Kimberley, Northern Cape
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| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | Frances Baard |
| Municipality | Sol Plaatje |
| Established | 5 July 1873 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kagisho Dante Sonyoni[1] (ANC) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 212.64 km2 (82.10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,184 m (3,885 ft) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 225,160 |
| • Density | 1,058.88/km2 (2,742.48/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 63.1% |
| • Coloured | 26.8% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.2% |
| • White | 8.0% |
| • Other | 0.9% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 43.2% |
| • Tswana | 35.8% |
| • English | 8.7% |
| • Xhosa | 6.0% |
| • Other | 6.3% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 8301 |
| PO box | 8300 |
Kimberley is the capital and largest city of the Northern Cape province in South Africa. It is about 110 km east of the meeting point of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. It is important because of its diamond mining past and the siege during the Second Anglo-Boer war. British businessmen Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato made their fortunes in Kimberley, and Rhodes set up the De Beers diamond company in the early days of the mining town.
On 2 September 1882, Kimberley was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere and the second in the world after Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States to set up electric street lights. The first stock exchange in Africa was built in Kimberley in 1881.[3]
Kimberley, Northern Cape Media
Fleetwood Rawstorne's "Red Cap Party" of prospectors on Colesberg Kopje
Open-pit diamond mine (known as the Big Hole or Kimberley Mine) in Kimberley, South Africa.
A sign next to the Big Hole, reading "If all the diamonds recovered from the Kimberley Mine could be gathered together they would fill three cocopans such as these"
Du Toit's Pan Road Kimberley, 1899
Flamingos on an artificial island in Kamfers Dam. This feature was submerged for a time as water levels rose in 2012
The provincial legislature is situated in the Galeshewe township of Kimberlely
Sol Plaatjie University Central Campus, part of which is still under construction.
Sportsground at Sol Plaatje University, South Campus.
Restored locomotive at the Kimberley Mine Museum
References
- ↑ Hoo, Sandi Kwon (in en). PICS: Sol Plaatje Municipality's youngest mayor sworn in. https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/pics-sol-plaatje-municipalitys-youngest-mayor-sworn-in-bce42b7f-a844-4307-8f52-48224b5d27a7. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sum of the Main Places Roodepan, Galeshewe and Kimberley from Census 2011.
- ↑ Mikva, Keren. 17 Things You Didn't Know Were Invented By South Africans (in en-US). Moguldom (2017-02-09). Retrieved 2023-09-22.