Pofadder, Namakwa

The very little town of Pofadder lies surrounded by rugged, sparsely populated and very scenic countryside. Here locals make their money from sheep or goats farming, and there seems little more to entice you to visit the town than its position on the main route from Upington to Springbok, just 60kilometres from the Namibian border post.

Surrounding towns have equally sleepy backwater sounding names, like Aggeneys, Kakamas and Pella but there is something about this parched countryside that is appealing and, certainly in spring, the blanket of incredible flowers that brighten this part of the world makes a visit here worth the drive. Pofadder is, in fact a great place to overnight and the wee town provides a more than welcome break from endlessly straight roads through the Kalahari plains.

Pofadder has quite a history too. It might be little more than a couple of tar roads, a café, church and hotel, but there was quite a resistance mounted by the original Koranna people (offshoots of the Khoi-Khoi) who made this part of the country their home back when a mission station was set up here in 1875. The station was named Pofadder, not after the snake of the same name as many assume, but after the local Koranna chief. A few fresh water springs, called the Koranna springs, were what attracted these people here originally, and a town soon followed in 1918, officially called Theronsville. Pofadder, however, stuck, and the official name soon followed suit and reverted.

In August this is a great little base from which to explore the Namaqualand daisies, and there is a hiking trail, called the Pofadder hiking trail, in the vicinity.