Derdepoort - missing the tourists

Although there are two major tourist attractions in close proximity of the Derdepoort border post to Botswana, it is not a very busy port. It operates from 6:00 to 19:00 every day of the week, but only about 100 people cross the border here on average per day.

The Derdepoort gate into the Madikwe Game Reserve is 5 km and Sun City is 120 km from the border post. Despite this, it is mostly the locals from Botswana who cross the border here to go shopping in Rustenburg, although Gaberone is only 55 km away.

We crossed the border here from the Botswana side into South Africa. It is a hassle free border post on both sides. The buildings and staff housing on the South African side was upgraded just before the Soccer World Cup in 2010.

It is a non-commercial port and any freight that may arrive will be directed to the neighbouring Kopfontein/Tlokweng border post,  less than 50 km away on either side.

Derdepoort is the last (road) border post to Botswana in the North West province. The next one we visit will be in Limpopo. 

The general dealer at Derdepoort 

Kopfontein - sets the standard

Kopfontein today, is the busiest border post from South Africa to Botswana. It is situated on the R47/R49 between Zeerust (95 km) and Gaberone (20 km) and operates from 6:00 to 24:00 every day.

The long queues of trucks are intimidating but luckily there is a separate queue for smaller vehicles. The border post boasts the 3rd highest traffic to and from Zimbabwe after Beit Bridge and OR Tambo airport.  

Leading edge electronic technology to process freight transactions for customs was piloted here since February 2012. The Botswana side uses the same technology. 

It is expected that when the construction work at Skilpadshek on the N4 is completed, the border traffic volumes will be shared between the two border posts.

We crossed the border here into Botswana and was impressed with the efficiency of staff on both sides. The name of the border post on Botswana side is Tlokweng.

We followed the gravel road on the border, north of Madikwe Game Reserve to Kopfontein.

Swartkopfontein - vat die middel pad

Ons is by Skilpadshek grenspos deur na Botswana en so 70 km verder weer terug na Suid-Afrika by Ramotswa (Botswana kant) en Swartkopfontein (Suid-Afrika kant). Die grens self is die Ngotwane rivier, 'n klein sytak van die Limpopo rivier.

Die grenspos word sedert 1967 gebruik. Daar is baie tekens van weermag teenwoordigheid hier gedurende die dienspligjare van die 1980's. Dit was onder andere die basis van Tango kamp.

Alhoewel dit 'n klein grenspos is in terme van infrastruktuur, gebruik tot 700 plaaslike mense die pos per dag omdat die ander grensposte hier naby (Skilpadshek 70 km suid en Kopfontein 40 km noord) so besig is met kommersiele verkeer. Dit is slegs 30 km van Gaberone en 90 km van Zeerust. Naweke en vakansie dae is dit veral besig.

Ramotswa, die Botswana kant van Swartkopfontein

Skilpadshek - poort vir Suider-Afrika

In Namibie begin 'n grootpad, die B6, by Windhoek. Dit strek oos na Botswana waar dit as die A2, of eerder die Trans-Kalahari, bekend staan. By Lobatse verlaat die pad Botswana (Pioneer grenspos) en gaan Suid-Afrika binne by Skilpadshek. Hier begin ons N4 roete wat deur Pretoria tot by Komatipoort strek. Die roete gaan voort in Mosambiek as die EN4 tot by Maputo aan die Indiese Oseaan.

Dit is duidelik dat hierdie grenspos, Skilpadshek, potensieel een van die besigstes in Afrika kan wees. Maar dit is nog nie so nie hoofsaaklik as gevolg van konstruksie werk en verleggings aan Suid-Afrika se kant. Die grootste konstruksie blyk die nuwe tolhekke te wees wat skaars 100 meter van die grenspos aan die gang is.

Afgesien van die ontwrigtings staan hier lang rye vragmotors en wag om deur die grenspos te gaan. Meeste is oppad na Botswana (Gaberone), Namibie en Angola via die Trans Kalahari. 

Ons het ook deur die grenspos gegaan om dit eerstehands te ondervind en kon gelukkig verby die rye vragmotors beweeg. Die Suid-Afrikaanse kant is maar deurmekaar en die immigrasie aktiwiteite word in ouerige geboutjies afgehandel. Aan die Botswana kant is dit 'n groot moderne gebou wat al die aktiwiteite van die grenspos huisves.

Konstruksie werk by Skilpadshek waar die N4 begin

Botsalano - the secret is out

About 15 km east of the Ramatlabama border post is a small game reserve of the North West province, called Botsalano. We have camped here more than once before. It is one of my all time favourite camping sites, one of those that you don't really want too many people to know about.

It is well stocked with a variety of game such as giraffe, kudu, black wildebeest, springbok, water buck, impala, white rhino and more.There are no predators such as lion and hyena, and there are no elephants. This makes it a relative safe game park when you camp in unfenced camping sites.

There are a number of bush camps inside Botsalano with basic facilities such as flush toilet, cold water shower, water tap, braai lapa. What makes it different from most camp sites is a low wall built with rocks all around the camp site (kraalmuur) and a shed for shelter: 3 walls with corrugated roof. To top it all is that each bush camp is supplied with a mass of firewood, included in the very reasonable camp fees !

At the time of our visit (13 Oct), the reserve was very dry and the animals are taking strain. Sadly, the poachers also discovered Botsalano and 8 white rhinos were poached during the past 3 months. We came across 2 carcasses not far from Lerako Bush camp.

Lerako Bush Camp in Botsalano

Sad reality of rhino poaching in Botsalano 

Ramatlabama - close to city with new name

Most South Africans are used to change, especially name changes of towns, cities, and streets. Mafiking became Mafikeng a while ago. What I did not know is that the name was recently changed again to Mahikeng. I wish the politicians will read Shakespeare and rather spend this name changing money on maintaining roads.

Ramatlabama is the border post to Botswana, 25 km north of Mahikeng, at the end of the N18, a national tar road in good condition. It is 130 km south of Gaberone, the capital of Botswana.

This is a busy, commercial border posts used mainly by trucks. It operates every day from 6:00 to 22:00.

It is a convenient border post for South African tourists travelling to the Kutse and Central Kalahari National Parks in Botswana.

Makgobistadt does exist!

Makgobistadt is not listed as a border post on the official web site of the Dept of Home Affairs (see http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/south-african-ports-of-entry). But we were there and it most definitely operates as a border post from 7:00 to 18:00 every day. It is in operation since 1965.

This is not the only error we discovered on the official web site and means there are 17 border posts to Botswana, not 16.

We continued our travel on the Molopo high-way for about 160 km to Makgobistadt. The first 40 km from Bray was again bad - very sandy at places with no indication or warning! Slow and cautious. The last 50 km was tarred (although full of potholes and not quicker), our first piece of tar in about 900 km!

The border post is used mostly by visitors from Botswana and Zimbabwe who do their shopping in Mafikeng, 45 km to the east in South Africa. The vehicles that cross here are mainly taxis. 

We did not get much time to gather information here as the head of police for the border post was overly concerned about the security of his port of entry on the Sunday afternoon. We had to cut our visit short ...

Kalahari sand and gravel - donkey cart stop for maintenance

About 50 km before Makgobistadt we reached this tar road full of potholes

There is a border post at Makgobistadt