Genadendal, or 'Valley of Mercy', was established by the Moravian Church in the mid-1700s and is the oldest mission station in South Africa. The economy of the town is dominated by 'development' projects, mostly driven by local development organisations, as well as small-scale agricultural production and subsistence gardening. Much of the workforce relies on the surrounding fruit farms for employment, which contributes to the seasonality of the local economy. Genadendal is located alongside Greyton, 32km off the N2 and 140km from Cape Town on the Sonderend River, with the Riviersonderend Mountains to the north and the Swartberg to the south.