan a visit, or make sense of a page that mentions "Makhanda" alongside "Grahamstown," the short answer is that they refer to the same place, and Rhodes University's official site treats Makhanda as its home city.

The name change, and why you see both names

The city was renamed Makhanda, and the older name Grahamstown persists in institutional memory, road signage, older news articles, and some external listings. Rhodes University's own site reflects this overlap: its navigation includes a "Makhanda" entry alongside "Grahamstown" in its keyword set, and the homepage links Makhanda to community and campus-life content rather than to admissions alone. Practically, when you search for travel, accommodation, or directions, try both names — results may be split between them.

How the university's site connects Makhanda to campus life

On the Rhodes University homepage, Makhanda appears in the main navigation near "Transformation," "Vacancies," and "Environmental Sustainability," and again in the "About Rhodes" section. That placement signals what the link is for: the city as the setting for campus life, community engagement, and local information — not a separate admissions portal. The site also offers "Maps and Directories" under both "About Rhodes" and "Admin and Support," which is where you go to locate the campus within the city.

Where to look for location information

• Maps and Directories — listed under "About Rhodes" and again under "Admin and Support"; use this to find the campus and its surroundings.
• Makhanda — the navigation entry that leads to city-related content.
• Orientation — under "Studying," useful for new students arriving in the city.
• Halls and Residences / Oppidan — under "Studentlife," covering university accommodation and the "Oppidan" category for students living off-campus in town.

Why the relationship matters in practice

For prospective students, visitors, and new staff, the Makhanda–Rhodes link is mostly logistical:

• Travel planning: search transport and accommodation under both "Makhanda" and "Grahamstown."
• Orientation: the university's orientation pages assume you are arriving in Makhanda, so pair them with the maps section.
• Accommodation: "Halls and Residences" covers university housing; "Oppidan" refers to students living in town, which is directly tied to the city.
• Community context: the site frames Makhanda through community engagement and transformation content, which helps you understand the university's local role beyond the campus gates.

A quick way to navigate

If your goal is to understand the setting, start with the "About Rhodes" section, open "Maps and Directories" to see the campus in context, then check "Orientation" under "Studying" if you are arriving as a student. If your goal is admissions, note that the "Makhanda" link is not the admissions path — use "Admissions" and "Apply Online" under "Studying" instead, and treat Makhanda as the geographic backdrop to those steps.