Orania

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Geography and History

Orania is situated in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, 164 kilometres from Kimberley and 240 kilometres from Bloemfontein. Orania is situated on the banks of the Orange River and surrounded by extended areas of the great Karoo. The flora typically includes open Karoo vegetation, while large trees and a more dense population of vegetation can be found closer to the banks of the river. A number of indigenous flower species can be found in the area in the winter months. Smaller game species are abundant and a wide variety of birds, including water fowl, have been identified by ornithologist in the area. The Orange River flows through the area and allows for an ideal environment to practice water sport on the fairly wide area of the river. Orania boasts exceptional sunsets and at night those interested in astronomy can indulge themselves in an unpolluted and clear night sky.

Orania, originally built for construction workers in 1970 on the impressive Orange River Project, stood empty for years until a group of Afrikaners purchased the town with some surrounding land as a pilot project and starting point for Afrikaner settlement and the establishment of an Afrikaner volkstaat.

Orania offers an example of the ‘traditional’ Afrikaner way of life and also demonstrates the ingenuity of a marginalized community with advanced irrigation techniques, implemented in close co-operation with pioneers in Israel, the only fully organic vineyards in Southern Africa and a sophisticated dairy farm and the cultivation and export of Pecan nuts.