Vryburg Tourism Information

Quick Facts: Vryburg

• The large agricultural town of Vryburg is located in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district of the North West Province, South Africa
• Vryburg is the seat and the industrial as well as agricultural heartland of the district of the Bophirima region
• Vryburg is located about halfway between Kimberley (Northern Cape Province) and Mafikeng (North West Province)
• Cecil Rhodes’s great northern railroad ran from Cape Town through the Kimberley diamond fields, to Vryburg, Mafikeng, and northwards beyond the Victoria Falls in Zambia
• Vryburg is located on the N14 National Road which runs from South Africa's Gauteng Province in a southwesterly direction through Vryburg, Kuruman and Upington to the mining town of Springbok in the North-western Cape
• In 1904, the Tiger Kloof Native Institute was set up south of Vryburg by the London Missionary Society
• Vryburg is South Africa's largest beef producing district: Hereford cattle
• Vryburg  and its surrounding area is sometimes called 'the Texas of South Africa'
• Maize as well as peanuts are important crops which are grown in this region
• Vryburg hosts South Africa's third largest agricultural show
• Vryburg is located on the main railway lines from Cape Town to Botswana and Zimbabwe
• Theiler Museum: displays a collection of equipment used by the veterinarian Sir Arnold Theiler

Introducing Vryburg

The large agricultural town of Vryburg is located in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district of the North West Province, South Africa.  Vryburg is the seat and the industrial as well as agricultural heartland of the district of the Bophirima region. Vryburg in South Africa is set about halfway between Kimberley, which is the capital of the Northern Cape Province, and the South African town of Mafikeng which is the capital of the North West Province.

Cecil Rhodes’s great northern railroad ran from Cape Town through the Kimberley diamond fields, to Vryburg, Mafikeng, and northwards beyond the Victoria Falls in Zambia.  Vryburg is located on the N14 National Road which runs from South Africa's Gauteng Province in a southwesterly direction through Vryburg, Kuruman and Upington to the mining town of Springbok in the North-western Cape. This road also connects Gauteng Province with Namibia.

In 1904, the Tiger Kloof Native Institute was set up south of Vryburg by the London Missionary Society.  A cornerstone for the building of the institute was laid in 1905 by the Earl of Selborne.  The stone church on the premises is a national monument.

Vryburg is South Africa's largest beef producing district. Hereford cattle is the most popular in this region.   Vryburg  and its surrounding area is sometimes called 'the Texas of South Africa' due to its large herds of cattle. Maize as well as peanuts are important crops which are grown in this region.  Vryburg hosts South Africa's third largest agricultural show. Vryburg is a thriving industrial and agricultural hub, which radiates an atmosphere of prosperity.

Its modern architecture blends naturally with its surroundings and the well-preserved old buildings are carefully maintained.  Excellent roads, rail and air connections to all the major centers of South Africa can be found here.  Furthermore, Vryburg is located on the main railway lines from Cape Town to Botswana and Zimbabwe. The Theiler Museum which is located on the farm Armoedsvlakte 8 km west of Vryburg, displays a collection of equipment used by Sir Arnold Theiler.  Sir Arnold Theiler was the veterinarian who established the Onderstepoort veterinary research institute near Pretoria, Gauteng.