History of Die Houthoop

Die Houthoop is a guest farm in the Northern Cape, Namaqualand. The name is derived from a pile of wood, packed in a semi-circle that serves as an open air restaurant. The Redfig wood is collected from a bush that grows on the farm and Willem van Dyk (sr.) started the “boma” in 1954.

It was traditionally used for cooking food, to bake bread (there used to be a traditional bread oven in the Houthoop) and to make soap from animal fat and over the open fire. The soap was cooked in a potjie, as was the fat used to make candles. Those were the years before electricity.

In 1998 Veronica (Verhoeven) van Dyk, married to Willem, decided to start a new venture in the Houthoop. It was extremely dry and an extra income was welcome to help feed the hungry Dorper sheep, also it offered an opportunity to create jobs for the local people.

What started off as open air dinners, soon escalated to also providing accommodation to visitors. De Beers Consolidated Mines was still mining diamonds at the time and a lot of reps from companies made use of the facility ( the promotional caps in the private bar facility still reminds of these visits), also local people, as it was the only alternative to the restaurant in town.

The Houthoop is an ongoing business since 1998 and centrally situated for visitors looking for a base from where to start their Namaqualand Diamond Coast journey. Offering 4x4 routes and hiking trails in the area, the Houthoop surely is the place to stay. Our friendly staff will welcome you and we hope that you too will appreciate the beauty in the simplicity.

Die HOUTHOOP

ABOUT US

Guest Farm & Open-Air Restaurant

Activities in the area

Never a dull moment at Die Houthoop.

WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE Open Africa Namaqua Coastal route