Bloemhof is an agricultural town of about 2,000 inhabitants situated on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province of South Africa.

History

It was founded in August 1864 when diamonds were discovered in the area. The town was established on the farm owned by John Barclay, who survived the shipwreck of HMS Birkenhead in 1852. Like Bloemfontein, the place is named after Jan Bloem II (also known as Blumtseb or !Xāskx'aob) who was the right hand to the chief of the ǀŨdiǁʼais (Springbok clan) of the !Orakuana ("Korana") nation. In June 1869, the South African Republic's Volksraad created a new district called Bloemhof named after the town itself. Currently Bloemhof has a variety of social milieus; it has a township called Boitumelong and former coloured residence called Coverdale. Salamat is also a small residence, formerly an Indian suburb, which is situated in this town.

Notable people

Education

Tourist attractions