Kaapsehoop
Encyclopedia
Kaapsehoop is a town in the Mpumalanga
province (formerly Eastern Transvaal) of South Africa
. It is situated 1486 m (4878 ft.) above sea level on the Highveld
escarpment
, about 25 km from Nelspruit
, the capital of Mpumalanga. The name of the town is no doubt derived from the fact that when gold
was discovered in the town, the find created hope for the early inhabitants of the geographically nearby De Kaap Valley – The Cape Valley – of attaining great wealth.
Kaapsehoop is set out between large natural clearings in the rock fields near the top of the escarpment overlooking the lush De Kaap Valley situated some 800 metres below, with distant views towards Barberton
and Nelspruit
.
town once known as the Duiwels Kantoor – the Devil's Office – towards the end of the 19th century, when gold was discovered in 1882 in a small creek running through the town. This led to portion of the original township layout being canceled and opened up for gold diggings. However, the earlier better paying discoveries of gold at both Pilgrim's Rest
in 1873 and Barberton
in 1881, followed by the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand
in 1886 (later to become the town of Johannesburg
), coupled with the meager returns obtained at Kaapsche Hoop led to the town going into decline.
The town has been "re-discovered" in recent time and has now become a popular weekend retreat with its period housing including accommodation establishments. New housing (some unfortunately not period) has also been established on some of the remaining vacant stands (erven). The town is also within commuting distance of the centre of Nelspruit
situated some 30 odd kilometres away.
The rock field formations near the town are made up of quartzites of the Black Reef Formation of the Transvaal Supergroup.
spelling of Kaapsehoop as now spelt in Afrikaans
. The name of the town was no doubt derived from the fact that gold was discovered in the town which sits high above the De Kaap Valley – The Cape Valley – and the find then created the hope for the early inhabitants of the nearby De Kaap Valley area of attaining great wealth.
High Dutch
was the official language of the two original Boer Republics
of the Orange Free State
or Oranje-Vrijstaat and the South African Republic
or Suid Afrikaanse Republiek or Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR
). High Dutch was eventually to be replaced by Afrikaans
a colloquially spoken language of many of the European descended settlers. Afrikaans was largely derived from Dutch and incorporating words derived or adopted from French, German, English and indigenous African languages
. (Refer to main page of Afrikaans
to learn more).
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
province (formerly Eastern Transvaal) of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is situated 1486 m (4878 ft.) above sea level on the Highveld
Highveld
The Highveld is a high plateau region of inland South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country, the Gauteng City Region, which accounts for one-third of South Africa's population.-Location and description:...
escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
, about 25 km from Nelspruit
Nelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
, the capital of Mpumalanga. The name of the town is no doubt derived from the fact that when gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered in the town, the find created hope for the early inhabitants of the geographically nearby De Kaap Valley – The Cape Valley – of attaining great wealth.
Kaapsehoop is set out between large natural clearings in the rock fields near the top of the escarpment overlooking the lush De Kaap Valley situated some 800 metres below, with distant views towards Barberton
Barberton, Mpumalanga
Barberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, which has its origin in the 1880s gold rush in the region. It is situated in the De Kaap Valley and is fringed by the Mkhonjwa Mountains...
and Nelspruit
Nelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
.
History
Kaapsehoop was an originally to gain fame as a gold miningGold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
town once known as the Duiwels Kantoor – the Devil's Office – towards the end of the 19th century, when gold was discovered in 1882 in a small creek running through the town. This led to portion of the original township layout being canceled and opened up for gold diggings. However, the earlier better paying discoveries of gold at both Pilgrim's Rest
Pilgrim's Rest
Pilgrim’s Rest is a small town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa which has been declared a national monument. After it was officially declared a gold field in September 1873, it suddenly grew to 1,500 inhabitants searching for alluvial gold. Towards the end of the 19th century claims were...
in 1873 and Barberton
Barberton, Mpumalanga
Barberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, which has its origin in the 1880s gold rush in the region. It is situated in the De Kaap Valley and is fringed by the Mkhonjwa Mountains...
in 1881, followed by the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
in 1886 (later to become the town of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
), coupled with the meager returns obtained at Kaapsche Hoop led to the town going into decline.
The town has been "re-discovered" in recent time and has now become a popular weekend retreat with its period housing including accommodation establishments. New housing (some unfortunately not period) has also been established on some of the remaining vacant stands (erven). The town is also within commuting distance of the centre of Nelspruit
Nelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
situated some 30 odd kilometres away.
The rock field formations near the town are made up of quartzites of the Black Reef Formation of the Transvaal Supergroup.
Origin of the name
Kaapsche Hoop is the original High DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
spelling of Kaapsehoop as now spelt in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
. The name of the town was no doubt derived from the fact that gold was discovered in the town which sits high above the De Kaap Valley – The Cape Valley – and the find then created the hope for the early inhabitants of the nearby De Kaap Valley area of attaining great wealth.
High Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
was the official language of the two original Boer Republics
Boer Republics
The Boer Republics were independent self-governed republics created by the northeastern frontier branch of the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of the north eastern Cape Province and their descendants in mainly the northern and eastern parts of what is now the country of...
of the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
or Oranje-Vrijstaat and the South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
or Suid Afrikaanse Republiek or Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR
ZAR
ZAR may refer to:* South African rand, ISO 4217 currency code* South African Republic, * Zairean Airlines, Democratic Republic of the Congo ICAO code...
). High Dutch was eventually to be replaced by Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
a colloquially spoken language of many of the European descended settlers. Afrikaans was largely derived from Dutch and incorporating words derived or adopted from French, German, English and indigenous African languages
African languages
There are over 2100 and by some counts over 3000 languages spoken natively in Africa in several major language families:*Afro-Asiatic spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and parts of the Sahel...
. (Refer to main page of Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
to learn more).