Boetsap is a privately owned village situated along the R371 Regional Route in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, between towns Prieska, Warrenton, Douglas and Reivilo.
The village is located on the foot of the Ghaap Plateau. David Livingstone, the explorer and Missionary when looking at trees decided to call the valley to Boetsap “Forest Hill”. This was in the 1800s before the formal town settling.
The village’s name originates out of Tswana. It’s called after the word “Mabuchapella”. The meaning is Mother of Fertility (referring to an animal). From Tswana bucwa, ‘fat’, ‘sleek’, it is said to refer to the condition of the cattle there.
Boetsap falls within the Dikgatlong Local Municipality under the Frances Baard District Municipality of the Northern Cape Province.
History
The area today known as Boetsap belonged to the Griqua King, Barend Barendse. Moselekatse defeated him in a battle and took the land over.
In 1879, William Hunter took over it and sold it to Archibald Cochran. Cochran sold it to the congregation of Kimberley and du Toitspan. In 1883, it formed its own congregation and a town was founded, calling it Cathcart West. It was changed to Boetsap in 1890 (old missionaries recorded it as Bootschap).
The area then was divided into two separate areas Boetsap and Klein (small) Boetsap. Klein Boetsap became Reivilo. Boetsap later became in the possession of H Pagan.