Introduction
Over the years, we have noticed that many of our guests—whether visiting Kimberley for business or leisure—have wondered why this remarkable city has played such an important role in South Africa's history over the past 160 years.
These pages provide a coffee-table journey through Kimberley's past, from the discovery of the Eureka Diamond in 1867 and the Great Diamond Rush, through wars, political change and the rise of the world's diamond industry, to the city we know today. They are not intended to be an academic history, but rather an enjoyable introduction to the people, places and events that shaped Kimberley.
So, make yourself comfortable, pour a cappuccino or a cup of chai, and enjoy discovering the story of one of South Africa's most fascinating cities.
1869: The Star of South Africa
1869-1871: The Great Diamond Rush
1867-1914: From Eureka to the Big Hole
1914-1945: From Diamonds to War
1945–1990: From Oppenheimer to Democracy
1990–Present: Kimberley Reinvents Itself (under development)
Diamonds, Apartheid and Hope
Although the Kimberley Mine (the Big Hole) closed in 1914, the city remained the spiritual home of De Beers. After World War II, mining continued at Wesselton, Dutoitspan and Bultfontein, while Kimberley's sorting houses, laboratories and administrative offices played a vital role in the global diamond trade.
Under Ernest Oppenheimer and later his son Harry (born in Kimberley in 1908), De Beers maintained tight control over diamond production and marketing, enforcing strict security, including X-ray screenings of Black workers. The 1948 National Party victory introduced apartheid, placing Kimberley — with its tradition of activism since Sol Plaatje — at the heart of growing resistance.
British Royal Visits
Kimberley’s diamond fame drew British royalty. The highlight was 18 April 1947, when King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret visited. Sir Ernest Oppenheimer guided them around the Big Hole and De Beers operations. The family viewed diamond displays, received gifts including stones presented by Mary Oppenheimer, lunched at the Kimberley Club, and attended an ex-servicemen’s parade. Subsequent visits by members of the Royal Family reinforced Kimberley's historic ties with Britain and the Oppenheimer family.
Princess Elizabeth viewing diamonds in 1947
Kimberley at the Heart of the Diamond Trade
Apartheid was a daily reality. Pass laws restricted movement, families lived in racially designated areas (Galeshewe as the main African township), and schools, parks, hospitals and facilities were segregated. Black mine workers remained under the strict compound system.
By the mid-1950s, the neighbouring mines remained productive. After Ernest’s death in 1957, Harry assumed leadership of De Beers, strengthening the company’s global dominance through the Central Selling Organisation. Kimberley benefited from stable employment and modest infrastructure improvements, including worker housing, while the Big Hole endured as a powerful symbol.
Harry Oppenheimer was awarded the Freedom of the City in 1973. Apartheid policies, however, limited broader prosperity and eventually contributed to a gradual shift of some operations elsewhere.
1986 debate Harry Oppenheimer discussed the future of mining and labour in SA with Cyril Ramaphosa, then a National Union of Mineworkers leader. (Photo: African Media Online)
Arthur Letele: Leads the Defiance Campaign
Kimberley played a key role in the 1952 Defiance Campaign. Local leader Dr Arthur Letele helped mobilise volunteers who deliberately used “Whites Only” facilities at the Kimberley Railway Station, Market Square and the Post Office.
Mass arrests followed, and tensions led to the Mayibuye Uprising, during which police opened fire, killing thirteen people. The Mayibuye Uprising Memorial in Galeshewe today honours the victims and Kimberley’s contribution to the struggle.
Mayibuye Uprising Memorial
Frances Baard: a Tireless Campaigner
Born in Beaconsfield, Frances Baard helped draft the Freedom Charter and mobilised women for the 1956 Women’s March to Pretoria. Repeatedly imprisoned, she remained a tireless activist. Kimberley later honoured her by naming the Frances Baard District Municipality after her; a bronze statue stands in the city.
Frances Baard
Robert Sobukwe: Banished to Kimberley
The government sent PAC leader Robert Sobukwe to isolated Kimberley after Robben Island to silence him. Placed under house arrest at his home in Naledi Street, Galeshewe, he ran a small legal practice from offices on Royal Street. He stayed active in the community until his death at Kimberley Hospital in 1978. The hospital was renamed Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in 2017.
Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley
Z.K. Matthews: Calls for a Congress of the People
Zachariah Keodirelang (ZK) Matthews (1901–1968), a cousin of Sol Plaatje, grew up in the city before becoming a leading academic and the first Black South African to earn a law degree from a South African university. Believing that a dramatic new initiative was needed, Matthews proposed the idea of the Congress of the People in his presidential address to the ANC’s Cape conference in August 1953. He subsequently became a key figure in drafting the Freedom Charter. Today, the Prof. Z.K. Matthews Hospital in nearby Barkly West bears his name.
Oppenheimer House
In the early 1970s, De Beers built the 14-storey Harry Oppenheimer House (HOH) as the central diamond sorting facility for Southern Africa. Opened in 1974, it employed hundreds and symbolised the industry’s importance. In 2023, De Beers donated the building to Sol Plaatje University.
The Road to Democracy
The 1976 Soweto Uprising sparked protests in Galeshewe. The 1980s brought states of emergency, sanctions, mine strikes and intensified local resistance. Building on the legacy of Baard, Letele and Sobukwe, activists kept pressure on the regime. By the late 1980s, secret negotiations and mass defiance signalled apartheid’s end. Kimberley waited with cautious hope until Nelson Mandela’s release in February 1990.
Everyday Life in Kimberley
Segregation shaped daily routines — separate suburbs, schools and facilities — yet community life endured. Motor cars replaced steam trains at the railway station, the Harry Oppenheimer House dominated the skyline, and families enjoyed Saturday rugby, church services, shopping areas, and the drive-in cinema. Television arrived in 1976. De Beers sports clubs and facilities enriched social life, while new suburbs reflected both diamond-driven growth and apartheid’s divisions. Despite segregation, churches remained important centres of community life across all of Kimberley's neighbourhoods.
Looking to the Future
By 1990, Kimberley had been central to both South Africa’s diamond wealth and its liberation struggle. As Mandela walked free, the city prepared to reinvent itself in a democratic South Africa.
Continue Exploring Kimberley's Story
Kimberley has one of South Africa's richest and most fascinating histories. Through these pages, The Solomon shares some of the people, places and events that have shaped our city over the past 150 years. We hope these articles encourage you to discover more of Kimberley. And if you're planning a visit, Solomon Edwardian Guest House offers an ideal base from which to explore the city's history, heritage and attractions.