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Explore South Africa’s Northern Cape

Do you want to go off the beaten track? We invite you to discover somewhere special, a place that combines magnificent landscapes and adventure-sport playgrounds and offers a rich archaeological and geological heritage. It is home to the world’s first people and contains the most coveted gemstone. Welcome to the Northern Cape, a region, which, behind an austere appearance, hides many treasures.

A wild nature

No less than 6 National Parks will make you happy if you are fond of nature and wild life. From the red sand dunes of the Kgalagadi Transfontier Park, one of the largest and unspoilt ecosystems in the world, to the gorgeous scenery of carpets of flowers in Namaqualand, including the rugged mountains of the Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, or the Falls of the Augrabies NP, you’ll have to come back more than once to discover Northern Cape’s splendours.

Photo Source: South African Tourism 

A long story to tell

Not only is the Northern Cape home to the San (also called Bushmen) who are directly descended from the original population of early human ancestors, but there are several important prehistoric sites such as Wonderwerk Cave near Kuruman, from which two million-year-old stone tools were excavated. The region, the Karoo in particular, also provides a lot of Khoisan Rock-Art sites that can be seen in completely natural surroundings.

Much later, in the late 19th century, it is around Kimberley that history was written with the discovery of ‘Eureka’ (1866), the first diamond, which later gave birth to the ‘Big Hole’ along with the major battles of the Western Campaign during the Anglo-Boer war (1899-1902).

Photo Source: South African Tourism 

A Playground for Adventurers

Adrenalin enthusiasts and open-space lovers are in their element in the Northern Cape. From abseiling to hot air ballooning to motorbiking, sandboarding or camel riding, everyone will find grounds for fun here.

Photo Source: South African Tourism 

Hidden treasures

Under this harsh land, important ore deposits like zinc, copper, lead, silver, and, of course, diamond, hide. The latter is still exploited around Kimberley, but also on the West coast, in the Namaqualand Region, particularly on the restricted road to the north, from Kleinzee to Alexander Bay (area which extends to hundreds kilometres in Namibia).

Northern Cape at a glance

With its 362 591.41km² and 1.058 million inhabitants, it’s the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa (3 per sq km). There are 5 regions: Namakwa, Karoo, Green Kalahari, Kalahari, and Diamond Fields. The capital city is Kimberley. Other major towns include Calvinia, Colesberg, De Aar, Kuruman, Springbok and Upington. The major airports are found in Kimberley and Upington. The climate is hot to very hot in summer, and mild to cold in winter. There are 6 National Parks: Augrabies Falls National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mokala National Park, Namaqua National Park, Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, and Tankwa-Karoo National Park.

By Muriel Romero

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Why add small towns to your Southern Africa travels

With all the vibrant bigger cities of Southern Africa to choose from, such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Maputo, Harare, Durban, Lusaka and Windhoek, why would you choose to go slightly off the beaten track to take in a small town, the countryside or a more remote region? For so many reasons including: truly getting chance to unwind, unplugging for a moment and savouring farm-countryside living. Here are a few of our top reasons for adding small towns to your Southern Africa itinerary.

1. A chance to slow down

Bigger cities come with vibrance, multiple options of what to do each day and night and a plethora of choice when it comes to activities. They also tend to come with traffic, longer distances to reach each activity as well as more noise. While there are quieter places to escape to in each city, countryside towns with their gravel roads, bakeries and local-trade stores and no traffic offer visitors the chance to walk everywhere, ride a bike through vineyards at your own pace and really do less. Instead of full day tours and activities of the city, you can opt to stay on a farm, wake up at leisure and walk to do one activity. With nothing but cows and sheep to wake you up and tractors to cause traffic on the farms, you’ll be well on your way to relaxing.

Photo credit: thetravelmanuel.com

2. A chance for a digital detox

Depending on the town, there’s a large chance that you’ll still find wifi at some places of accommodation and at a cafe or two. But it really isn’t the worst thing in the world when wifi is missing. Everyday we are bombarded with work emails, calls, whatsapps and social media notifications, so when we finally unplug from all that ‘noise’,we truly get to relax our minds and bodies and restore our souls.

3. Connecting with locals

The beauty of small towns lies in the small space they occupy, the way you’ll see most locals at the corner bakery or cafe on any given day or have the chance to really connect with those living and working in the area. With the busy times you may experience in a big city and the busy lives of locals trying to earn a living, you may miss out on key opportunities to connect with locals. Small towns tend have a slower pace of life, locals have the time and often the willingness to sit down with you, talk about their much-loved place and trade and local to connect with visitors.

Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

Elizabeth and Warren Bradley on their farm in Swellendam. Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

4. Witnessing local trades and buying artisan products

Another aspect to appreciate about smaller towns is that people have to get creative when it comes to earning a living. Craftsmen, artists and tradesmen sell their works and continues trades that some of their families have run for generations. Not only can you get a chance to learn about their crafts and trade, but experience the making and purchase their artisan products which are often once-off and very unique to a region. This way you will get to choose truly unique products as well as those made sustainably involving the community and upliftment of its locals.

Artisan Warren Bradley crafting wooden toys and collectors items in Swellendam Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

A sculpture by Frans Boekooi. Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

5. From farm to table culinary experiences

There are bigger cities like Cape town where farm to table menus are becoming very popular, but there is nothing quite like getting the chance to either pick your own vegetables with a chef, harvest your own mussels from a rock pool or even watch the kitchen staff gather greens for the salad you’re about to eat. With less demand and more focus on organic produce, sustainable farming and slower meals, small town kitchens may give visitors the chance to have more experience with their food before eating it.

6. Countryside Charm

The allure of little ‘dorps’ (small towns in afrikaans), dusty roads, horses grazing behind the fence and friendly locals waving from their ‘stoeps’ (porches in afrikaans) is never really lost on anyone. Places where time seems to have slowed down, where life still revolves around the church square and the weekly farmer’s market is the social activity of the week are pure magic in their very own way.

Sunset in the Karoo

7. Immersing yourself in the natural landscape

Herein lies the beauty of travel; visiting a little nook or corner of the globe so completely different to our own homes. Visit rural towns where locals still live off the land and dwell in turquoise huts on the hill or see forgotten towns only inhabited by the memories of its past dwellers and mountains of sand. Stand on a crag overlooking semi-barren landscape, watch wild horses lay claim to the land or try your hand at catching fish with local children in a quiet river.

Rural splendour along the Wild Coast. Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

Forgotten town in Namibia. Photo Credit: Jean Wimmerlin.

Which small town would you like to add to your bucket list?

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