Bedford, Eastern Cape

Bedford is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It was established in the mid-1800s when Sir Andries Stockenstroom sold portions of land from his farm Maastroom to raise funds for the restoration of his library, which had been burnt by British soldiers mistrustful of his attempts to broker peace in one of the Cape Frontier Wars.

It is located on the southern edge of the Winterberg mountain range, in the smaldeel (a narrow strip of grass land running laterally from Fort Beaufort to Somerset East, renown for its sweet grass). The town suffered a major decline in fortunes in the latter half of the twentieth century before reviving itself around the turn of the millennium. It is regarded today as an artist's haven and retirement village.

The lack of industry in the town, while a boon to those hoping to escape the rat race, means that the town has a large unemployment rate. The woes of the poor are exacerbated by a high HIV-AIDS infection rate.