Northern Cape, South Africa
Explore the vast Kgalakgadi Park, the Augrabies Falls and the Kalahari
- Overview
- Map
- Why visit?
- Inspiration
No one who has travelled through the Kalahari of the Northern Cape can forget its raw grandeur. It is one of the last true wilderness areas of Southern Africa, a secret land far to the north of the more cultivated Cape.
It comprises three distinct areas. Namaqualand is the coastal strip between the Atlantic and the Karoo which becomes a carpet of spring flowers after the winter rains. Inland lies the vast open spaces of the Karoo. North of the verdant Orange River lies the Kalahari, a land of desert red dunes, endless horizons and huge skies. Here you find two excellent National Parks, the Kgalakgadi Transfontier Park and the Augrabies Falls National Park.
When and How to visit
The African summer months (November to March) in the Northern Cape are desert-hot, though inland occasional summer afternoon thunderstorms cool this sun-baked land. The best time to visit is from autumn to spring (April to October). The Kalahari grasses are shorter and so it’s easier to see the game in the reserves and the wildlife comes to the rivers and waterholes to drink. The coast has a winter rainfall which brings the spring wild flowers.
There are scheduled flights into Upington (to visit Augrabies and the Kgalakgadi Transfontier Park) or Kimberley.
Areas in Northern Cape
The Kalahari & Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The Kalahari and the Kgalagadi Park offers superb wildlife - desert-adapted black-maned Kalahari lions and cheetah follow the plains game.
Augrabies Falls & Upington
Augrabies Falls is a stunning 56m waterfall and gorge surrounded by an attractive game reserve on the banks of the Orange river close to Upington.
Namaqualand
Namaqualand, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Karoo, is known for its glorious carpets of spring flowers and its botanical nature reserves.
Kimberley & the Karoo
Kimberely in the Karoo is known for its Big Hole, a remnant of the diamond rush which swept South Africa in the late 19th century.
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