| Orange Farm | |
| Other Name: | Farmton |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Gauteng#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -26.465°N 27.857°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Gauteng |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | City of Johannesburg |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1988 |
| Leader Party: | ANC |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Leader Name: | Motha |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 12.16 |
| Population Total: | 76767 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 99.3% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 0.3% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.1% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 0.1% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.2% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Zulu |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 44.5% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Sotho |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 29.1% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 9.5% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Tsonga |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 4.1% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 12.8% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 1805 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 1805 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 1841 |
Orange Farm ("Farma") is a township located approximately from Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It is the southernmost township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Its name, a misnomer given that oranges are grown in orchards instead of farms, has Dutch origins. It is one of the youngest townships in South Africa, with the original inhabitants, laid-off farm workers, taking up residency in 1988. Support for the population came slowly mostly from people who were tenants at the larger township of Soweto.[2]
Approximately 85% of the people work in Johannesburg. Most of the people use trains to get to work. 35% of the residents are unemployed.
The Orange Farm Water Crisis Committee, an offshoot of the South African Anti-Privatization Forum (AFP), has been very vocal and active against the privatization of water.
Orange Farm is a rapidly growing township with great infrastructural developments each year. The township has a large main clinic (Stretford Clinic[3]) and several minor clinics. The township's main roads are tarred and several minor streets may be tarred but in questionable condition. Orange farm has a small official library, permanent housing for many residents (mainly government housing) . Electricity is readily available to most places with only a few areas without electricity (including the Squatter camp in Drieziek 5). The town has a large multi-purpose community center.
However, these improvements come with financial costs, which most of the citizens living in Orange Farm cannot afford. The ongoing privatization of Orange Farm has also drawn much criticism from social justice and human rights groups as they have pointed out that local small businesses keep dying. This can also be linked to the rising number of foreign owned shops in the area. A lot has been done to improve Orange Farm; it now has more than two parks and a two floor mall (Eyethu Orange Farm Mall). However, nearly all areas still need improvement.
Mountain Road Park[4] (opened 12 October 2014) is situated in Orange Farm Ext 2, 1 km away from Eyethu Orange Farm Mall.[5] This park sits where there used to be a soccer/football pitch of Ext 2 (Liver Pool Grounds).
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as subtropical highland (Cwb).[6]