joubert was born in the district of prince albert, british cape colony, a descendant of a french huguenot who fled to south africa soon after the revocation of the edict of nantes by louis xiv. left an orphan at an early age, joubert migrated to the transvaal, where he settled in the wakkerstroom district near laing's nek and the north-east corner of the colony of natal. there he not only farmed with great success, but turned his attention to the study of the law.