Business Traveler

Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest of South Africa’s provinces but has the smallest population, making it one of the more
remote areas of the country. Among its key selling points are its vast, open spaces, unique vegetation – including the
beautiful spring flower spectacle that transforms a semi-desert landscape – and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is
famous for its lions.
AUGRABIES FALLS
At the Augrabies Falls you will be awed by the water
thundering down the gorge. Particularly when there has been
plenty of rain and the Orange River is overflowing, you will
experience the full might of the water as it thunders down the
56-metre-high falls. There are also plenty of other attractions
to explore nearby, including a wide variety of flowers and
animals, and the inimitable views from the Moon Rock.
KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was declared in 2000,
formalising an ecological entity that was already there.
Tourists love it, but this inspiring wilderness has given rise
to something more. Now there are ideas of linking this
gigantic conservation area to others nearby. The Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park straddles the border between South Africa
and Botswana, a semi-desert of red dunes and starry skies.
KIMBERLEY
Kimberley, thanks to the fevered diamond rush of the 1870s,
has a glittering past. Take a guided tour of a once-operational
diamond mine, which descends a staggering 840 metres
below the earth. Start your exploration of the city at its main
attraction: the Big Hole. Imagine a hand-dug hole the size of
eight football fields and you have some idea of the labour that
went into creating the Big Hole. Adjacent to the Big Hole is
the Kimberley Mine Museum, which brings to life the way of
the city during the frenetic days of the diamond rush.
NAMAQUALAND
In spring the Namaqua National Park is painted orange by
exuberant daisies. The distant mountains, the roads, the
rocks, the trees and straggly shrubs of the succulent Karoo
are completely transformed by a lively array of spring flowers.
Every year the timing of the flowers and their quantities
vary somewhat. But somewhere between August and the
beginning of October, this dusty stretch of land springs to
flowering life for a few intense weeks.
SUTHERLAND
Sutherland is a world-renowned astronomical centre in South
Africa. The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is
situated on a mountain top 14 kilometres out of town and is
known to be one of the best star-viewing destinations in the
southern hemisphere. Sutherland is also a great place from
which to explore the Upper Karoo.
42 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za