~ ABOUT NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE ~

Northern Cape: The Northern cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It is South Africa's largest province and is dominated by the Karoo Basin. It consists mostly of sedimentary rocks and some Dolerite intrusions. The west coast is dominated by the Namaqualand region, famous for its spring flowers and is particularly well known for its incredible annual floral display. This province boasts a colourful history and a variety of cultural tourist attractions such as the diamond mines in Kimberley, which also happens to be the capital city of this province. Known as “The diamond capital” of the world it is also the largest and most modern city of the Northern Cape, as well as the gateway through which many travel. Kimberley's open-cast mines are nearing the end of their productive lives, but along the Vaal River, diggers still sift the gravel for diamonds. The wide open spaces and distant horizons of the great Karoo, lie southward. Characterised by crisp dry air, clear skies, flamboyant sunsets, brilliant starry nights, this is not a gentle landscape.

The semi-desert wilderness area of the Kalahari supports sweet grasses and water-storing plants, which in turn sustain enormous herds of wildlife, mainly in reserves. The dunes and dry river courses of the Kalahari are also the last refuge of a few nomadic Bushmen (San). This province is home to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier park as well as the Richtersveld culture and botanical landscape which has recently been inscribed as one of the eight South African world heritage sites. Along the coastline, small fishing villages have been established to harvest the shoals of fish in the cold Benguela Current sweeping north from the Antarctica.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: On the border of South Africa and Botswana lies the first formally recognised trans border conservation area. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is situated approximately 250 km from Upington in the far Northern Cape and 904 km from Johannesburg. The southern Kalahari provides a large ecosystem relatively free from human interference. The absence of man-made barriers has provided a conservation area large enough to maintain examples of two ecological processes that were once widespread in the savannahs and grasslands of Africa. It is the predators that are the park’s biggest attraction. Excellent chances of seeing cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyena and the definitive black-maned lion exist. There are many other mammals that can be viewed such as springbok, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest and eland. Ground Squirrel and Suricate (Meerkat) are two more of the park’s more prominent species.

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape: Uniquely owned and managed by the Nama people, who are the direct descendents of the Khoi Khoi people, they have chosen to run this landscape in dedication to conservation. This harsh dry landscape lies to the North West of the country. The endangered Karoo vegetation, characterised by succulents, is protected by the seasonal migratory behaviour of the Nama, a true example of a partnership between man and nature

Mostly arid to semi-arid, few areas in the province receive more than 400 mm (16 in) of rainfall per annum, rainfall generally increases from west to east and the west experiences most rainfall in winter, while the east receives most of its moisture from late summer thunderstorms. Many areas experience extreme heat, with the hottest temperatures in South Africa measured along the Namibian border, winters are usually frosty and clear, with southern areas sometimes becoming bitterly cold, such as Sutherland, which often receives snow and temperatures occasionally drop below the −10 °C mark.