Theme Week South Africa – Upington

21 June 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Upington Central Business District © Rick Walker/cc-by-sa-3.0

Upington Central Business District © Rick Walker/cc-by-sa-3.0

Upington is a town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was originally called Olyfenhoudtsdrif (‘Olive wood drift’), due to the abundance of olive wood trees in the area, but later renamed after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by Reverend Christiaan Schröder. The mission station now houses the town museum, known as the Kalahari Orange Museum. The museum is also the home of a donkey statue, which recognises the enormous contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the pioneering days of the 19th century.   read more…

Kimberley, the world capital of diamonds in South Africa

18 March 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

Big Hole sign © Conrad88/cc-by-sa-3.0

Big Hole sign © Conrad88/cc-by-sa-3.0

Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. It is located approximately 110 km east of the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The city has considerable historical significance due to its diamond mining past and the siege during the Second Boer War. Notable personalities such as Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato made their fortunes here, and the roots of the De Beers company can also be traced to the early days of the mining town.   read more…

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