Kimberley Guide

DESTINATION GUIDE: 

The capital of the Northern Cape and the heart of the diamond industry in SA is Kimberley. 

QUICK GUIDE: 

Dry, dusty Kimberley is figuratively and literally a minefield of South Africa’s history.  It has a diverse list of attractions from natural wonders to man-made treasures.  Kimberley is world renowned for its ‘Big Hole’ which is the largest man-made hole in history and the world and it produced almost four tons of diamonds on its heyday.  The famous ‘Star of Africa’ was discovered there.  Although Kimberley is very hot and dry it does have two of SA’s biggest rivers – the Vaal and the Orange – flowing through it.   

HINTS/TIPS: 

The main thing about Kimberley is that it is hot, hot, hot! On average, there are almost ten hours of beautiful sunshine every day.  Summers are hot in this town with nights being only slightly cooler than the day.  Be sure to pack cool pyjamas.  Rain is also very common during summer so take note of that.  Winters can reach freezing temperatures so pack warmly if you are travelling to Kimberley during this season.  The town can be reached by road or air (at Kimberley Airport). 

MUST DO’S: 

Hop on a tram and travel from City Hall to the Big Hole and Mine Museum and also have a drink at “Star of the West” which is the oldest pub in Kimberley.  Obviously, you must visit the Big Hole where you can walk onto a small bridge which extends a small way over the hole.  This allows visitors to fully appreciate the magnitude of this mining excavation.  A favourite of visitors and residents alike is the Mine Museum.  Here you can see the Eureka, the first diamond found in the country or you can dig through gravel where diamonds are hidden, waiting to be found by an eager mine enthusiast.  The Mine Museum invites visitors to step back in time as it has recreated the town of Kimberley in its gold rush days, complete with shops, houses, a church and a little private railway coach.  Another interesting thing to do is to visit the Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre just outside of town to see the ancient rock art engravings done by the San people.