Pofadder is one of South Africa’s most isolated little towns, surrounded by the rugged Namaqualand landscape. South Africans often use the name of Pofadder to refer to any far-flung small backwater town, but the actual town should not be written off.
It is on the main route from Upington to Springbok, just 60 kilometres from the Namibian border post, and offers visitors a minimalistic base from which to watch the wildflowers bloom during the months of spring. The town of Pofadder provides a welcome break from endless straight roads through the Kalahari plains.
The town’s history dates back to 1875, when a mission station was built and named Pofadder. The original Koranna people (offshoots of the ...