How Kakamas got its name
Kakamas is a town founded in 1898 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. - Wikipedia
To South Africans, the name of Kakamas is somewhat unfortunate as it does sound rather like the colloquial version of the word ‘crap’ – as in ‘Man, the Boks played a kak game of rugby this weekend.’
However, the pretty town of Kakamas, set in a fertile river valley through which the Lower Orange River runs, is not named after something brown and unpleasant smelling.
There are three theories behind the town’s name:
- Some say it comes from the Khoi word for brown "gagamas", in reference to the reddish / brown clay found in the area and used by Khoi women to adorn their faces.
- More popular is the theory that the word originates from a Koranna word which means "poor pasture".
- It also means "vicious, charging ox", also in Koranna. Why? According to local lore, back in times past the region offered poor grazing and cattle, in their hunger, turned on their herders as they attempted to drive them through the river''s drifts.
For more about the history of Kakamas, refer to Wikipedia.
For accommodation in Kakamas, please contact Portfolio Collection.
(Image: orkomedix . Creative commons license)