Aggeneys is a small town in the Northern Cape province of south Africa, between Pofadder and Springbok, on the N14.
Aggeneys was the only location of surface water for miles around, in the semi-arid Bushmanland, and the town was established as a result.
The name "Aggeneys"
Exactly where the name Aggeneys came from, no-one knows for sure. One of the explanations for the origins of the name Aggeneys, suggests that Aggeneys is a word from the Bushman (Khoi/San) language, which means "place of blood", as the Bushmen were ambushed by farmers in a ravine near the current day town. Another theory suggests that the name Aggeneys derives from a word in the Nama language, which means "place of water" or "place of reeds". The distinction between the two meanings depends solely on a click sound. Very few people still speak the Nama language and know the difference, so the exact translation is unsure.
Aggeneys mining
Lead-zinc-copper-silver ore is mined at the town of Aggeneys in Namaqualand, 111 km north-northeast of Springbok. In 1970, the exposed mineralisation at Aggeneys was recognised by Phelps Dodge Corporation, as being the surface expression of a large low-grade mineralised body. The subsequent discovery of another three large low-grade ore-bodies, led to the development of the Black Mountain mine that continues to be mined to the present day.
Of the 4 ore bodies at Aggeneys, only one is presently being mined, while a second is being prepared for future mining. The Gamsberg zinc deposit near Aggeneys and the Black Mountain deposit at Aggeneys have yet to be mined. The price of zinc metal is currently too low for profitable extraction from those zink deposits.
The concentrated copper, lead and zinc produced at Aggeneys are transported by road to the Sishen-Saldanha railway line, and then sent by rail to Saldanha Bay, from where the concentrates are either exported, or distributed to local refineries.
Barite is also produced at Gamsberg near Aggeneys.
