Ottosdal

Ottosdal is a small town situated at an altitude of 1,479 meters (4,855 feet) on the branch railway line from Makwassie in the central North West Province of South Africa. Main routes to and from major population and economic centers, i.e. Pretoria, Johannesburg and Vereeniging, to Namibia and Botswana pass through it. Ottosdal is a farming community engaged in the growing of grains such as maize (mielies), sunflower and peanuts. In addition, local farmers raise cattle, sheep, pigs, dairy cows and chicken. A major pyrophyllite mine lies near it on the farm Gestoptefontein. This town originated from the establishment of a Dutch Reformed Church parish in 1913. To this was added a church building on Korannafontein, the farm of Gerhardus Petrus Otto. The town is known as the birthplace of "Die Baas", who was born there in 1952. Ottosdal grew around the church and was officially registered in 1917 and named after G. P. Otto (de Jager 1997).ClimateOttosdal has a relatively hot and dry climate. Summers are very hot. Winter, which seldom last more than two to three months a year, is characterized by cold nights and mild to warm days. The average yearly rainfall is 550 mm (21.6 inches). Precipitation primarily occurs between October to April in the form of heavy thunderstorms during the mid-summer and light rain in the Autumn. Hail can occur between December and February and it only snows once a decade at most. Between August and October, strong winds and dust storms can occur (de Jager 1997).