Trawal is 15 km south of Klawer and 267 km north of Cape Town, located on the N7 between Cape Town and Namibia. This grape-growing settlement lies in a valley between the Nardouwsberg Pass and Gifberg Pass on the east side and Skurfkop on the west.
The name ‘Trawal’ came from the early explorers, in Jan van Riebeeck's time, when they had trouble in crossing the Olifants River. Similarly, governor Simon van der Stel and his entourage in the late 1600s also struggled to go through the Olifants River, at the drift in the Valley by the large milk trees.
The place is named 'trouble' later changing to ‘Trawal’. Today, travellers use a bridge to cross over the Olifants River. Products of Trawal include wine grapes and export table grapes. A cooling facility, fuel station, farms and small shops provide employment.