North of Springbok lies the town of Nababeep, a former copper-mining town in the heart of Namaqualand. ‘Nababeep’ combines two Nama words, naba (hump of an animal) and bib (small spring) - which translates into ‘place of the rhinoceros’.
Mining in the town began in the 1850s and export ore was taken to Port Nolloth via train around 1876. The mine closed during the copper slump of 1919, but reopened in 1937. Today, it is home to the Okiep Copper Company and is the region’s largest copper-mining town.
The town is renowned for its Namakwa wildflowers and its rocky hills are filled with bursts of colour during spring. The best time of year to visit is in summer, but it gets extremely hot. When you get there, visit the Mining Museum where Clara, a narrow-gauge steam locomotive used to rail copper ore to Port Nolloth, is on display.
The main attraction in Nababeep is the mining museum, an interesting facility with installations on the old copper mines that were once the ...