Did You Know?
Putsonderwater, meaning 'well without water' in Afrikaans, is a small settlement in the Northern Cape, located along the route between Upington and Kenhardt. The name is famously ironic, as the area is extremely arid and the original well, despite its promise, often failed to provide reliable water. The site referred to as 'Put' is the historical well that gave the settlement its name, though it is not a grand structure but rather a modest, dry or unreliable water source in the harsh Bushmanland landscape. The year 1838 is associated with early European exploration and trekboer movement into the region, when such wells were critical for survival but frequently proved disappointing in this semi-desert. Historically, Putsonderwater gained wider fame as a railway stop on the line from De Aar to Upington, opened in the early 20th century, where the name became a byword for remote desolation. The well itself is not a formally preserved heritage monument, but the name and site are culturally significant in South African folklore, often used to illustrate the challenges of the Karoo and the dry northwest. Today, the settlement is nearly abandoned, and the well is a point of curiosity for travelers, though it holds no water and serves mainly as a historical marker of the region's harsh water scarcity.
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