Kaapsehoop or Kaapschehoop is a village situated in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
It is situated 1640 m (5380 ft.) above sea level on the Drakensberg Highveld escarpment, about 28 km from Mbombela (also known as Nelspruit), the capital of Mpumalanga.
The name of the village was derived from gold discoveries in and around the area. The find created hope for the early inhabitants of the De Kaap Valley (The Cape Valley) below, it offered the chance of attaining great wealth.
Kaapsehoop is part of the City of Mbombela Local Municipality in the Ehlanzeni District of Mpumalanga province.
Today Kaapschehoop is a scenic mountain top village with vibrant arts & crafts shops, confectionaries, restaurants, pubs and accommodation. It is surrounded with expansive views, nature reserves, golden grass land, wild flowers, pine plantations, unique sandstone formations, flowing streams, and unique endangered wildlife. Kaapschehoop village is set out between large natural clearings in the rock fields near the top of the escarpment overlooking the lush De Kaap Valley situated some 800 metres below, with distant views towards Barberton, Mbombela, White River, and Eswatini.
History
Kaapsehoop originally gained fame as a gold mining town once known as the Duiwels Kantoor – the Devil’s Office – towards the end of the 19th century, when gold was discovered in 1882 in a small creek running through the town. This led to portion of the original township layout being canceled and opened up for gold diggings. However, the earlier better paying discoveries of gold at both Pilgrim’s Rest in 1873 and Barberton in 1881, followed by the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886 (later to become the town of Johannesburg), coupled with the meager returns obtained at Kaapsche Hoop led to the town going into decline.
The town has been “re-discovered” in recent time and has now become a popular weekend retreat with its period housing including accommodation establishments. New housing (some not period) has also been established on some of the remaining vacant stands (erven). The town is also within commuting distance of the centre of Mbombela situated some 30 odd kilometres away.
The rock field formations near the town are made up of quartzites of the Black Reef Formation of the Transvaal Supergroup.
