Studies of geographical names, which are also referred to as place names or toponyms, have evolved over the years since countries throughout the world came to recognise their importance in the lives of their citizens. As early as the late nineteenth century, confusion and controversy about geographic names and their application to places and features led to some countries establishing “names boards”. The South African Geographical Names Council is the official government body of South Africa that advises the executive branch of the central government in the form of the Minister of Arts and Culture on new geographical names as well as the changing of existing geographical names. In this conversation, we speak about the work of the council and the processes involved when changing the names of an area. National chairperson of the South African Geographical Names Council Palesa Kadi joins Nhlanhla Sehume for the conversation.