The untold stories behind Kimberley’s street names, and the remarkable people who once walked them

WE DRIVE past them every day - Du Toitspan, Lennox, Phakamile Mabija, Jones, and Long Street – but how often do we pause and ask ourselves: who were these people? What stories lie beneath the surface of Kimberley’s street names?

Now, as we all know, seeing those names on the side of the pavement is nearly impossible. If you are not from Kimberley and you are looking for a street, good luck - most of the street names are either not there anymore or have faded away so much that they cannot be seen. A good GPS is your best bet.

Street names are more than just signposts; they are chapters of our shared history. In a city as layered and storied as Kimberley, these names tell tales of miners, politicians, pioneers, and local heroes – some celebrated, others nearly forgotten.

Take Du Toitspan Road, for instance. It was named after the Du Toit brothers, who once owned the farm where diamonds were discovered. Their land would go on to change the course of South Africa’s history, sparking a diamond rush that brought people from across the globe to this patch of the Northern Cape. Yet, few people know the full story – or that the name is tied directly to the beginnings of the Big Hole.

Then there’s Phakamile Mabija Road, named after a young activist who died in police custody in 1977. Renaming the road in his honour wasn’t just a symbolic act – it was a step toward recognising Kimberley’s role in the broader struggle for justice during apartheid. His name now lives on in daily traffic reports and GPS directions.

Some streets, like Jones Street, seem ordinary but carry deep local significance. Reverend JR Jones was a Methodist missionary and educator who worked in the region during the 19th century, helping to shape the early social fabric of the town. Today, his name is remembered in bricks and asphalt – but not in conversation.

Street names are like living memorials. They offer us the chance to remember, to reflect, and to reimagine how we connect with our city’s past. But with time, they risk becoming invisible – background noise in our busy daily lives.

Maybe it is time for the Sol Plaatje Municipality to pay a little more attention to those names that have built this city and those that have carved its name into the history books.

Perhaps it's time we stopped and looked at those names. Maybe we should ask our elders, our teachers, or even Google, about the names we pass by every day.

Kimberley isn’t just built on diamonds; it’s built on people and the streets they walked.