Concordia Northern Cape

Concordia was originally established as a Rhenish mission station in 1852 and copper mining began in 1853 through to 1983 in the area. The town is of historical interest because it is situated at the origin of mining endeavors in South Africa. Long before colonial times (prior to 1652), the indigenous peoples (the Khoisan or Nama) of the area extracted raw or "native copper" from the gneiss and granite hills that make up the surrounding Namaqualand Copper belt. This copper was beaten into decorative items, worn as bangles and neck adornments by these peoples. The copper boom of the late 19th century through to the early 1980s has all but ceased in the area.