Victoria West was founded in 1843. This happened when the Dutch Reformed Church bought a part of the farm Zeekoegat from Mr J.H. Claassens. The town was then named after Queen Victoria of England. Victoria West is a town in the central Karoo region of South Africa’s Northern Cape province. It is situated on the main N12 route, at an elevation of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft). It is the seat of the Ubuntu Local Municipality within the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality.

De Oude Pastorie was built in 1846 and the oldest building in Victoria West. The Anglican Church was built   in 1869 and has stained glass windows. The Dutch Reformed Church dates from 1847. The local newspaper, the Victoria West Messenger, was published since 1876 in the Print Shop.

The town museum is a regional museum, with exhibits of fish fossils. One fossil is estimated to be 250 million years old.

For rugby fanatics, there is the Mannetjies Roux rugby-museum. He played rugby for the Springboks in the 1970s.

The Victoria West Nature Reserve is home to the endangered Riverine Rabbit.

Victoria West is located within the Nama Karoo or Great Karoo ecoregion. The region has 2’147 species of which 377 are also endemic. The Black Eagle is found in the area.

The area is arid, with an annual rainfall ranging between 100 mm and 500 mm. The lowest rainfall was measured in 1922, with 26 mm. Rainstorms often lead to floods. Such a flood killed 62 people in 1871.

Farming: wool, especially from Merino and Dorper sheep and Angora goats.

Return to Northern Cape Towns/Cities HERE.