Qacha's Nek

Qacha's Nek is a constituency and, since 1888, the camptown of Qacha's Nek District in Lesotho, only two kilometres from the South African border at above sea level. It has a population of approximately 15,900. It is home to Machabeng Government Hospital, one of the two hospitals in the district.

Tourism features

The town is home to Lesotho's first and only Snake Park, which is conveniently situated at the foot of the historic Letloepe hill/rock formation. This is where the cave of Qacha, the son of the Baphuthi chief Moorosi, after whom the town is named, is situated.. The locality may be the only place in Africa where California Redwood trees grow.
As one enters the town from Maseru, one can see the famous lefika-motho, which looks like a man's head with a cap on. There are several spots where San paintings can still be found. The Sehlabathebe National Park, home of the Sehlabathebe water lily, is about 2.5 hours away by gravel road.

Demography

The people of Qacha's Nek are called "Melele", and the colours of the place / district are maroon and white. Other than Sesotho and English, people speak Xhosa and Sephuthi.

Climate

The town has 900 mm precipitation per year, the highest annual rainfall of any Lesotho district capital. From the nearby Indian Ocean clouds move up almost daily, so that in Qacha's Nek fog often prevails. In the summer, the average temperature is 17 °C. Because of its climate, Qacha's Nek is green longer than most other places in Lesotho every year, and is very refreshing. There is an increasing population of fauna like snails, and the place has always had several species of rare flora.