Qualla: Oudtshoorn https://qualla.com/oudtshoorn en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:25 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/k/6/p/b/oudtshoorn-wk/hero-small.webp Qualla: Oudtshoorn https://qualla.com/oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn: Introduction https://qualla.com/oudtshoorn/ Photo credit thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0. Pound for pound, ostrich feathers once approached the value of diamonds. That single economic fact explains everything about Oudtshoorn: the sandstone mansions on streets that should have stayed dusty, the cosmopolitan culture in a town ringed by semi-desert, and the peculiar local expertise in raising the world's largest bird. Founded in 1847 in the Little Karoo valley of South Africa's Western Cape, Oudtshoorn struggled for decades against scarce water supplies. Then the fashion industry discovered ostrich plumes, and the town discovered that its dry, warm climate was exactly what ostriches preferred.

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Image: thomas | CC BY-SA 2.0

]]> Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/k/6/p/b/oudtshoorn-wk/k6pb-oudtshoorn-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Oudtshoorn: When Feathers Were Currency https://qualla.com/oudtshoorn/ Photo credit Zaian, CC BY-SA 3.0. Oudtshoorn's first feather boom, from 1865 to 1870, transformed a struggling settlement into a place of genuine wealth. European and American demand for ostrich plumes, used in hats, boas, fans, and elaborate stage costumes, sent prices soaring. The 'feather barons' who controlle...

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Image: Zaian | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/k/6/p/b/oudtshoorn-wk/k6pb-oudtshoorn-when-feathers-were-currency.mp3 0:06 2 full Oudtshoorn: Two Hundred Thousand Birds https://qualla.com/oudtshoorn/ Photo credit Zaian, CC BY-SA 3.0. Oudtshoorn today claims the largest ostrich population of any place in the world, with roughly 200,000 birds as of 2012, outnumbering the town's approximately 67,000 human residents by about three to one. The birds are farmed for meat, leather, eggs, and feathers, though the feat...

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Image: Zaian | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/k/6/p/b/oudtshoorn-wk/k6pb-oudtshoorn-two-hundred-thousand-birds.mp3 0:06 3 full Oudtshoorn: Underground Oudtshoorn https://qualla.com/oudtshoorn/ Photo credit Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit"), CC BY-SA 4.0. The Cango Caves, located near Oudtshoorn, are among South Africa's most visited natural attractions. The limestone cavern system extends deep into the Swartberg foothills, with chambers of stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years. But the caves are only the most ...

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Image: Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit") | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/k/6/p/b/oudtshoorn-wk/k6pb-oudtshoorn-underground-oudtshoorn.mp3 0:06 4 full Oudtshoorn: The Karoo's Largest Town https://qualla.com/oudtshoorn/ Photo credit Lugerda, CC BY-SA 3.0. With its population of 67,000, Oudtshoorn is the largest town in the Little Karoo, serving as the regional hub for commerce, education, and tourism. The town's economy has diversified beyond ostrich farming, though the birds remain central to its identity. Tourism now provides th...

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Image: Lugerda | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/k/6/p/b/oudtshoorn-wk/k6pb-oudtshoorn-the-karoos-largest-town.mp3 0:06 5 full