Two Dependable Stopovers in Namaqualand

FROM THE NAMA people’s early metalwork to Dutch-era prospecting, Namaqualand’s mining towns have a rich history, while today’s travellers still need a comfortable bed between Windhoek and Cape Town.

Namaqualand’s copper belt has shaped towns, travel routes and livelihoods for centuries. Today, signs of hardship sit alongside fresh talk of exploration, while motorists on the long Cape Town-Namibia run still measure the region by one practical question: Where should they stop for the night?

Long before European settlement at the Cape, the Nama people of what is now Namaqualand were working with metals found in the region.

Copper and other metals were fashioned into tools, weapons and ornaments – used locally and traded beyond the area.

By the late 1680s, Dutch colonists had learnt of copper deposits from local traders, marking the start of what would become modern exploration and mining in the Northern Cape’s far north-west.

On the road between Windhoek and Cape Town, travellers pass through Steinkopf, Okiep, Nababeep and Springbok – names that once signaled bustling local economies in copper’s boom years.

A drive through the region today reveals widespread poverty, but there are also reports of renewed copper exploration and mining activity.

With global demand rising for copper – malleable, recyclable and essential to modern infrastructure – residents of Okiep, Nababeep and other Namaqualand settlements will be watching closely to see whether fortunes shift again.

For tourists tackling the spectacular but tiring Cape-Namibia route, the immediate concern is simpler. At Okiep and Springbok, two hotels stand out as dependable overnight stops.

My wife, Thea, and I found them in December 2022 during our first break in the Cape after experiencing two years of coronavirus-era travel disruption.

I am not a travel writer, and I do not make a habit of offering free marketing. Still, it is worth giving credit when service and value are evident.

May, bringing a cluster of public holidays and for many Namibians heading south for a short break, this is convenient for anyone planning the drive.

For years, we struggled to find accommodation worthy of a return visit on our trips to Cape Town and Windhoek.

Over two decades, many hotels and lodges we tried all fell short of what families on the road need.

For us, that search ended with the Okiep Country Hotel and Springbok Inn. Both are comfortable, well maintained and priced attractively, with capable staff and solid dining.

Rooms and public areas are well arranged, service is attentive, and the overall experience feels designed for weary travellers who want a clean, quiet reset before the next leg of the trip.

Okiep Country Hotel, by all appearances, began as a classic mining-town hub, built for suppliers and service providers doing business with the copper industry.

It also served as a community venue: weddings, birthdays and other gatherings, plus the end-of-day stop where locals could unwind.

Springbok Inn is newer and has a more modern feel, being part of a wider group of hotels and lodges.

They are not perfectly equidistant between Windhoek and Cape Town, but both are smart, well-run choices for an overnight stop.

If time allows, the stop can be more than a bed for the night: Namaqualand’s stark beauty, layered history and cultural sites reward a longer pause.

– Danny Meyer is reachable at danny@smecompete.com

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