Northern Cape

Home to the ancient San people, the Northern Cape of South Africa is all about immense spaces, lunar landscapes, incredible mineral wealth, unique wildlife and fascinating cultures.

The Northern Cape is a very popular destination for adventure-seekers and those who love the great outdoors.

There are numerous National Parks in the province offering up a unique array of animals and plantlife.

Kimberley Big Hole & Mine Museum

The Northern Cape province is best known for its rich mineral wealth and there is no doubt that the city of Kimberley is renowned as the Diamond Capital of the world. In the 1860s, the first diamond deposits were found here, changing the face of South African history forever. The Big Hole of Kimberley is a 500m wide cavity dropping to a depth of around 240m and was dug manually by pick and shovel by early diamond miners. Today, the Big Hole and the Kimberley Mine Museum is a major attraction.

Augrabies Falls National Park

The Augrabies Falls National Park is home to Africa’s second largest waterfall. Augrabies Falls National Park is a national treasure and one of South Africa’s most dramatic landscapes. In the Khoi language, the name Augrabies means ‘the place of great noise’. Augrabies Falls National Park is home to 46 mammal species and 186 bird species, many of whice are unique to this diverse landscape.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

For many, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is their favourite wilderness experience. It may be hot and dry, but it is also spectacular – each visitor seeing something in it that is special to them. It may be the frieze of a bateleur emblazoned against a magenta sunset; a family of meerkats scoping the landscape from their burrow; the broiling cloud of dust enveloping a prancing springbok; or simply being part of something wonderfully elemental – a place to recharge tired nerves.

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape

The Richtersveld is a mountainous desert landscape, characterized by rugged kloofs, high mountains and dramatic landscapes. It is full of changing scenery from flat sandy plains to craggy sharp mountains of volcanic rock and the lushness of the Orange River which forms the border with neighbouring Namibia. A favourite amongst nature travellers to South Africa, the landscape is sometimes described as “martian”. Though barren and desolate at first glance, closer examination reveals the area to be rich in desert lifeforms, with an array or unique species specially adapted for survival.

Namaqualand in Spring

The Northern Cape’s Namaqualand region is unique in every way. During the springtime (August & September) this gentle desert erupts into a myriad of wildflowers in dazzling array. It is said of this spectacle ‘you weep twice when visiting Namaqualand – first when you arrive, and once when you leave….’. Namaqualand, in South Africa’s far north-western corner, is much-loved by botanists and visitors as one of the world’s most special places and the most unusual desert on earth.

Outdoor Adventures

For those who love the great outdoors, the Northern Cape in general is nature’s ultimate playground. Here you can go hiking, birding, mountain-biking or take that 4×4 on an adventurous road trip. For adventure-junkies, canoeing down the Orange River is one way to get an adrenaline rush. Trips down the river can last anything from 2 to 6 days and are organized by a number of accredited operators.

Wonderwerk Cave

The Northern Cape province is also rich in San rock art paintings that date back to time immemorial. The San were hunter-gatherers who lived off the desert. Their rich heritage has been preserved in numerous paintings found in caves all over the Northern Cape region. Not too far from Kuruman lies the Wonderwerk Cave. A keen stomping ground for archaeologists and the like, the site is said to have been home to human life over a period of nearly a million years. The area boasts precious artifacts, fossils and San rock art.