Discover the history of Kimberley through the eye of a Tswana, Griqua or San person, all three indigenous to the region.
A mixture of first and third world, the tour takes you through historic Kimberley in the footsteps of one of the greatest Africans of the last century, Solomon T. Plaatje, and where better to start than at his own house, now the Sol Plaatje Museum. Plaatje, famous for his literary efforts as an author and newspaperman, was also the first Secretary-General of the ANC.
A great orator, Plaatje travelled extensively around the world. After Plaatje House, it’s on to the McGregor Museum for the Ancestor’s Gallery, a drive around historical Greenpoint and Beaconsfield, and then, it’s lunch at Rhodes’ watering hole, the Halfway House Hotel. Time to continue the Plaatje trail by visiting pertinent historical sites of black cultural interest.
First, the William Humphreys Art Gallery, one of South Africa’s top art museums to view modern African art (and some old masters), then the largest collection of ethnographic photographs at the Duggan-Cronin Gallery adjacent to the McGregor Museum, and finally, the Northern Cape Legislative Assembly. Continuing the trail of Sol Plaatje, we will take you to Galeshewe No 2, one of Kimberley’s historic townships where a tavern, Robert Sobukwe’s house, and other interesting sites will be visited. A visit to a traditional Tswana hut is a must before visiting Sol Plaatje’s grave to pay your respects.
You will get much more out of all these tours by booking an accredited tourist guide to accompany you. We recommend that you visit the NOCCI Tourism Centre at the Big Hole (Tel: 053 8304426) for a detailed tourist guide book and other tourist information.
