When one hears the name Goldfields Area, even the novice knows that it is the area where gold is mined. Therefore it is quite acceptable that Allanridge, Odendaalsrus, Virginia and Welkom are part of the goldfields area of the Free State. However, the question arises how towns like Wesselsbron, Hoopstad, Hertzogville and others are part of the goldfields area as there are no signs of mining activities or mine dumps?

Wesselsbron is a rural town situated ± 40km from the goldfields area. It has a vast district which stretches from the Vet River in the south to the Vaal River in the north. The main cultivation is corn, but also wheat, sunflower and peanuts are cultivated.

    The answer becomes clear when one looks at this part of the Free State geographically, because it is also known as the “Panneveld.” A very wide area, mainly south west of the Free State Goldfields, as far as Boshof, is characterized by parts with veld overgrown with shrubs and low lying pans which are only water-bearing during the rain season, which is in summer. These pans lure many water birds, especially flamingoes.

The fine light green clay grass, which appears shortly after the rain, is very nutritious. Thousands of years ago these pans were known as marsh grounds and only a few decades ago, every pan was covered with common reeds (fluitjiesriet) but unfortunately as the rain cycle changed, and the herds of cattle increased, these common reeds disappeared. Very characteristic are the names allocated to these pans, namely “Besempan,” “Volstruispan,” etc.

The two most vast pans namely "Ganspan" and “ Witpan" are respectively 715 ha and 1032 ha big. These pans are roughly about 20km west of the goldfields and is part of the district of Wesselsbron.

The grain silo's of Senwes are the biggest silo complex in the Southern Hemisphere and can cope with the enormous amount of 275,000 tons of grain. Escorted tours can be organized to visit the silo's as well as a modern, private milling complex next to Senwes in Du Toit street.

Wesselsbron is situated in the maize triangle in South Africa where farmers mainly produce maize.  Wheat and sunflowers are produced too.

Another export product of Wesselsbron district is potatoes. During the potato season visitors can watch how potatoes are taken out of the soil, are sorted and packed in thousands of pockets and distributed to all the markets in the country. Also great amounts of watermelons are cultivated and distributed.

The Clover Factory closed down in 2009, in spite of the fact that the “Zoetvlei Gouda” of Wesselsbron has achieved many prizes, even internationally.

Because of the growing demand for liquidated fertilizer, Omnia opened a factory in Wesselsbron in 1997, one of the biggest factories in South Africa. Raw material is obtained from overseas, Richards Bay, Sasolburg and Rustenburg to be processed in the Wesselsbron factory. Tons of liquidated fertilizer is distributed to the rich cultivated fields of the Western Free State, Northwest and North Cape.

< < < Mr. Louis Fourie

manager of OMNIA.

Some farmers practise miscellaneous farming which include sheep- and cattle farming.