Kimberley is situated in the Province of the Northern Cape, South Africa, near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape and lies in the centre of South Africa with two national roads, the n1 and the n8, leading to it. The town has considerable historical significance due to its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War.

In the days of the diamond rush Kimberley use to be a rough area with ordinary citizens, most of whom belonged to the Griekwa race, carrying fire arms to protect themselves. Nowadays, with the gradually globalizing effect which took place over the years, civilized ideas about the human being have become imbedded, and Kimberley is no longer a reflection of the Wild West, but Griekwa descendants sure still live there.

Being relatively far away from the Coast, Kimberley has a typical South African inland climate of extremes. The winters is freezing cold and dry and the summers scorching hot with the odd thunder shower. The town offers its visitors a wide variety of hotels and guest houses with varying standards and prices.

Kimberley Car Rental include

• Free mileage per day according to package booked (either 100km free per day OR 200 km free per day or unlimited mileage)
• Collision damage waiver liability. This covers you for damage to your hired vehicle in the event of an accident.
• Theft waiver
• Airport surcharges
• Bail bonds (where needed)
• All local taxes

Car Hire Pick Up And Drop Off Points

• Kimberley Airport

 

Places to see in Kimberley

The Big Hole

The Big Hole is a striking feature of Kimberley and it almost became synonym with the town. It is what remains after the removal of 3 tons of diamonds. Measuring over a kilometer deep and with a surface area of 17 hectares, it is believed by some to be the biggest hand dug hole in the world. The wild, vibrant and – no doubt – rather sleazy chantey town that arose around the diggings in the 1870’s has been transformed and reconstructed in to a rather cutesy open air museum; complete with a bar, various merchants, homes and clubs. Mining at the Big Hole seized in 1914, but there is still a few active mines in the area at which one can do a contemporary mine tour to contrast with the Kimberley Mine Museum.

The Peace and Justice Memorial

This very modern memorial is located in one of Kimberleys’ suburbs, Green Point, and was unveiled by the then Mayor, Alderman Maria Chwarisang. The sculpture took Kimberley resident, Wilfred Delport, three months to design and it served as an appeal to the Apartheid government to release all political figures including Nelson Mandela.

Apart from the memorial, Green point boasts the most attractive double storied shanty in South Africa. This shanty is regularly visited by tourists and has appear on several TV documentaries.

A Trip on the Tram

For those who would like to travel to the Kimberley Mine Museum in grand old style, a ride on the Kimberley tram is a must. Tram services were introduced to Kimberley in 1887 and ultimately came to a halt in 1947. Revived in 1985, the tram service now operates on a daily bases between 09:00 and 16:15, carrying visitors between the City Hall, the Big Hall and the Kimberley Mine Museum. On route visitors are taken to some of the towns’ historical and noteworthy sights, while the tram also stops at the Star of the West, the oldest pub in Kimberley, for those who would like to pay a visit.

The diamond capital of South Africa also offers its visitors the only guided tour in an operational diamond mine in the world. This, however is not suitable for the faint-hearted, for the tour goes a staggering 840m below the earth. Also do not miss the infinite number of jewelry shops.

Kimberley is a town rich in heritage and it contributes a great deal of historical value to South Africa, physically illustrating a crucial part of the countries history in becoming the industrial capitalist society which it is today.

More Attractions

• Mattanu Private Game Reserve
• The Cape Police Memorial
• The Queen Victoria Monument
• Don McHARDY MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN
• 1890 PIONEER MEMORIAL
• The Honoured Dead Memoria