Missing video
Sorry, this video could not be found.
Big dams, artefacts and war camps
Historical Bethulie
The concentration camp memorial outside Bethulie village.
© Chris Marais
Did you know?
Pelissier House, the oldest building in Bethulie, now houses an historical museum displaying local artefacts.
The southern Free State town of Bethulie lies in the heart of the Grassy Karoo, a part of South Africa that is rich in fossil beds and early San Bushman artefacts.
The vast waters of the nearby Lake Gariep, at 5 500 000 000 cubic metres the largest dam in South Africa, are said to cover thousands of fossils embedded in rock.
Depending on the day you drive through Bethulie, you might encounter a buzzing town full of Harley Davidson biker-types on a weekend rally – or a slumbering little village where rush hour constitutes a donkey cart passing a slow-moving farmer’s pickup truck.
Bethulie had no fewer than 7 name changes before becoming Bethulie. It was once even called Moordernaarspoort (Murderer’s Gulch) after a particularly bloody tribal battle in the area.
Bethulie’s most famous son is the late Patrick Mynhardt, who made his acting name playing characters from the Herman Charles Bosman stories, based in the Groot Marico district of the North West Province. He also wrote an hilarious autobiographical piece called Boy From Bethulie – his humour was so universal and visceral that it was successfully performed on stages around the world.
Sadly enough, Bethulie is best-known for the South African War-era (formerly called the Anglo-Boer War) concentration camp outside the town, where more than 1 700 Boer women and children died. Their remains were later exhumed and moved to a special memorial garden on higher ground. You can still see their gravestones – mounted in brick walls – standing mute testimony to 1 of the most infamous passages of the South African War.
One of the heroic figures to emerge from this disaster was Emily Hobhouse, an English activist who visited many of the camps and returned to Britain to campaign against the practice. She made a mortal enemy of Lord Herbert Kitchener, who ran the British end of the South African War campaign.
By the end of the war, however, the concentration camps had claimed the lives of more than 27 000 Boers.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Bethulie Info
Email: croos@mtnloaded.co.za
Bethulie guide
info@bethulie.za.net
Cell: +27 (0)83-251-3555
Royal Hotel
Tel: +27 (0)71 683-7767
Email: info@royalbethulie.co.za
Oppiekoppie Guest House
Tel: +27 (0)51 763 0388
Email: reservations@oppiekoppie.com
Boorfontein Guest Farm
Contact: Ina: +27 (0) 82 550 7998
Email: boorfontein@vodamail.co.za
How to get here
To get to Bethulie from the north, you drive 170km south of Bloemfontein on the N1, then turn east at the Gariep sign, and drive for 52km on the R701.
Around the area
You can take trips in this area to Smithfield, the Gariep Dam, Tussen-die-Riviere Game Reserve and Colesberg.
Tours to do
Bethulie cemetery: see guide contact below.
Bethulie is on the Open Africa organisation's Gariep Route. Read up more about the route and things to do in the area on the Open Africa website (listed below).
Get around
It's best to drive yourself. The roads are good, and hire cars are available from Bloemfontein or Johannesburg.
What will it cost
Overlanding costs in the Free State are low, compared to the bigger urban centres.
Length of stay
Bethulie and surrounds are worth 3 days of your travelling time.
What to pack
In this part of the world, always pack for 2 seasons and take weather reports seriously.
Where to stay
There are guesthouses like Oppiekoppie in Bethulie, and the Royal Hotel, which is currently being renovated and is open only for booked groups.
What to eat
Always try out the local country cuisine, which is hearty and usually quite meaty. Places like Boorfontein Guest Farm will provide you an excellent dinner on request.
What's happening
Check the Bethulie website for events during your proposed visit.
Best buys
Look out for sheepskin slippers on sale along the Gariep Route.