Grootfontein lies on the B8, the Namibian National Road which leads from Windhoek to the Caprivi Strip in the north-eastern part of Namibia. The name of the town in the Otavi triangle, is Afrikaans and means "Big Spring". In 1885, 40 boer families from the north-west of South Africa settled here. The "Dorstland Trekkers" had been headed for Angola to settle there, but when it became a Portuguese colony, they left and established the "Republic Upingtonia" in Grootfontein. 10 years later, mining operations started in the Otavi region. The Germans took control and established a military base as a gate to the Caprivi Strip.
Like all the towns in the Otavi triangle, Grootfontein is very green and in spring, the many Jacaranda trees can be seen in all their their purple splendour. The small town of about 10 000 inhabitants is an ideal overnight stop if you are going to travel the Caprivi and Bushmanland.
