Onseepkans is a small settlement on the banks of the Orange River

Orange River

The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...

 in Northern Cape

Northern Cape

The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...

 Province, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. It is at the border post with Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

 for traffic between Pofadder in South Africa and Keetmanshoop

Keetmanshoop

Keetmanshoop is a city in Karas Region, southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and founder of the city....

 in Namibia. The name, translated literally from Afrikaans, means "(an) opportunity to rinse (off soap)".

Onseepkans was established in approximately 1916 by missionary settlers and relies today on the irrigated lands which are supplied with water from the Orange River.

There are small communities on both sides of the Orange River

Orange River

The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...

 in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of the country. The Quiver tree

Aloe dichotoma

Aloe dichotoma, also known as Quiver tree or Kokerboom, is a species of aloe indigenous to Southern Africa, specifically in the Northern Cape region, and Namibia....

 (Kokerboom in Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

) forest between Pofadder and Onseepkans is stunning and is the largest forest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. It is undoubtedly one of the natural highlights in the area which is dominated by the stark desert landscape and unusual granite outcrops.

The area is very hot, and anyone deciding to risk the journey should be well prepared with plenty of water and adequate protection against the sun. Summer temperatures can exceed 50 C while in the middle of winter temperatures in the high 30's can still be experienced. To reach the settlement one has to travel about 50 kilometers of dirt road from Pofadder.

There are about 2000 people living in the area.