Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

20 September 2025

3-minute read

As a university student, Muhammad Essop enjoyed hiking with his siblings and was inspired to become a registered tour guide with SA tourism and an adventure guide specialising in hiking.

Muhammad, who recently took a tour group through Namaqualand during wildflower season, says that there are two ways to reach this region, situated on the West Coast of South Africa, by car: either from the North through Springbok and Upington, or coming up from Cape Town in the South through Clanwilliam. Travelling on the very good roads on the N14 from Johannesburg, Muhammad and his group broke the road trip up into two days, driving along the 1200km route through Ventersdorp, Vryburg, Kuruman, Katu and then staying over in Upington. They continued their journey the following day, stopping over at the spectacular Augrabies Falls before heading on to Springbok, basing themselves at the Goegap Nature Reserve. Driving through the sparsely populated smaller towns in the Northern Cape where life is tough and jobs are not easily available made the group appreciate their own circumstances.

Every year, for about 6 weeks from August to September, thousands of varieties of wildflowers and daisies bloom in abundance in Namaqualand. The slightly hilly landscape is transformed into a unique and vibrantly colourful carpet of flowers in the Kalahari Desert that is mostly arid during the rest of the year. With flowers everywhere, Muhammad says that you just “keep stopping to smell the flowers!” The terrain is easy to navigate, and very basic levels of fitness are required. While it is always lovely to visit botanical gardens when you want to immerse yourself in some flora, seeing the Namaqualand daisies in bloom is a sight that “even your eyes can’t fathom,” and walking through the flowers and taking it all in is an experience every flower lover should have.

Namaqualand is ideal in Spring but can be visited at any time. However, the summer months are extremely hot with temperatures going up to 45 degrees and getting really cold at night in winter. Augrabies National Park is ideal for hiking, and the Namakwa National Park boasts hikes through the flowers. Muhammad suggests using sunscreens and caps, starting early to avoid being in the sun for extended periods of time and staying hydrated to maximise the experience.

It is also important to integrate environmental awareness and conservation practices into your tours. Learn not to do things unmindfully; start off with mindfulness, think about where you sit so that you don’t disturb an anthill or relax under a beehive, pack carefully so that things don’t fly away, don’t walk on the flowers, and avoid using throw-aways to reduce the impact on the environment.

There are plenty of masaajid along the way, and masjidboardlive can direct you to somewhere to pray. It is a bit tricky with halal food, and while you might find a few halal fisheries, Muhammad says that it is better to prepare before travelling and take your own halal meats along. From all the places he’s visited, Muhammad says that walking through the daisies in Namaqualand is definitely his favourite.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Ibrahim Daya, Ml Muhammad Kara and Muhammad Essop here.