Diamond Fields Property | Northern Cape

The Diamond Fields in the Northern Cape owe their establishment to the world’s greatest diamond rush in the 1870s, where hordes of prospectors flocked to the region in a bid to scour the riverbanks and sift soil.  It is believed that there were as many as 30 000 diggers working day and night, living up to the adage blood, sweat and tears in their quest for wealth and prestige.

Kimberley is perhaps the most well known area in the Diamond Fields and is synonymous with the ‘big hole’, which is a huge crater in the middle of town that is a testament to the diamond digging that took place here.  Using only shovels, prospectors were able to recover three tons of diamonds and remove over twenty million tons of earth in the process of digging the ‘big hole’.  Today, the area functions as a stopover point on the route between Cape Town and Johannesburg. 

Barkly West is another town located in the Diamond Fields and is also the scene of many a diamond digging expedition.  The Vaal River still attracts hopefuls to this day and there are a number of mining museums and exhibitions that can be seen today.  At the end of the 18th century, a mission station was established at Griquatown and today it has developed into an important centre for the production of wool, karakul pelts, cattle ranching and asbestos.  If you are looking for property in the Northern Cape then this region could be just the place for you.