Okiep

When the richest copper mine in the world was identified at Okiep in the 1870s, the residents of Springbok, only 10 kilometres away, started a mass exodus to strike it rich.

Okiep's mine became a major prize in the 1902 Anglo-Boer war. 900 defenders saw off a 53-day siege by Jan Smuts' forces. You can see the ruins of one of the defensive blockhouses on a hill north-east of the town.

The copper mine suffered mixed fortunes, and in the early 20th century the copper price dropped so low that mining operations ceased altogether. They resumed again when the price improved.

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