Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park

In the far northwestern corner of the Northern Cape, the Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park is a beautiful desert wildnerness that harbours extraordinary biodiversity. The harsh environment and a multitude of different ecological niches have produced a hoard of rare and endemic plants. The Richtersveld supports a diverse and unique ecosystem and has more endemic species of succulents than anywhere else in the world. Some of the interesting plants you may stumble across are the giant quiver tree, kokerboom and halfmens. The park is also home to about 60 animal species, including the rare Hartmann’s mountain zebra, jackal, leopard and black-backed rock hyrax.

The idea to create a national park to protect these living gems sprouted in 1975, but only flowered 16 years later when the Richtersveld National Park became South Africa’s first contractual park (meaning that the land is managed by Sanparks in agreement with its owners, the Richtersveld community). At just over 162 000 hectares, it’s a relatively small park, but across the river lies the Ai-Ais Fish River Canyon Park, almost three times as large. The two parks were joined in 2003 to form the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. At the end of 2007, an old pontoon ferry at Sendelingsdrif was refurbished to create a link between them.

South of the park is the Richtersveld Community Conservancy, sparsely inhabited and unblemished by mining. It’s here that you’ll find the tiny towns of Koeboes, Eksteenfontein, Lekkersing and Sanddrif, the last remains of Nama culture. Here people still practise transhumance (seminomadic herding) and build haru oms (traditional reed huts).