Van Wyksdorp

Van Wyksdorp is a small, quiet village in the Klein Karoo, located 42 km from Ladismith and 75 km from Riversdale via the Garcia Pass. It lies on a gravel road along the R327, nestled in a valley between the Langeberg and Rooiberg mountain ranges. Founded in 1839 as a Dutch Reformed parish on the farm Buffelsfontein, it was named after the Van Wyk family, many of whom lived in the area.

Historically, it was an educational hub during the ostrich boom, with a school established in 1912 that once served over 200 pupils from neighboring towns. Today, it is the main village of the Kannaland region and known for its dried flower industry, where wildflowers are harvested, dyed, and exported.

Van Wyksdorp also supports a strong farming community with livestock such as angora goats, sheep, cattle, and ostriches, as well as fruit farming—particularly apricots. The town’s water comes from a natural mountain spring called “the eye,” located in the Rooiberg range.

Three scenic gravel passes—Rooiberg, Cloete, and du Plessis—connect the village to nearby towns and are popular among mountain bikers and off-road enthusiasts. With a population of around 2,000, including nearby farms and hamlets, the town has remained small due to the absence of railway development, which benefited neighboring towns in the 1920s.

BANKING:
There is an ATM, but it is often not working.

CELLULAR INFO:
There is fairly good reception in town, but intermittent signals in the outlying areas. (Sep-17).

CRAFT MARKET:
Open Fridays and Saturdays.

FUEL:
The nearest petrol station is in Ladismith, 50km away.

HEALTHCARE:
There is only a clinic in town, not a hospital.

RESTAURANT:
Open from Wednesday to Sunday only.

“This small quiet hideaway in the Klein Karoo is situated on a gravel road on the R327, 42km from Ladismith and 75km over the Garcia Pass to Riversdale. The town was established in 1839 as a Dutch Reformed Church parish, on the farm Buffelsfontein which was owned by Gerrit van Wyk. The name Van Wyksdorp was a result of the large number of Van Wyk residents in the area. During the years of the ostrich boom, it was the centre of education in the Little Karoo. The school was built in 1912; at one time the school had well over 200 pupils, who came in from all the surrounding towns. Van Wyksdorp is a rural village situated in the valley between the Langeberg and Rooiberg mountain ranges. The town can only be accessed on a gravel road. The Rooiberg Pass leads you 45km towards Calitzdorp and the Cloete and du Plessis passes 81km towards Herbertsdale. These three passes are gravel and very popular with mountain bikers and off road motorbikes. Vanwyksdorp is the principal village of the area known as Kannaland and is renowned for its dried flower industry. Wild flowers are harvested from the mountain sides, dried, dyed and exported. Stock is also present in this farming community with some of the popular stock being angora goats, sheep, cattle and ostriches. Crop farming includes fruit; and particularly apricots are grown in the area. The source of water for the village is a mountain spring known as ‘the eye’, a fault in the Rooiberg Mountain Range. The railway links which were made in the 1920’s to Ladismith and Riversdale caused these towns to grow, whilst Van Wyksdorp slowly shrunk to its present state. The town has a population of about 2,000 people that includes the surrounding villages and farms. (Tsidi Mzansi Historian)” - Chris Smit, 2025/05/11

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