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About Olifantshoek

Olifantshoek is a village sixty kilometres north-west of Postmasburg and eighty kilometres south-west of Kuruman. The town's name means "Elephant's Corner" in Afrikaans.

Olifantshoek lies at the foot of the spectacular Lange Mountains, on the Namakwari Route. It was officially founded in 1912. Olifantshoek is named after the tusk of an elephant which was used as payment for the farm on which the town was built. In addition, many elephant bones were found in the vicinity. Olifantshoek boasts an abundance of adventure, natural wonders and cultural artefacts that can be explored by all enthusiasts. These activities are complemented by Olifantshoek natural beauty and tranquillity.

There are ample exciting hunting and hiking opportunities. The Neylan and the Pudu hiking trails are well worth exploring. For those who prefer archaeological adventures, there are numerous San Rock art paintings and engravings which can be viewed on Meerlust and Pan Heuwel farms. Learn how the San described animals as well as their many fascinating hunting antics. There is also an interesting war grave dating back to 1879 during Galeshewe's war which can be witnessed on the farm Fuller.

One of Olifantshoek’s many natural wonders is the "roaring sands". The white granular dunes of the Witsand Nature Reserve are over 100 metres high and ten kilometres long. When disturbed by wind in hot, dry weather, these dunes emit strange roaring sounds. The white colour of the sands is caused by perennial waters that seep to the surface, leaching out the red iron oxides. This strange occurrence is truly extraordinary and must be witnessed!


Quick Facts

Province: The Northern Cape
Country: South Africa
Address: Olifantshoek, Northern Cape

Why go?

- Olifantshoek is your last fuel stop before you reach the Witsand Nature Reserve which is about eighty kilometres away.
- San rock art.
- Witness the "roaring" white sands.

History icon

History

This used to be the land of the Tswana - where tribes like the Thlaping and the Thlaro used to dwell. A hundred years of Tswana reign came to an end in 1885 when the area was annexed and became part of British Betsjoeanaland. In 1895 British Betsjoeanaland became part of the Cape Colony .

These political developments did not happen without hardship. In 1896 the chief of the Thlaping, Luka Jantje, paid with his life for his tribe’s rebellion against the Cape government. This, however, was not enough for some of the soldiers of the Cape Town Highlanders. Jantje’s head was cooked and his scull sold for 5 pounds to an officer of this regiment as a souvenir to take home to the Cape Colony. After their surrender the land belonging to the Tswana was confiscated. Some 2 000 Tswana people were further taken to the Western Cape where they had to work as forced labour on farms .

The first brick buildings in Olifantshoek were built in 1906 – a police cell and magistrate’s office. A huge tent next to the office served as the town’s first court. A policeman of the Cape Mounted Police, Sgt. Hubert Warren, was the first resident to build a house in Olifantshoek in 1909 .

Those were the days when police patrol was done on camelback. The camels were obtained from a camel breeding station at Witdraai in the Kalahari. This practice came to an end in 1946.



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