Inside A 'Whites-Only Town' As Filmmaker Exposes Shocking Reality Of Life Behind The Gates

A filmmaker has offered a rare and unsettling glimpse into life inside one of the world’s most controversial communities — a so-called 'whites-only' town.

Located just an hour’s drive from Johannesburg, South Africa, the settlement known as Kleinfontein has gained notoriety for its extreme exclusivity and outdated rules.

The gated area is home to roughly 1,000 residents and includes amenities like its own school, bank, and shopping center, giving it the appearance of a self-contained, fully functioning town.

While Kleinfontein might appear peaceful or picturesque from the outside, it operates under strict and exclusionary residency criteria that make it unlike any ordinary town.

To live there, residents must meet very specific requirements — they must be white, Protestant Christians, speak Afrikaans, and be direct descendants of the Voortrekkers, a group of 19th-century Dutch settlers. These rules alone have fueled controversy for decades.

Now, documentary filmmaker Ben Zand has taken a closer look at the town’s inner workings as part of his investigative YouTube series Human, uncovering what really happens behind its guarded entrance.

Residents of the Afrikaner-only settlement paying tribute to Charlie Kirk Alet Pretorius/Gallo Images via Getty Images

For Zand, who is of mixed British and Iranian heritage, gaining entry into Kleinfontein was far from easy. However, he felt a strong need to explore what drives such an insular community to exist in post-apartheid South Africa.

During his visit, he learned that the town was founded in 1992—just two years after apartheid officially ended under the country’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela. Its establishment came at a time when the rest of the nation was attempting to heal and unify after decades of division.

Despite this, Kleinfontein still proudly displays a monument to former Prime Minister Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, infamously known as the ‘father of apartheid,’ a fact that Zand found both revealing and disturbing.

Even though the town might appear racially segregated by design, its spokesperson, Ben Geldenhuys, denied that racism had anything to do with it, insisting instead that their way of life was misunderstood.

"There was nothing wrong 300 years ago when the Germans lived by themselves, or the Franks lived by themselves, but now it's a problem as somebody decided that multiculturalism is the way to go," he told Zand in defense of the town’s existence.

"The people who want to integrate, let them, and the people who don't, let them."

A resident said he was a 'Prince of Persia' Zandland/YouTube

Despite that statement, Zand was quickly reminded of the limits of this supposed “openness.” He was told directly that, as a mixed-race man, he would likely never be allowed to live in Kleinfontein permanently, even if he applied.

Almost immediately upon arrival, one resident bluntly told him that he wouldn’t “fit in,” setting the tone for what could have been an uncomfortable visit.

Yet, to Zand’s surprise, the people he met later turned out to be unexpectedly warm and welcoming. They gave him a tour of the town, answered questions about their daily lives, and seemed genuinely eager to explain their point of view.

"They were so excited that I was there, and kept saying to me that they felt misunderstood. They think they're right, but they just haven't been heard yet," he told The Metro while reflecting on the experience.

"They were nice to me, because they probably wanted me to cover them nicely, and also, people find it very difficult to be horrible, even if they're a complete racist, when one-on-one."

Even so, Zand admitted that the friendliness didn’t erase the awkwardness. The residents began calling him the “Prince of Persia,” a nickname that left him both amused and uneasy given the circumstances.

There are some strict conditions to live in Kleinfontein WIKUS DE WET/AFP via Getty Images

"I laughed it off, and Ben said, 'No, I looked you up and your great-great-grandfather was the king,'" Zand shared, before adding: "I have never even said that publicly. It's something my family think is the case, but they don't know for sure. I Googled it afterwards, and you can't find the link, which makes it even crazier."

Throughout his time there, he encountered several other odd and sometimes uncomfortable comments — including being asked if he drank alcohol, based on the assumption that he was Muslim.

Despite those awkward moments, Zand said the experience gave him valuable perspective. It reminded him of the power of human connection and the importance of building communities based on understanding rather than exclusion. In his words, it reaffirmed his belief that “the thing that makes us fantastic is that we create communities and love one another.”

"In Kleinfontein, they were so protective and kind to each other. They've created a well-functioning area, and the collectivism is such that they all contribute money to fund the schools and hospitals."

"There's a lot that can be learned, like if you work together, you can do great things. But that has a darker side, as by caring for themselves, they've banded together against other people whom they hate. We need a sense of identity that goes beyond our race and culture, as people on Earth."