South Africa Travels Blog

Ten years after the arrival of the Settlers in Africa (1652), the first residents arrived in Clanwilliam, but it was not until 1725 that people settled here permanently. The town was first known as Jan Disselsvalleij but was changed to Clanwilliam in 1814 by Sir John Cradock who named the town after his father-in-law, the Earl of Clanwilliam. Clanwilliam is one of the ten oldest towns in South Africa.

Clanwilliam is situated at the foot of the mighty Cederberg mountain range ±230 km from Cape Town. It has lots to offer the tourists, namely the beauty of the mountains, rock art, bird-watching, lots of historical buildings, the scenic beauty of the flowers in “Flower Season”, as well as watersports. An annual fishing competition, the Bass Classic, is held in October at the Clanwilliam Dam. We have ample accommodation in and around the town. Various 4×4 routes are available in the area. Furthermore, Clanwilliam is the only place in the world where Rooibos is planted and cultivated. The factory can be visited for a video-show on the tea-process and products can be bought directly from them. Clanwilliam is also well-known for its “Veldskoene” (leather shoes), made by Strassbergers. A visit to the factory is worthwhile, and shoes can be bought from them in any size and colour.

Clanwilliam Dam & a variety of beautiful wild flowers.

At the end of August each year, thousands of people visit the town for the Wild Flower Exhibition which is held in the Old Dutch Reformed Church. ±350 species of wild flowers are exhibited. A must is a visit to the Ramskop Nature Reserve, during August and September. (Old D.R. Church) as well as an 1820 Settlers house, situated behind the Criterion in the Main Road.

Clanwilliam has a variety of historical buildings of which seven have been declared Historical Buildings prior to 1980. These include: the original farm house of Jan Disselsvalleij (2 Park Street), the Officers’ Residence between 1808 and 1858 (5 Park Street), the Old Goal Building (Museum), the Flower Church (Old D.R. Church) as well as an 1820 Settlers house, situated behind the Criterion in the Main Road.

Another monument is the St. John’s Church which was built in 1866. Some of the oldest graves are found here, some dating back to 1842, during the Anglo-Boer War. Two more monuments are the Magistrates Court and “Die Erf”.

The Bulshoek Dam, ± 24 km North of Clanwilliam along the N7, is an important resource of water for farmers alongside the Olifants River as well as those from Citrusdal to Lutzville. The water of the Bulshoek Dam is released into a canal system over 83km serving 9 330 ha of listed land. The Dam is a popular holiday resort for visitors from all over.

Clanwilliam has a variety of historical buildings of which seven have been declared Historical Buildings prior to 1980. These include: the original farm house of Jan Disselsvalleij ( 2 Park Street), the village and the surrounding area has much to offer visitors. Apart from the scenic beauty of the mountains, the river, the dam and the spectacular spring flowers, the country-side can be enjoyed by climbing, walking, boating, swimming, fishing, bird-watching and visiting rock-art sights.

A glance at some of the Succulents of the Northern Cape, South Africa.
The desert and semi-desert conditions of the Northern Cape have produced high numbers and varieties of succulents. They have adapted to extreme aridity in a number of ingenious ways. Some have developed roots which penetrate great depths to reach water, but most have a superficial root system which enables them to absorb dew. Many have fleshy branches with insignificant leaves which inhabit transpiration.

The Euphorbias are relatively easy to recognise, even for the layman. These are the spiny, spiky ornaments of the veld – cousins of the American cacti. Both cacti and Euphorbia have thick, tough, spiny stems to protect themselves against animals – and people. But unlike the cactus which is usually edible, the Euphorbia stem, when pricked, produces a whit, milky latex – often poisonous.
Bushman used latex from Euphorbia Virosa an ingredient in their arrow poisons – hence the common name, ‘Boesmansgif’ – Bushman’s poison.

Many people who know almost nothing about succulents have heard of Lithops (Stone plants). Which is strange when one considers that members of this species are self-effacing to a degree, effectively camouflaging themselves to blend with their surroundings. This phenomenon is known as mimicry – the ability to become invisible. Many are almost indistinguishable from pebbles on the sand.

The ‘Halfmans’ (half human) Pachypodium namaquanum peculiar to Namaqualand in the Northern Cape, has a weird extra-terrestrial appearance. They are often arranged in pairs or family groups with the small bent heads of the young peering around the bodies of the parents. They invariably face north.

There are over 140 species of aloe in South Africa. The Quiver Tree, Aloe dichotoma, sometimes called the tree aloe, is a conspicuous feature of Namaqualand and the North Western Cape, as it grows to a height of 12 m and is often the only tree to be seen for miles, mainly on the slopes and crests of hills. The tree stores water in its trunk and resists drought for years. It branches provide popular nesting places for the Social Weaver Bird.