Kuruman is one of the larger towns in the Northern Cape, and one of the hottest towns in South Africa.
Its inhabitants rely on what is believed to be the largest natural spring in the Southern Hemisphere; the Eye of Kuruman. This is a natural spring in the heart of the little town that produces twenty million litres of crystal clear water every day - even in the dry season!
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Kuruman is one of the hottest towns in South Africa, so avoid midsummer (December to March) if you can.
AROUND THE AREA
From Kuruman, you can make a day trip to the nearby Wonderwerk Cave, about 40km away. The cave has been occupied for hundreds of thousands of years and there is a small museum there. Kuruman is also about three hours' drive from the river town of Upington.
LENGTH OF STAY
A visit to the spring will take only 30 minutes or so but you may want to picnic nearby.
WHERE TO STAY
Kuruman has some excellent guesthouses and B&Bs.
- This is a great stopover if you're heading for the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
- Visit the "Eye of Kuruman"
- Moffat Mission
- Wonderwerk Cave and museum
In 1824, Robert and Mary Moffat of the London Missionary Society established a settlement here serving the local Setswana people. Kuruman, incidentally, is named for a local San chief that lived here at the time – Kudumane.
Robert Moffat baptised converts in the Kuruman river, fed by the Eye (called 'Die Oog' in Afrikaans). Moffat taught himself Setswana, then translated the Bible and hand-printed it in 1834 – the first entire Bible to be printed in Africa.
The Moffat church still stands today and you can even see the almond tree under which David Livingstone became engaged to the Moffats' daughter, Mary Moffat.
