Kuboes, Northern Cape

Regarded by the local people as the heartland of the Nama Culture, the little Town of Kuboes lies nestled between the Mountains of Ku Boesberg to the North, Van der Stel Berg to the East and the Ploeg Berg to the South. The Village of Kuboes, also spelled Khubus. Derives its name from a Khoikhoi term meaning: 'A Round Fountain or Spring'
Khuboes Village was established as a place of worship for the stock-herding clans that constantly moved about these dry lands in search of grazing for their flocks of mainly goats. On route, you will come across Cornell’s Kop, named after the luckless prospector Fred Cornell, who could never find a single diamond in these diamond-rich parts. He did, however, leave the World a wonderful book called: 'The Glamour of Prospecting'. This is a great insight into a diamond hunter’s adventures along the Orange River nearly a Century ago.

Kuboes, also spelled Khubus. Was put on the map when a Rhenish Missionary Church was completed there in 1893. The Village has become a significant Nama Cultural Centre. The nomads of the Richtersveld would commute for miles in order to attend Church services and to enable their children to be educated, until more missionaries came. These missionaries decided to settle in Kuboes itself and commute between the various missionary sites, to educate and worship the nomadic people. Thus  Kuboes Church became one of Richtersveld first permanent settlements, in a time when people still had a nomadic lifestyle. Reverend Johan Hein, teacher and evangelist, began his work here in 1844. The local School, once situated under trees, still bears his name. Since most of the locals spoke the Nama language, a wondrously soft tongue of clicks and clacks (that may sound like the language of the San to the untrained ear), Reverend Hein relied on the interpreter; Andries Domorogh. (This is the only school in the World that teaches the Nama language.) It also does valuable work in preserving the Nama culture. The young students have even exhibited their dances on stages internationally! They are taught beautiful Nama poems and stories at this School. The Village boasts choirs and dancers, who perform both traditional and contemporary scenes, many highly spiritual in nature. A life-giving mist from the distant sea, sometimes happily interrupts the harsh and dry climate of Kuboes. Where temperatures soar to over 40C in summer. The Nama's familiarly refer to this peculiar phenomenon as: 'hurries or malmokkie'. Rolling in from the coast, the malmokkie is crucial to refresh the ecosystems inland. Walking in this Area is almost like walking on another planet. Plants jutting out of rocks, bright blue lizards creeping under bushes, tiny multicolored birds flitting between the Koker Boom- (quiver trees), myths told under a starlit sky are all the order of the day or night!

Fred Cornell was a pioneer, explorer and prospector who spent quite some time in the Richtersveld at the start of the 1900s, and wrote the fascinating book entitled:' The Glamour of Prospecting'. He is famed by a Hill, which was named: 'Cornellskop'. The site, just a few kilometers from Kuboes, hosts the largest population of the endangered Baster Quiver Tree in the World.

Often called the heartland of the Nama culture, Kuboes offers traditional meals, dancing, singing and music.