The Northern Cape is a province of South Africa, with Kimberley as capital and only 822 726 residents. The Northern Cape Province was created from a portion of the old Cape Province in 1994. Sparsely populated, the Northern Cape has the smallest population, while being the largest of all the South African provinces.
The distance from Kimberley, on the eastern border of the Northern Cape, to Springbok in the west, is more than 900 km. And Springbok is not even on the coast yet!
Afrikaans is by far the most widely spoken language in the Northern Cape, with 70 percent of the population speaking Afrikaans at home, 20 percent speaking Tswana, and 6.5 percent speaking isiXhosa.
The people of the Northern Cape are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality.
Geography and Climate
The Northern Cape covers an area of 361,830 km2 in the dry northwest of South Africa. The Orange River forms the northern border between the Northern Cape of South Africa and Namibia, while the 20 degree meridian marks the northwest border between the two countries. The Molopo River and the Nossob River marks the northern border the Northern Cape shares with Botswana. The province also borders the North West Province and the Free State in the east, the Eastern Cape in the southeast, the Western Cape in the south and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
The Northern Cape includes some Karoo plateau in the south, which gradually becomes even drier towards the north of the province, where the Kalahari Desert continues across the international borders with Namibia and Botswana.
Calling the Northern Cape hot and dry might be an understatement, but being so sparsely populated and dry, the Northern Cape offers adventurous travelers a unique natural beauty and an awareness of its severe expanse.
The R27 (road) runs along the vastly stretched-out system of pans in the central Northern cape, including Verneukpan, Grootvloer, Riet se Vloer and Swartkolkvloer.
Northern Cape Economy
A large portion of the Northern Cape economy depends on various mining activities. Diamonds are mined in various areas of the Northern Cape, including Oranjemund and Hondeklipbaai, where alluvial diamonds are extracted from the seabed.
The Orange River Delta is the location of some of the most successful vineyards and orchards in South Africa. A large porion of the fruit cultivated here, especially table-grapes, are destined for the international export market.
The Oranje Rivier Wynkelders near Upington is one of the largest wine producers in South Africa. Another good wine-cellar can be found near Jacobsdal in the Jacobsdal Wine-Cellar.
The Northern Cape economy also focuses strongly on the tourism trade. Tourists are treated to the amazing natural beauty of the Northern Cape in world-class nature reserves such as the Kgalagadi Transfriontier National Park (which includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park), Augrabies Falls National Park (the site of South Africa's largest waterfalls), the Richtersveld National Park (bordering on the Orange River and the Fish River Canyon Park in Namibia) and Namaqua National Park (near Kamieskroon).
Northern Cape Municipalities
The Northern Cape Province is divided into thirty municipalities:
- Benede Oranje Municipality
- Bo Karoo Municipality
- Diamondfields Municipality
- Dikgatlong Municipality
- Emthanjeni Municipality
- Gamagara Municipality
- Ga-Segonyana Municipality
- Hantam Municipality
- Kai Garib Municipality
- Kalahari Municipality
- Kamiesberg Municipality
- Kareeberg Municipality
- Karoo Hoogland Municipality
- Kgatelopele Municipality
- Kheis Municipality
- Khara Hais Municipality
- KhGi-Ma Municipality
- Magareng Municipality
- Mier Municipality
- Nama Khoi Municipality
- Phokwane Municipality
- Renosterberg Municipality
- Richtersveld Municipality
- Siyancuma Municipality
- Siyathemba Municipality
- Sol Plaatje Municipality
- Thembelihle Municipality
- Tesantsabane Municipality
- Ubuntu Municipality
- Umsombomvu Municipality
