Riviersonderend is a small farming town in the Overberg area of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The N2 national road between Swellendam and Caledon passes through the centre of Riviersonderend, approximately 160 km from Cape Town. The section of N2 passing through town also serves as Riviersonderend's main street, imaginatively called "Main Street".
Riviersonderend offers lovely views of the valley and mountains by the same name. Riviersonderend has that quiet and peaceful rural atmosphere one only finds in small towns surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty. And nature is what Riviersonderend is all about: Being a town that was developed by a farming community for the farming community, Riviersonderend is as much about the people as it is about their dependence on, and their interactivity with nature.
Beginning of the river without end
Riviersonderend started out as a Dutch Reformed Church congregation in 1922. And in 1923, when the church council acquired the farm Tierhoek from Ms Edith McIntyre, a farming centre soon developed around the church, to serve the nearby wool, wheat and fruit farms.
The proper town of Riviersonderend was only laid out in 1925. This makes Riviersonderend one of the youngest towns in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
The name "Riviersonderend" (meaning "endless river") comes from the nearby Sonderend River, at the foot of the Sonderend Mountains.
The most probable origin of the Afrikaans name "Riviersonderend" is found in the Hessequa name "Kamma-kan Kamma", which translates into "water, endless water". (The Hessequa were a local tribe of herdsmen.)
Jan Hartogh, a horticulturist in the service of the Dutch East India Company, used a derivation of this Hessequa name, to refer to the Sonderend River as "Kamma-kan-kanna", way back in 1707. The existence of the Hessequa name could also explain where Willem ten Rhyne, who visited the cape in 1673, came up with the idea of referring to the river as "sine fine flumen", which also means "river without end".
Riviersonderend is as good a name as any, but I cannot help but regret that the much more melodious name "sine fine flumen" did not stick... but that's just me, I guess.
Riviersonderend tourism
Several Tourist busses make this a stopping point, when passing through town, along the South African Garden Route. The attractions and activities available in Riviersonderend are simple and pure: beautiful wildflowers from July to September, fynbos, fresh air, beautiful mountain and river scenery, tranquillity, hiking, swimming, fishing, golfing, canoeing and small town friendliness.
Riviersonderend is a convenient base from which to explore the surrounding countryside and it is only an hour away from several beaches.
The Blue Crane, South Africa's national bird, is often sighted foraging in grain fields in the pastures alongside the highways and byways of Riviersonderend.
Living in Riviersonderend
Riviersonderend is a small town, and as in most small towns, everyone seems to know everyone else. Becoming an integral part of a village community might be a shock to seasoned city dwellers, but can make a welcome change from the anonymity and disconnected lives many people live in the big metros.
Riviersonderend falls under the Theewaterskloof Municipality with Botrivier, Caledon, Genadendal, Grabouw, Greyton, Tesselaarsdal and Villiersdorp.
For assistance with water and sewerage, residents can call 083 2611946, and for electrical issues, the number is 082 4578874.
Schools in the Riviersonderend area include Hoërskool Riviersonderend (028 2611215) and RSE Primêr (028 2611390).
According to the Theewaterskloof Municipality website, houses fall in the R150 000 to R250 000 range, while erven (plots) cost between R15 000 and R30 000.
(Many thanks to Marilene de Koker at the Riviersonderend Tourism Bureau for her assistance in finding information about the town. If you want to arrange a visit to Riviersonderend, please contact the Riviersonderend Tourism Office at (028) 2611511, or visit them in Main Street - the door is always open.)
