Hotazel

Hotazel gets its name from the farm on which it was built. The name is probably an adaptation of Hot As Hell.

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

The village of Hotazel lies near the dry riverbed of the Kuruman Koranaberg. The highest peak of 1230m is about 30Km southwest of the village. About 40Km to the southeast lies the Kuruman Hills.

The closest regional town is Kuruman, about 60Km southeast of the village on the N14 to Upington.

There are very small settlements in the area surrounding Hotazel with names such as Witloop, Black Rock, Sonstraal, Mamathwane, Sutton, Vlermuisvlakte, Wincanton, Dibeng, Tsineng.

History

Between 1915 and 1917 Dirk Roos and Hendrik Wessels surveyed the area. When Dirk Roos surveyed the area near the Gamagara River, he was exhausted by the heat and apparently said "This place is as hot as hell." The surveyors did not realise there was manganese. In the mid-1950s a water diviner noticed black rock beneath the surface. The area was then properly surveyed. A mining company bought the farm, and mining began in 1958. The village built around the mine for the mine workers was called Hotazel. The railway line at Sishen was extended to Hotazel.

Climate

The area is semi-desert with desert weather: very hot during the day, and cold at night.

Temperature range:

Summer: 18°C - 37°C

Winter: 3°C - 21°C

Transport

There is an airstrip just to the west of Hotazel.

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