Hanover is a small town situated in the far southeastern portion of the Northern Cape known as the Great Karoo. The town was established in 1854 on farmland purchased from a farmer named Gous, who requested that the town be named after his ancestor from Germany. When the first houses were built they were compelled to be built directly on the edge of the main road with their gardens at the rear. Owners had to pay a shilling a year tax for the privilege of having a stoep at the front of the house encroaching the road – this tax is still imposed to this day.

Hanover is situated on the N1 main highway between Johannesburg and the Western Cape, and as such provides an excellent stopover for travelers between these two regions. The town has been getting its water from a spring known as The Eye – a spring which has never been known to fail. A good view of the town and its surroundings can be seen from the top of Trappies Kop, a local koppie.