Namaqualand is a geographical region in the west of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Namaqualand is a vast and varied region, which extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the small town of Pofadder in the east, and from the great Orange River in the north to beyond Garies in the south.
This is the rainless wild ground. However, after a little winter rain, from July until September, it dramatically changes into the limitless flower carpet for which Namaqualand is renowned. The prime time for viewing this floral spectacle is usually limited to only one or two days in the period from August to October.. And the best viewpoint for the flowers of Namaqualand changes every year.
The Namakwa tourism region covers the western side of the province and includes Namaqualand, the Hantam Karoo, the Richtersveld and the West Coast.
The People of Namaqualand
The Nama people have lived in Namaqualand for a very long time, but the original inhabitants, as everywhere else in Southern Africa, was the nomadic hunter-gatherer Khoi/San/Bushmen people. Then came the nomadic herder Nama people (Hottentots).
The Namaqualand speaks Afrikaans today. The early Dutch settlers in the Namaqualand region crossed the Olifants River in the 1680's, with their cattle, sheep and goats, to make Namaqualand their home. And Afrikaans was planted in the Namaqualand, where it thrived.
These early people of Namaqualand lived by the seasons, as do the modern inhabitants of the Namaqualand region of South Africa. In this area, where the people's health, wealth and happiness depend on the dry Namaqualand, the promise of rain after a protracted drought has always been cause for rejoicing.
In small towns such as Eksteenfontein, Lekkersing, Khubus and Sanddrift, you may still have the opportunity to get to know the fascinating Nama people, their traditional meals and lifestyle. The Nama architecture of choice is rounded Nama huts, which were traditionally made from reed mats, suspended over a domed framework. Some Nama people still live in this type of houses, although they now use other materials to construct the huts.
Namaqualand Flora
During the arid summer months it is difficult for the outsiders to imagine the phenomenon of the yearly wild flower appearance. But believe it or not, Namaqualand is renowned as the world's most breathtaking floral kingdom.
Every spring the land that the Nama and the San call home bursts into vibrant colour. Suddenly, after a little rain, the wide plains of the Namaqualand semi-desert is carpeted with a wild and brilliant floral display that is a true wonder of nature.
In a good rain year, the botanical masterpiece of the Namaqualand wildflowers puts on a show, from horizon to horizon, that is unrivalled anywhere on Earth. Botanists and nature lovers from all over the world make annual pilgrimages to Namaqualand, for research or simply the awe inspiring experience.
Countless poems, novels, paintings and prose have been dedicated to the annual Namaqualand colour flood. And visitors, who want to experience the Namaqualand wildflowers for themselves, can phone the regional and national "Flower Hotlines" to enquire about quality, size and position of the most beautiful wildflower regions.
Spektakelberg was so named by Simon van der Stel, when he expressed his amazement at this miracle of nature, by exclaiming: "What a spectacle!"
Wildflowers cover almost the whole of the once barren veldt in almost every imaginably hue and shade. The most prolific of these Namaqualand wildflowers, are the Namaqualand daisies and bul-bines, but many attractive and sometimes rare species of flowering succulents are also to be found.
These Namaqualand wildflowers include jakkalsblom (dimorphotheca sinuata), bottergousblom (arctotis gumbletonii), sambreeltjie (felicia australis), varkiesknol (herrea elongata), geelkatstert (bulbinella latifolia), viooltjie (lachenalia carnosa), sandlelie (antholyza plicata) and t'neitjie (pelargonium incrassatum). Other interesting Namaqualand plants include the quivertree (loe dichtoma) and veldkool (trachyandra falcata).
Nature Reserves
In 1892, Namaqualand became the first proclaimed game reserve in South Africa, but because of uncontrolled poaching, the game was almost wiped out in the Namaqualand area, and after pressure by local farmers, the Namaqualand game reserve was de-proclaimed in the 1920's.
It was in Namaqualand where the last of the (now extinct) Quagga was wiped out. There are relatively small nature reserves in Namaqualand today, but because it is only home to various small mammals (like the bat-eared fox), reptiles and birds, the main attraction of these nature reserves is the Namaqualand wild flower displays of spring.
The new Namaqualand National Park near Kamieskroon has been established mainly to protect the Namaqualand flora, which includes more than 3000 different species, and of course, the awesome natural phenomenon of the Namaqualand wild flowers. There is no official accommodation in the park, but there are many hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and camping sites available in and around the nearby Namaqualand towns.
The Goegab Nature Reserve contains a tremendous variety of Namaqualand succulents. The Goegab Nature Reserve is just 15 kilometres from Springbok.
The name of the Skilpad Wildflower Reserve says it all...
Travelling Namaqualand
Getting to the Namaqualand from Cape Town is a rather easy thing, but it might take a few hours of driving. Simply take the N7 north from Cape Town to Garies, and when you reach Garies, after driving round about 435 km, you will be in Namaqualand.
To get to Namaqualand from Johannesburg, you have to head west, 225 km on the N14 past Upington. You are heading towards Pofadder, and the eastern "border" of Namaqualand.
There are many fascinating routes through the vast Namaqualand to choose from. There is the Old Copper Way, following the trail of Simon van der Stel's copper seeking expeditions into the hinterland, which dates back to the 17th century.
Along the Old Copper Way, you will get a glimpse into the colourful histories of mining towns and settlements in Namaqualand. Alexander Bay is one of these mining towns, where many foreign treasure seekers were willing to die in their search, during the 1928 Diamond Rush.
Namaqualand Mining
Namaqualand has a rich history in mining. As early as 1685, an expedition led by Simon van der Stel, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, sank a prospecting shaft near the town of Springbok, and discovered copper. This shaft still stands as a national monument near Springbok, together with the copper-smelting chimney, built by Cape Copper Company in 1866.
But historical and archaeological evidence show that, quite a long time before Simon van der Stel discovered the rich copper deposits of Namaqualand, the local Nama people had already fine tuned the art of copper smelting. They were using copper for domestic and decorative uses.
But Namaqualand held a greater treasure than copper. Diamond mining began in the Namaqualand area in 1927.
Diamonds originated deep in the interior of South Africa and Lesotho. Over millions of years, the Orange River carried diamonds westward, to the Atlantic Ocean, where they were deposited on the ancient beaches of Namaqualand. And these diamond beaches gave the Diamond Coast in Namaqualand its name.
The mysterious Diamond Coast, between Kleinsee and Koingnaas, is the domain of De Beers - Namaqualand Mines, and part of the Namaqualand coastal plain called "Sandveld". The predominant vegetation type is generally known as "Strandveld". The Diamond Coast is a restricted diamond mining area. To travel on the road between Koingnaas and Kleinsee, you would have to apply for a permit.
Alluvial Diamonds were first discovered along the Namaqualand coast in August of 1925. But diamond mining only properly began in Namaqualand, in 1927, on the farm Kleyne Zee. The farm was named after the estuary of the Buffels River, which forms the farm's northern border.
Jack Carstens discovered some diamonds on the southwestern part of the farm Kleyne Zee in 1926, and after further prospecting, he was granted a license to exploit these diamond deposits. The Cape Coast Exploration Company (CCEC), under chairmanship of Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, bought the mining rights from Carstens in 1927. The Cape Coast Exploration Company (CCEC) eventually became part of De Beers.
The town of Kleinsee has evolved into a modern town, serving one of the world's foremost alluvial diamond mines. And the history of diamond mining is proudly incorporated into the town.
De Beers Namaqualand Mines are today situated along a 250 km long stretch of the Namaqualand coastline, at the Alexander Bay area (between Port Nolloth and the mouth of the Orange River), the Buffels Marine Complex (north of the Buffels River mouth), the Buffels Inland Complex (on terraces of the Buffels River inland of Kleinzee) and the Koingnaas Complex (between Mitchell's Bay and Somnaas Bay).
Koingnaas, started in the early 1870's, is the southern operation of De Beers - Namaqualand Mines. Koingnaas falls within the restricted area of the Diamond Coast, and until recently, only a select few people were allowed to access the Diamond Coast.
The Diamond Coast area has recently been opened up for limited tourism, which means that more people will be able to enjoy the pristine Strandveld of the Diamond Coast of Namaqualand.
Namaqualand
The Namaqualand region's economy is largely dependent on mining. And various mines in the Namaqualand area had downsized their workforces, or were subject to closures, because the mines could not remain profitable.
The tourism in Namaqualand is highly seasonal, as tourists appear and disappear along with the bright Namaqualand wild flowers. But the flower hunters, as with any other visitors, are heartily received in Namaqualand. So, don't hesitate to explore the Namaqualand, if this sounds like an interesting place to you...
