Namaqualand , the Middle and Lower Orange River Valley remained relatively unknown until the 19th Century, except for a small number of European explorers, hunters, adventurers and freehold farmers. These early visitors and settlers, together with missionaries, miners, runaway slaves and disenchanted persons of mixed parentage ("Oorlams"), found the peace loving Khoi Khoi group, the Klein Namaqua, living in Namaqualand . They had been living in Namaqualand along the Middle and Lower Orange River Valley , at the many springs as pastoralists and along the coast living off the sea for the last 2,000 years. To the east and south-east were the Khoi San peoples, who were hunter-gatherers and had originally inhabited the whole of Namaqualand many years before the Khoi Khoi group, the Klein ("Small") Namaqua, arrived from central Southern Africa .

Explorers

Although adventurers had visited Namaqualand shortly after the Dutch colonised the Southern tip of Africa in the middle 1600's, the first major European influence occurred in 1685 when Simon van der Stel, the Dutch Governor of the Cape Colony, visited Namaqualand with a large entourage seeking the copper treasurers that Namaqualand held. Many other adventurers and explorers followed, such as HJ Wikar (1779), RJ Gordon (1780), J Campbell (1815) G Thompson (1827) and J Alexander (1836).

Zone of terror

As in the rest of Southern Africa, "Little" Namaqualand saw its own share of violence and border wars such as the displaced San peoples against the Freehold farmers in the Hantam (Calvinia area) during the years 1795 to 1803. Rouges such as Jager Afrikaner, based at Warmbad ("Warm bath") in southern Namibia , created so much havoc that by the 1780's the Middle and Lower Orange River Valley and much of Namaqualand became a zone of terror. This induced many frontiersman of varied origins to join this rouge robbing, pillaging and killing weaker groups for their livestock. This period came to an end in 1805 when Jacob Afrikaner expressed the desire to become instructed in Christianity.

Missionaries

Missionaries played a major roll in Namaqualand and by 1816, Methodist missionaries had settled at Leliefontein in the Kamiesberg and then later, in 1820, Rhenish missionaries settled at places such as Steinkopf, Komaggas, Concordia, Khubus, Bitterfontein. The Rhenish missionaries were instrumental in the setting aside of mission lands for the Nama herders. Lastly, there were the French Catholic missionaries, who built the famous church at Pella from an encyclopaedia. These lands still exist today as town commonages and in all make up some 150,000 hectares of land, which the modern Nama still use to farm their sheep and goat herds as their ancestors did centuries before.

Miners

Early Cornish and Welsh miners (1848) found and mined the abundance of copper and, in the early 20th Century, people of various nationalities who rushed to mine Namaqualand 's greatest wealth, diamonds, made the greatest social impact. Another influence was the presence of missionaries who arrived in early 1816, starting with the Methodist missionaries (Leliefontein) and then later, in 1820, the Rhenish missionaries (Steinkopf, Komaggas, Concordia, Khubus, Bitterfontein) who set aside mission lands for the Nama herders. Lastly, there were the French Catholic missionaries, who built the famous church at Pella from an encyclopaedia. These lands still exist today as town commonages and in all make up some 150,000 hectares of land, which the modern Nama still use to farm their sheep and goat herds as their ancestors did centuries before.

Anglo Boer War

At the turn of the 19th Century, Namaqualand , was once again thrown in disarray with the invasion by Boer Commando's under Jan Smuts towards the end of the second South African War. The whole of Namaqualand , from Calvinia and van Rhynsdorp in the south, Leliefontein in the Kamiesberg, Springbok/Okiep in the Hardeveld and Port Nolloth at the coast, saw the effects of war. Many suffered.

Today

With the influx of these various European groups and their social interaction with the Klein Namaqua and Khoi San peoples, you today have a diverse Namaqualander rich in culture and history.

Language

In the more remote areas of Namaqualand , the "Nama" language is widely used. Although in Namaqualand Afrikaans is the preferred language, many Nama words are used to describe situations, feelings or places. Many of our places of interest, rivers, springs, mountains, farms and towns have Nama names, although modernized.

Concordia mine

Fort Shelton

Springbok

Cornish Mine

Donkey Cart

Methodist Church, Okiep

Kinderle Grave

Nama Hut

Okiep Smokestack