Wild horses and mist: things to do in Kaapsehoop

By Roxanne Reid
If you’re planning a trip to the Kruger National Park or elsewhere in the Lowveld, you’ll be sorry if you don’t use the chance to stop over at Kaapsehoop 30km from Mbombela (that’s Nelspruit to the oldies). It’s a tiny but pretty town with huge amounts of personality. Learn about its gold rush history, see wild horses roam in the mist, and discover lots of things to do in Kaapsehoop.

Gold rush history
Visitors today are drawn to Kaapsehoop near Mbombela in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province for its attractive architecture and its wild horses moseying along the gravel roads in search of plants to munch. Things were very different some 150 years ago, when the area had a heady gold rush atmosphere. You can imagine the rough and desperate types who came here, fist fights breaking out over territory, finds being celebrated with gun shots fired into the air.

Kaapsehoop (also spelled Kaapschehoop and meaning ‘Cape Hope’) sprung up virtually overnight when alluvial gold was discovered in Battery Creek on the farm Berlyn in 1882. By 1884, some 4000 gold diggers had staked their claims. The little settlement had originally been called Duiwelskantoor (devil’s office) because the rocks reminded people of the walls of a room, while the rolling mists gave everything a dark and eerie cast. After gold was discovered, it was renamed Kaapsehoop to show the hope for rich finds among the diggers and inhabitants of the De Kaap Valley nearby. ​

But the village of Kaapsehoop endured. In the 1890s and into the 1900s there were several general dealers, a small school, a few pubs and two hotels. At one point it even had its own newspaper. Nowadays you won’t even find a grocery, petrol station or ATM so come prepared.

Kaapsehoop today
Today, Kaapsehoop has a split personality. Visit during the week, as we did, and you’ll find a sleepy little fairytale village of corrugated iron cottages, wild horses ambling along country roads, colourful gardens and a clutch of artisans and funky shops, not all of them open. If you pass someone in the street, it’ll probably be a local and they’re happy to chat. Signs that tell of free-roaming horses, children – even frogs and fairies – will catch your eye. At the right time of year (see ‘best time to visit’ below), you’ll almost believe in ghosts as you watch buildings and rock formations emerge dimly through the mist.

​If you visit during the weekend, you’ll find a very different place. All the shops and restaurants will be open and milling with visitors. Gone will be your private moments of lying on the grass to get an interesting angle for your photo of a quaint building; people will be everywhere, walking across your viewfinder, tripping over your feet. But there will be a buzz, an excitement that’s hard to resist. In general, the 200-odd locals will either be working in their shops and businesses to welcome you or they’ll be hiding out at home from the crowds.

But no matter which of these two personalities you prefer, you’ll find plenty of things to do in Kaapsehoop. Here are some of them.

15 things to do in Kaapsehoop

​1. Probably the most popular thing to do here – and the reason many people visit in the first place – is to see the free-roaming wild horses. When we visited, it was impossible to miss them as they walked about the village, munching on a hedge here or some flowers there. If you go hiking you may see them in a more natural setting too. Strictly speaking, they’re feral horses (i.e. horses whose ancestors were domesticated but who are now living in an untamed state) but ‘wild horses’ sounds much more romantic. No one seems sure anymore of their origin. Some stories tell of them being left behind after the gold mining days, or after the Anglo Boer War. But a local insider told us that the horses haven’t been here that long and that the most probable story is that they were left behind after being used in the plantations surrounding the town in the 1960s. 

2. Walk around town to see the old-fashioned tin houses that tie in with gold mining theme, although not all of them are old. There’s been an attempt to keep the architecture of a similar style, but one or two odd-looking aliens have sneaked in. Rusted bits of mining kit like rails, trolley buckets and old engines form ‘sculptures’ around the town. There’s even an old red telephone box. You may spot a bunny hopping across a field, a robin, olive thrush or wagtail. When we visited, the gardens were showing off their early spring glory, a mass of colourful azaleas and camellias in bloom. Don’t forget to take your camera or phone because you’ll want memories of this alluring little town.

​3. Do the Kaapsehoop Escarpment Walk through a tangled maze of remarkable rock formations. It leaves from town and takes you to the edge of the escarpment where the view will take your breath away – an impressive panorama out over the Barberton Valley far below. It’s 2.8km long. Get a map of the walks from the little shop next to Salvador (see point 12) in the main road.

4. Hike to the Battery Creek waterfall down a ravine over the main road from the village. Walk down into the valley and then brave the harder slog to get out again. It’s 1.6km. Take your cozzie if you want to swim in the pool at the foot of the waterfall.

5. Do a multi-day hike. The Kaapsehoop Hiking Trail has four overnight huts, one of them consisting of two train coaches. You can combine various two- or three-day trails to make up your own hike of anything from 16km to 46km. Look for birds, wild horses, bushbuck and klipspringer along the way and keep your eyes peeled for yellowwood trees, aloes, cycads and tree ferns. For info and bookings, contact SAFCOL, tel 013 754-2724, email ecotour@safcol.co.za.

6. Fancy exploring nature on a fat-tyred scooter? Join Kaapsehoop Scootours for an adventure on the Lowveld escarpment. A 4x4 vehicle will lug you and the scooters to the top of a hill 1665m above sea level. From there you’ll have a 6km downhill ride through grasslands, plantations and indigenous forest, enjoying the sight of rock formations and streams along the way. You can even stop to cool off in a rock pool. The idea isn’t to get to the bottom at break-neck speed, but to enjoy nature along the way. You may even see some of the Kaapsehoop wild horses. The scooters have no motors (so they’re eco-friendly) but they do have brakes. Each can hold one adult with one child as passenger, so it’s perfect for a family outing. Book ahead to make sure Scootours is open when you plan to visit.

7. Visit the cemetery to winkle out some stories from the past. Lizards scuttle across the headstones as a cold wind blows and you hear the buzzing of bees. Some headstones are cracked, other graves just mounds with no headstone at all. There are many graves from the early 1900s, but the oldest one I saw was from the 1880s. Perhaps the most prominent is that of William Hayes, a pioneer of the goldfields at Kaapsehoop, who was born in England and died here in 1886, aged 39. He has two giant headstones, one erected by his brother, the other by the gold mine company he worked for. You can still read the inscriptions on most of the granite headstones but some of the carved stone ones are now so weathered and covered with lichen that they’re illegible. The tiny graves of babies made me sad, as did Sophie Brink’s. She died on 13 March 1893 at the age of six and was buried with her father who had died less than two weeks earlier, hinting at something contagious.

​8. Go horse riding with Kaapsehoop Horseback Trails. No matter whether you’re a novice or expert rider, there’s an outride – and a horse – for you. Feel the wind in your face, breathe in the clean mountain air and enjoy panoramic views out over the escarpment.

​9. Visit the small chapel at the top of Brink Street. Although it may look old, this pretty building is only about 20 years old, erected to serve mainly as a wedding chapel. It has a huge double-volume window overlooking a field. If you’re recently engaged, you’ll want to start planning your wedding here. The chapel is opposite Silver Mist Country Inn, the lower storey of which used to be the old post office. The inn burnt down around 2000 and had to be rebuilt, so not much of the building is original anymore.

​10. See the old jail at the top of Brink Street and the mining commissioner’s house (see the intro photo) behind the chapel. The decayed buildings make for atmospheric photographs, especially when the Kaapsehoop mist wafts in to add to the moodiness. 

​11. Are you keen on birding? Sadly, the blue swallows that used to be a drawcard haven’t nested in the area since 2007. But talk to knowledgeable bird guide Johan, cell 083 294-3370, about going together to look for other bird specials of the area like bush blackcap, Barratt’s warbler, black-rumped buttonquail and many more.

​12. Eat at one or two of the local restaurants. Bohemian Groove Café was closed on both the Tuesday and Wednesday we were in town, but we had lunch at Salvador when we arrived. It’s a cross between a bistro and a small-town pub, with a fireplace inside for cold days, a pressed-iron ceiling peeling paint, a large horse-shoe shaped bar counter, and a pool table for those who get bored while they wait for their food. On a fine day you can sit outside at picnic tables under shade umbrellas. We filled our tummies with chicken schnitzel and chips.

The other pub in town is the corrugated iron Nagkantoor Kuierkroeg next to the chapel, with its old gold-mining vibe. The owner is an ex-journalist who has covered the walls with newspaper clippings and photos that serve as conversation starters.

Berry also makes cakes and confectionery that she sells in her little shop next door. She’ll do high tea and other special occasions, picnic baskets/backpacks and proposal baskets, and gets a kick out of creating menus for those with special dietary requirements.​

13. Go browsing and shopping. There’s a number of artists’ studios and interesting little shops in Kaapsehoop, from fine art, glassworks and jewellery to collectibles. I enjoyed browsing the collectibles at Gold Dust Trading, with its porcelain, silver, glassware and other vintage bric a brac. Soul Creations draws inspiration from nature for its jewellery, with the latest range made by dipping Kaapsehoop ferns and other plants in silver.​

14. Join a ghost tour. Walk with a guide at sunset to hear hair-raising stories of murder, mystery and mayhem and perhaps a haunting or two. Meet the ghost of an old lady, hear the shattering of plates. This ghost tour takes about an hour. 

15. Stay over for a night or three, to allow plenty of time to enjoy all that Kaapsehoop offers. We stayed for two nights and didn’t have time for everything we wanted to do. Just remember that the village is super busy on the weekends, but much less busy during the week (although some shops and restaurants might be closed on Tuesday and/or Wednesday). Google ‘Kaapsehoop accommodation’ and you’ll be surprised at how many places pop up; it’s as if half the town’s population offers at least one room or cottage! Even Miz Gooz Berry owner Berry Legg (see point 12) runs a small B&B. From country inns and guest houses to B&Bs and self-catering cottages, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Check out Kaaspehoop Accommodation for a selection.

​Best time to visit Kaapsehoop
Kaapsehoop is a year-round destination, depending on what you prefer. If you hate the oppressive heat of Lowveld summers, you’ll be pleased to find that its high elevation (1486m) makes Kaapsehoop summers much more bearable. Average temperature in December to February is around 23-25 degrees, which is a good 6-7 degrees cooler than Mbombela just 30km away. Summers can also be very misty, but you’ll love the eerie atmosphere that this can create – great if you’re a romantic or a keen photographer.

Winter days are mostly sunny but the nights are cold. This is the time to snuggle up to a logfire with a glass of red wine or mug of hot chocolate in hand. 

Rainfall in Kaapsehoop is relatively high, with more than 1000mm each year. Most of it falls in summer, with December the wettest month and June the driest.

Before you plan your visit, be aware that it gets very busy on weekends. If you prefer tranquility and a place to yourself and the locals, a mid-week visit might be preferable, although you may find some shops and restaurants closed.

Where to find it
Kaapsehoop is about 30km south-west of Mbombela in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province.

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