Amersfoort, in Mpumalanga, lies about thirty minutes drive from Volksrust, just across the KwaZulu Natal border, in the heart of the country's energy, mining and transport base.
Not far from Amersfoort is the Majuba Power Plant, the coal fired generator of electricity run by Eskom. It is the largest producer of coal-fired electricity in the world, hence its name Majuba or 'mountain of the doves' – an allusion to its size.
The town, which is located along the banks of the Schulpspruit River in the Vaal River basin, is deeply embedded in tales of the hidden Kruger Millions and the Afrikaans heroine Racheltjie de Beer, who gave her life to protect her younger brother from the harsh cold.
Amersfoort is veiled in history and the perfect town for some peace and solitude.
- Rich history
- Majuba power plant
- Big mining activities
Amersfoort is an interesting little farming town, named after a city in central Holland. The town was developed during the period of Dutch colonisation of South Africa and was built around a Dutch Reformed church in 1888. The stone church, which symbolises the town's beginnings as a Dutch Reformed parish, remains there with its spire visible through the line of trees on the side of the road.
The Cape Dutch house in the centre of town, with its characteristic gables, has been granted national monument status as has the 1896 sandstone Paul Kruger Bridge that arches over the Vaal River. The surrounding open spaces are predominantly used for farming and make for ideal terrain for an off-road driving and riding site.
