In 1853 Petrus Fourie arranged for the layout and survey of about 80 erven for the establishment of a township named Alexandria in honor of Ds. Alexander Smith, NGK Minister at Uitenhage, who visited the congregation once a quarter. However, by the time the application reached the authorities at the Cape, another community near the coast had beaten Fourie to the name. Jansenville was then decided on in honor of General Janssens, last of the Dutch Governors at the Cape, and Commander of the Dutch forces at the fateful Battle of Muizenberg.

The Jansenville Townhall is one of the town’s historic buildings and a war memorial put up after the First World War and amended after World War 2 is located across the road from the town hall.

During the First World War, several of Jansenville’s sons volunteered to serve against the rebels within the country, against the Germans in East Africa, as well as on the Western Front. Of the fourteen who went to France, only three returned.

During the Second World War, Jansenville distinguished itself in a small way at the disastrous fall of Tobruk in 1942 when the 2nd South African Division and other allied units had to surrender to the Germans. Lieutenant Cecil Featherstone, born and bred in Jansenville, declined to surrender and, leading a small convoy, succeeded in evading the enemy forces and bringing 46 men back to the allied lines to fight again.