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🇿🇦 South Africa · Northern Cape
♨ Temperature
70°C
⛰ Altitude
620 m
⚗ pH
7.6
💧 TDS
1400 mg/L
🌊 Flow rate
15 L/s
📅 Established
Pre-colonial
✓ Verified on 2026-07-22
Riemvasmaak is a former military zone in the remote Northern Cape that was handed back to its original Khomani San and Nama communities after South Africa's democratic transition in the 1990s. The thermal springs — among the hottest natural springs in Africa, with water emerging at up to 70°C — are managed as part of a community-led resort and camping facility. The springs flow in a dramatic desert canyon setting, with cooling pools built to make the water accessible for bathing. The surrounding landscape of the Augrabies region is deeply arid, with sparse desert scrub, granite inselbergs, and the Orange River gorge nearby — making the steaming springs a remarkable geological and geographical contrast.
| Sodium | 320 mg/L |
| Chloride | 480 mg/L |
| Sulphate | 185 mg/L |
| Fluoride | 3.5 mg/L |
The hot springs of Riemvasmaak have been part of the cultural landscape of the Khomani San and Nama peoples of the Northern Cape for centuries. The site's return to indigenous community management in the post-apartheid era gives the thermal springs a particular cultural and political significance in South African history.
Riemvasmaak represents a unique intersection of extreme natural environment, cultural heritage, and post-apartheid community restoration. The thermal springs are managed by one of South Africa's first land restitution communities, and visiting supports direct income for Khomani San and Nama families.
The resort is managed by the Riemvasmaak community as a self-sustaining enterprise. Environmental stewardship of the desert ecosystem is central to community management, with spring flow and natural desert vegetation protected from overexploitation.
Websitewww.riemvasmaak.com
AddressRiemvasmaak Community Resort, Northern Cape, South Africa