Kimberley Club

Description

As the original meeting place of the city’s diamond tycoons, Kimberley Club is a historic place with a plethora of stories and traditions to its name. Situated in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, the venue was founded by Sir Cecil John Rhodes in 1881 as a place where the leading men could enjoy a drink, good food, and the company of their friends away from the dust of the mines. It has been entertaining some of the county's most powerful figures ever since; from princes and princesses to governors, sovereigns, and legends.

The Kimberley Club has always been a men’s club. Ladies Nights were held very rarely and it wasn’t until 1937 that a Ladies Annexe was made available (now the Rhodes Room). The club has changed very little over the decades. In fact, women are still restricted from entering the main bar area.

A visitor once said, “The place was stuffed with money – more millionaires to the square foot than any other place in the world.” Many historic decisions influencing the national and international diamond industry have been made in the venue. Sir Ernest Oppenheimer’s words which are engraved in the building support this: “The memory of the men who made the New Greater South Africa is enshrined in this building.”

Facilities

• 17 en-suite bedrooms
• 3 dining areas
• Reading Room
• Conference and function venues
• Library
• Barney Barnato Room