Bitterfontein lies 380 kilometres north of Cape Town in the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The difficulties at the harbour of Port Nolloth and expensive ship repairs encouraged the development of an alternative transport route. By 1910 most Okiep ore was being carried by truck to the railhead at Bitterfontein in preference to shipments direct from the port. The village is situated in the Knersvlakte, which forms part of the Succulent Karoo biome, with over a 1000 succulent species. In this rural village, you can still see people baking bread in outside clay ovens, driving donkey carts and herding goats in the traditional manner. The village, as well as the surrounding villages, are provided with fresh water by means of a desalination plant, the first in the Southern Hemisphere. The water is pumped from saline boreholes and then desalinated through a process of reverse osmosis.

Travelling from Cape Town, on the N7 highway to Namibia, Bitterfontein is 380 kilometres north of Cape Town.

“Bitterfontein was so named because it got its water from an extremely saline fountain that still exists in the area. The bitter water from this fountain is mentioned in the diary of Governor Simon van der Stel in 1685” - Chris Smit, 2024/06/28

Be the first to submit a link or media file

Be the first to submit a link