Van Rhynsdorp (Afrikaans: Vanrhynsdorp) is a settlement in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Van Rhynsdorp was founded as Trutro ("TroeTroe") after the area was first explored by Europeans in 1661 by Pieter van Meerhoff. The Troe-Troe Zending ("Mission") dates to the 1751 completion of the Trutro Homestead which is still standing at Van Rhynsdorp. The name of the town was changed to Van Rhynsdorp (in Afrikaans, Vanrhynsdorp) in 1881. The Steenkampskraal rare earth mineral deposit lies 80 km to the north east of the town in nearby Namaqualand.