Okiep, Namaqualand
The mining settlement of Okiep is situated in the Northern Cape part of the Namaqualand and, while small and secluded, was once the pivotal point of the richest copper mining region on earth. It was established in 1862 and is part of the Nama Khoi Municipality in Namakwa.
Okiep, originally called O'okiep (meaning large brackish area), has a total area of 38.6 square kilometres and a local population of about 6 500 people. The vast majority of its residents are Afrikaans speaking.
Because of its rich supply of copper, Okiep was the site of a number of political upheavals, and saw many folk being killed in wars over its wealth. From the days of Simon van der Stel in the 17th century, right through to the Anglo-Boer War of the early 20th century, this region has been subjected to, and many times succumbed, human greed and material pursuits.
Today, it is such a tiny village that it does not often feature on the maps of tourist hotspots. However, thanks to the rich historical value of this settlement, it is well worth stopping over and enjoying a peek into the South Africa of generations past.
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Kleinplasie Guesthouse
With 22 luxurious and beautifully furnished chalets / rooms, and luscious gardens, swarming with suikerbekkies, jan frederike, finches, doves and...
Snoek Self Catering
Snoek in McDougalls Bay holiday home offers accommodation for four guests, near Port Nolloth, just 2 kilometers outside the main town. This laid ...
Voetbaai Hardertjie
Voetbaai Hardertjie offers accommodation in Port Nolloth just a few steps away from the beach. Voetbaai Hardertjie is a comfortably furnished cha...
Apollis Cottage
Apollis Cottage is situated in Concordia, Namaqualand, a beautiful area 17kms from Springbok in the Northern Cape. The guest house boasts three l...
Dolfyn Self Catering
Dolfyn in McDougalls Bay is a holiday home offering accommodation near Port Nolloth, just 2 kilometres outside the main town. McDougalls Bay is h...
Walvis Self Catering
Walvis in McDougalls Bay is a holiday home offering accommodation near Port Nolloth, just 2 kilometers outside the main town. This laid back town...
Elkoweru Guest House
With our quiet and relaxed countryside atmosphere we offer you one of Springbok's first guest houses established since the 1990's. Enjoy a glass ...
Honnehokke Resort
The Honnehokke Resort has regularly featured in various magazines as the most friendly getaway on the Northern Cape's West Coast. This is a tranq...
Jakkalswater Guest Farm
Jakkalswater Gasteplaas offers you an ideal stop over in the Northern Cape with a picturesque view from the mountains over the valley below. We a...
Things to do in the area
Port Nolloth Beach
If you've booked accommodation in Port Nolloth, chances are that you are looking for the ultimate seaside escape. Here, the changing of the tide ...
Noteworthy attractions
Richtersveld National Park
The Richtersveld is a unique mountain desert wilderness of great beauty, tucked in the far north-western corner of the Northern Cape in South Afr...
Goegap Nature Reserve
The Goegap Nature Reserve with its granite peaks and sandy plains are dominated by Carolusberg, the highest point in the area. Goegap's wild flow...
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape
Inscribed in 2007 as the eighth World Heritage Site in South Africa, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape is a remarkable mountainou...
Namaqua National Park
Say Namaqua National Park and people immediately think carpets of spring wild flowers. And they would not be wrong - Namaqualand not only has som...
Namaqualand Flower Route
The spring wild flowers are a phenomenon that never ceases to amaze and delight, even for those who live in what is considered South Africa's "ou...
Skilpad Wildflower Reserve
The Skilpad Wildflower Reserve was established by the WWF in 1988 to raise awareness of the floral kingdom of the Namaqualand. Mainly shrubland a...
Akkedis Pass
The Richtersveld is usually described by the adjectives 'rugged', 'desolate' and 'forbidding'. It's a dry, unforgiving landscape that is at once ...
Messelpad Pass
Messelpad Pass lies on the 104 km gravel road between Springbok and Hondeklip Bay in the Northern Cape, one of two passes through the Tigerkloof....
Wildeperdehoek Pass
Almost inextricably linked to Messelpad Pass (the two are part of the 'Copper Route' between Springbok and Hondeklip Bay) Wildeperdehoek Pass is ...
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