Meet our tour guides
Enrich your trip further by hiring a local guide.
All are certified cultural guides and have grown up in the
Namakwa area. Making use of them not only helps support
the community but could change your holiday from a
good one to a great one!
Wilma hails from Eksteenfontein, although she currently resides in Alexander Bay. In 2017, she was appointed as the 4x4 Tourism Officer for the Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail and today is still there! Thanks to Namakwa 4x4, she obtained her qualification as a cultural tour guide for Alexander Bay and surrounding areas and later expand this qualification to the Namakwa area. She is also currently busy with her studies in Tourism Management via the University of South Africa. Her passion for the Tourism Industry drives her to always provide the best service to clients. Wilma enjoys working with people from all over the world. Confident and highly organised, Wilma always goes the extra mile to ensure clients receive excellent service. With more than twenty (20) years of experience in the Tourism Industry, her job is to assist all their valued customers with reservations, tourism information, tours and recommending activities to ensure that you have an easy and enjoyable experience on the Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail. Wilma James at your service!
📞 081 8739043
WILMA JAMES
NAMAKWA 4X4 TOURISM OFFICER
Sarel was born in Nambia and grew up in Pella in the Northern Cape. In 2014, he was elected by the community as the Namakwa 4x4 representative of Pella. He is actively involved in tourism in his area and offers the following to tourists: Act as tour guide on hiking trails in the area. Guiding to interesting attractions in the areas such as the historical stone where the Bushmen sharpened their arrows in the past, viewing of old cathedral church, visit to the historical cave that was named David’s Cave, as well as Leeukop. He can arrange traditional Nama Dances.
📞 063 3348019
SAREL WATERBOER PELLA GUIDE
Ambrosius is from Witbank, which is situated next to the Orange River in the Northern Cape. He has a passion for tourism and is looking forward to implementing plans to promote tourism in his village where he was co-opted as a Namakwa 4x4 representative. Ambrosius offers tourists attractions such as the German Graves, Hartbeesmond Fire Hub, Quiver Trees and Halfmens Plant and a visit to the Chrystal Caves. He carries a wealth of knowledge on the history of Witbank and can arrange traditional Nama Dances, traditional Nama Food and horse riding.
📞 064 0742326
AMBROSIUS PRETORIUS
WITBANK GUIDE
Fernando is from Goodhouse, a small village located next to the Orange River in the Northern Cape. In 1998, he was part of the founding members of the Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail and as a community leader, was elected by the community to represent Goodhouse on the board of Namakwa 4x4 Exploration. In 2016, he registered a company, Takarani Tourism. His company serves as a Tourism Forum and consists of members of the community of Goodhouse. The main purpose of this company is to operate tourism in the area in such a way that it benefits the community. He offers tourists interesting story telling about the rich history of the area as well as introducing them to the traditional Nama People. In addition, tourists can also enjoy traditional Nama food in his local village.
📞 027 7211103
FERNANDO NTULI
GOODHOUSE GUIDE
Maria is from Vioolsdrift, which is the primary South African border post to Namibia. She was co-opted by the previous Namakwa 4x4 representative of Vioolsdrift in the year 2018. In 2019, she became a qualified cultural tour guide and offers guiding to interesting attractions in Vioolsdrift and the surrounding areas, such as the Grave of Jan Viool, after whom Vioolsdrift was named. Guiding to the old stone mine where “Prentjies Klip” (interesting colourful stones) occurs, is one of the highlights of my tour.
📞 083 3742385
MARIA PIETERS
VIOOLSDRIFT GUIDE
Josiesa is from the Richtersveld and currently living in Alexander Bay, where he has been the Namakwa 4x4 representative for Alexander Bay since 2015. In 2016, he was elected as Chairperson of Namakwa 4x4 Exploration NPC and served until 2019.
He has a passion for the environment as well as for the tourism industry and as a cultural tour guide can arrange traditional Nama Dances by his local school learners as well as horse riding outings to the Orange Rivier Mouth.
📞 082 8872705/ 074 6087832
JOSIESA JOSEPH ALEXANDER BAY GUIDE
Sophia is one of the founding members of the North Namaqualand Task Group in 1989 and has done many courses and training in tourism and over time discovered this to be one of her passions. She was also one of the founding members of the Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail in 1988 and today is the Namakwa 4x4 representative for Eksteenfontein. It is her passion to promote tourism in her area and offers tourists accommodation at Rooiberg Guesthouse, approximately 17 km from Eksteenfontein. Sophia has an abundance of knowledge on the history of the Bosluis Basters, the Nama People and their culture and can arrange donkey cart rides with the locals.
📞 079 0269350
SOPHIA STRAUSS
EKSTEENFONTEIN GUIDE
Alfreda was born in Lekkersing and is the Namakwa 4x4 representative for her village. She is actively involved in its tourism activities.
Alfreda is keen to show you the traditional Nama Dancers, The Nama Choir of Lekkersing and to impart some interesting local stories.
📞 076 6938892
ALFREDA ADAMS
LEKKERSING GUIDE
Emilie was born in Sanddrift and started her tourism career in 1996, while teaching at Johan Hein Primary in Kuboes. She has, together with the school, represented the Richtersveld on local, provincial, national as well as international platforms and received invitations from Indigenous organizations in Turkey and Greenland where they showcased the Nama People on cultural platforms. These performances put Sanddrift on the world map as part of the World Heritage Site. Nominated as a member of the KhoiSan Board as well as the Pansalb Language Board, these platforms have provided opportunities to showcase the Richtersveld’s cultural dances and traditional Nama songs all over the country. Emilie is a Namakwa 4x4 representative of Sanddrift since 1998 and currently situated in Alexander Bay, serving as member of the High School Governing Body where she supports the senior tourism classes. She promotes local tourism businesses throughout the Namakwa District and offers tourists the interesting history of the Nama People, the traditional Nama Dance, fishing and bird watching on the mighty Orange River. It gives her great pleasure to be part of such a rich natural and unique environment along the Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail.
📞 083 9239208
EMILIE SMITH
SANDDRIF GUIDE
Most of the villages along the Route started out as mission stations. European missionaries were appointed to minister to the local Nama people and to establish schools for them.
This has created a rich and unique cultural history which the privileged explorers of the Namakwa 4x4 Eco trail get to experience.
The villages have been placed under the two packages that they fall within and the corresponding tour guides are next them.
The villages on the Namakwa Package
Pella
Pella is close to the Orange River and is known for its fertile ground where dates are grown. The London Missionary Society founded the Pella village in 1814 and in 1878 the missionary station was taken over by the Roman Catholic Church. Two ministers, using an encyclopedia as a reference, built the Pella Cathedral.
The village is surrounded by date palm trees and hosts a convent, mission and a museum.
Arrange a visit in advance with the mission nuns.
Tel 071 4251354 / 076 8833927
There is no fuel in Pella however there are shops and an ATM.
Witbank
Witbank is situated next to the Orange River. Most of the residents came from Namibia after the former South West Africa (now Namibia) gained independence. The main economic sources here are agriculture, livestock farming and work at the nearby zinc mines in Aggeneys.
Local handmade arts & crafts are for sale at the tourism information office.
No fuel is available.
Goodhouse
The remote Goodhouse settlement is also located next to the Orange River. The people who reside here are mainly dependent on agriculture and livestock farming. Irrigation farming is practiced with water pumped from the river. Dates are grown in the nearby Koo Valley.
The people living in Goodhouse have historic family ties with Namibians on the other side of the Orange River.
No fuel is available.
Vioolsdrift
Vioolsdrift is the primary South African border post to Namibia. The Vioolsdrift community are dependent on agriculture, life stock farming and tourism. The area is known for its majestic mountains and rock formations, also being refered to as Giants Playground as the area is strewn with gigantic rounded rocks.
No fuel is available in Vioolsdrift, although it is available just over the border in Namibia.
The villages on the Richtersveld Package
Alexander Bay
The most northerly town on the west coast of South Africa and where the Orange River enters the Atlantic Ocean. Established in the 1860's when Englishman Sir James Edward Alexander began exporting copper using the Orange River to transport copper ore mined in the Richtersveld. By 1875 the exporting of copper halted and Alexander Bay became a ghost town. In 1925 diamonds were discovered and brought Alexander Bay back to life. The Orange River Estuary, being a RAMSAR site, has over 75 000 species of water birds and a seal colony. The cold Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean has a moderating influence on the coastal climate making many water-sports activities like surfing, windsurfing, river rafting, angling and diving, very popular. Enjoy the traditional Nama Stap Dance, performed by the local primary school. Visit the Orange River Mouth on horseback or enjoy the ocean view on a horse cart. The town, the biggest on the trail, has a good infrastructure with grocery stores, a hospital, coffee shops, restaurants, fuel station, mechanical workshop and the Namakwa 4x4 Eco Trail office.
Bookings for activities to be done in advance.
ALEXANDER BAY TOURISM & NAMAKWA 4X4 INFO
Tel 081 873 9043
Eksteenfontein
The town of Eksteenfontein, in the southern parts of the Richtersveld Mountain Desert, was named after Reverend Eksteen who made it possible for the ‘Basters’ people to relocate after negotiating with the government for land. The fountain part in the name of Eksteenfontein refers to an ancient fountain in the town on the Stink River nearby. Livestock farming and working at the nearby diamond mines are the main economic activities. Take a walk through the town or take a tour by donkey cart whilst listening to stories told by the Namas of their customs. Seek out the Eksteenfontein fountain and San rock engraving, known as petroglyphs as well as Bushmen rock art.
There is no fuel in Eksteenfontein, however there are small shops, liquor store and accommodation.
EKSTEENFONTEIN TOURISM INFO Tel 076 5277281
Kuboes
Regarded by locals as the capital of the Nama culture in the Richtersveld, it lies in a valley between three mountains. Founded by the Rhenish Missionary Society under the leadership of Reverend Johan Hein in 1844, the church became one of the Richtersveld’s first permanent settlements. During the 1800’s most of the people in Kuboes only spoke the Nama language, a soft tongue of clicks and clacks. It is still taught today at the School and helps preserve the Nama language, customs and culture. The schools Nama dance group have taken their Nama Stap (a traditional dance) onto international stages abroad. Nama poems, songs, dance and stories are kept alive by both young and old people from Kuboes. Traditionally the Nama people are a farming community who lived in some cases on communal farms and today they commute between the live stock farms (Veepost) and their houses in Kuboes. Some of them work at the nearby diamond mines. The nearby Wondergat at Conelskop is a limestone sinkhole (pothole).This deep shaft is said to be the home of ‘The Big Snake’ which some locals believe can transform itself into a beautiful young woman.
There are two general stores in Kuboes but no fuel or ATM’s.
Lekkersing
Reverend Jasper Cloete found the town of Lekkersing in 1926. The name Lekkersing, which means to sing well, is thought to be named after a nearby fountain that used to emit a singing sound, however there is also a singing sand dune nearby after which it could have also been named. Local residents of Lekkersing are also known to sing beautifully!
There is no fuel or ATM’s in Lekkersing, there are however, general stores.
Sanddrif
Historically known as the place where the nomadic Nama people were driven to in the early 1900’s after diamond mining operations started on the Atlantic Coastline. The local Nama people were employed at these sites. Diamond mining is still exercised for exporting purposes. Today Sanddrif has several cultural influences although the Nama culture remains the more authentic among them.
The town hosts several general stores.
Pyramids in the Park
Pella Cathedral
