Welcome to

NORTHERN CAPE
NAMAQUALAND

South Africa

NAMAQUALAND

Namaqualand, on first impressions, is a harsh, relentless, arid wilderness. Surface water is practically non-existent and subterranean water is brackish and hard to find. Namaqualand hides much of her treasure, which is great mineral wealth , with large copper deposits and rich diamond diggings on a hundred kilometres of its coastline. Gem-stones, gypsum and sillimatite are also mined.

And here in this desert, one of the most remarkable wonders of nature occurs. In the spring, from mid-July
to the end of September, provided there has been sufficient winter rain to create the right temperature, ...

Beyond the granite mountains, the legendary copper mountains of the Nama tribe, the road crosses a great plain. To the west, the Namib Desert lies along the coast, the Skeleton Coast of diamonds and shipwrecks where the cold water washes an hot shore and the mists blanket the land.

Hiking -Permits must be obtained to explore the Cedarberg range as it
is a wilderness area. There are no roads, but footpaths lead to all parts
of the range. The permits can be obtained from the forestry station.

Surrounded by high, granite mountains, Springbok is the commercial and administrative centre for the mining area and is regarded ad the capital of Namaqualand. Close to the town is the Hester Malan Nature Reserve, with spring-bok, gemsbok and many other animals of the desert. Being the most northerly of the centres from which tourists may visit the wild flowers of Ngamaqualand, Springbok was also once a copper mining town of great prominence. The prosperity of these mines is reflected in the built up areas, where the community enjoys the amenities of modern civilisation under the relentless sun in a waterless region.For the more adventurous, you may hire a Nama hut for the night.