Douglas

Douglas in the Northern Cape province of South Africa is a town situated about one hundred kilometers to the west of Kimberley and near the confluence of the Orange River and its main tributary, the Vaal River. The town of Douglas itself is a green patchwork of dramatic contrast - space for the solitary and activity for the energetic. Douglas is divided in three sections or locations named Bongani, Breipaal and Douglas. Douglas is a thriving, fast-growing town surrounded by a wealth of agricultural and stockfarming ventures. The first thing one notices about Douglas is the amount of water, hence farm land is fertile in the vicinity, to say the least, and the town is regarded as something of an oasis. Considering that the rest of the Northern Cape has the reputation of being dry, parched and arid - certainly it claims to be the most arid region in South Africa - this is quite an achievement.

Douglas lies about 100 km Southwest of Kimberley, the famous city of diamonds. These two are connected by the R357 highway.

The town was founded in 1848 as a mission station on the farm Backhouse, by the Reverend Isaac Hughes. In 1867, a group of Europeans from Griquatown signed an agreement giving them the right to establish a town. The town was named after General Sir Robert Percy Douglas, Lieutenant Governor of the Cape Colony.

Douglas is also an historic town, with years of diamond digging and the missionaries to thank for some of its quaint little houses. More excitingly, it has a series of glacial pavements that date back 290 million years and a number of rock engravings made from stone tools. You will need permission to see these from the McGregor Museum in Kimberley, which is only 100 kilometres away from Kimberley, making it an obvious stop over en route to view the Big Hole and other exciting tourist attractions. There is abundant bird life in the area, especially along the Orange River, which forms an oasis through the arid Northern Cape. Fishing on the Vaal River in the Douglas area is excellent, and the seven most important fresh water fish are found here. There is a lovely little spot that marks where the rivers meet, just outside of town, known as Die Neus (the nose), and the Douglas Wine Cellar is also worth a visit.

Seeff Douglas can assist you with all your property needs, be it residential properties such as vacant stands, family homes or commercial properties. Seeff Douglas has specialist agents who can provide buyers and sellers with all the information they require to make an informed decision regarding any property in Douglas or immediate surrounds.