Driving in Upington, South Africa

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 12/10/2007 12:17:14
• In: South Africa Car Hire

Upington was founded in 1871 as a mission station and was named after the Attorney-General of the Cape, Sir Thomas Upington. Today, Upington is the largest town in the Northern Cape, the capital is Kimberley which is located some 400km to the east. The landscape is still fairly fertile, especially in the flood plains of the Orange River and there are a lot of grapes grown here, some for wine and others for table grapes and raisins.

What to see in the Upington area?

When you visit Upington be sure to check out the Camel & Rider Statue and the Donkey Statue. These are both located on the same street and are dedicated to the two animals that helped build and protect the town. The building that was formerly the Mission Station is now the Kalahari Orange Museum and it teaches you all about the history of the surrounding areas and the town itself. The Grave of Scotty Smith, a local legend, sometimes referred to as the Robin Hood of the Kalahari, is also located in Upington.

A visit to the Oranje River Wine Cellars Cooperation, the largest cooperation in South Africa and the second biggest in the world, can also be a lot of fun. Wine tasting can be organised for visitors, but the grapes are largely used for table grapes and raisins in Europe.

The Spitskop Nature Reserve is just a dozen or so kilometres to the north of the town. It has many mammals but no predators. If you came to seek out the 'big 5' then a visit to Tswalu Private Desert Reserve is a must. If you have some equestrian skill then you can take one of the horse back safaris – it will really help you get in touch with nature. Augrabies Falls National Park, with its spectacular waterfall, is located to the west of Upington.

Why not hire a car?

Upington Airport serves a number of domestic flights to major cities in South Africa such as Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Because the airport runs a lot of freight it has the longest runway, at 5,600 metres long, on the continent.

The N14 (Springbok-Johannesburg/Pretoria) national road routes passes through Upington. At Springbok the N7 travels in a north-south direction connecting Cape Town with Namibia. The N10 also passes through Upington on its way to Port Elizabeth from Namibia.

Car Rental Upington is the best way to get around South Africa.