Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown, is a town in South Africa in the Eastern Cape province. Rhodes University and the South African Library for the Blind are located here. It was originally established in 1811 as a military outpost by the British, who forcibly removed the Xhosa people. Originally named for the British founder John Graham, the name Makhanda was adopted in 2018 to honor Xhosa warrior Makhanda ka Nxele who lead an 1819 rebellion to retake the land but was imprisoned on Robben Island.