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South Africa's Wild West town
Upington, Northern Cape
The hustle and bustle of downtown Upington.
© Chris Marais
Did you know?
Date Palm Avenue is 1 of the longest, densest palm avenues in the Southern Hemisphere.
Upington is one of the Northern Cape’s largest towns, an off-the-beaten-track traveller’s destination of choice that welcomes you to life in the semi-desert of the Kalahari along the Namaqua Route, bordering the Orange River.
An original frontier town, Upington simmers and swelters in 40-degree Celsius temperatures during summer.
No place for the meek, it started out as a mission station, established by a Reverend Christiaan Schroder.
A church was erected in 1875 and is today the Kalahari Oranje Museum, complete with all its period furnishings.
Upington was originally called Olyvenhoutsdrif ('Olive wood drift') due to the abundance of olivewood trees in the area. It was renamed Upington in 1898 after the Cape Colony’s attorney general at the time, Sir Thomas Upington.
Like Wild West towns, Upington had its share of skirmishes and its share of fortune-seeking scoundrels.
One of these was a man called George St Leger Gordon Lenox, alias 'Scotty Smith'. An adventurer born in Scotland, he bought and sold illegal diamonds, stole horses and masterminded highway robberies.
His gravestone is one of Upington’s tourist attractions.
Another historic attraction is the spectacular Date Palm Avenue. Two rows of more than 200 date palm trees escort visitors over 1 000m to the entrance of Die Eiland Holiday Resort on the banks of the Orange River.
A choice of good accommodation is available in Upington, with the award-winning Le Must Residence and Le Must Manor setting the standard.
Upington also offers many activities, including 4x4 adventures to the Spitskop Nature Reserve, which is stocked with gemsbok, springbok, ostrich, eland, hartebeest and mountain zebra.
If you’re in Upington on a weekend, book a sunset cruise on Sakkie se Arkie, a floating bar on the river that accommodates up to 20 people.
It’s the perfect ending to a stay in this historic Wild West town.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Northern Cape Tourism Authority
Tel: + 27 (0)53 833 1434
Email: northerncapetourism@telkomsa.net
Le Must Guest House
Tel: +27 (0)54 332 3971
Email: reservations@lemustupington.com
How to get here
Upington is situated in the 'Green Kalahari' and is 820km north of Cape Town, along the N10, and 780km west of Johannesburg, along the N14.
Around the area
On the Kalahari-Namaqua-Namibia (Nama-kwari) route to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town, it is a convenient stopover for those travelling to the Augrabies Falls National Park, the Fish River Canyon and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
Tours to do
The Oranje River Wine Cellars in Upington is the biggest wine co-operative in South Africa. Wine tasting and tours are open to the public, but need to be booked during harvesting season.
Get around
You can fly to Upington and hire a car here, or drive there yourself.
Length of stay
2 days in Upington will keep you busy.
Where to stay
Upington has a choice of B&Bs, guesthouses and boutique hotels. Le Must offers a choice of fine accommodation options, including a 5-star boutique guest house.
What to eat
Make a point of having a meal at Le Must Restaurant, regularly voted the best restaurant in the Northern Cape.
What's happening
Check the listed Upington website for details of events and festivals.