4 ▁highway ▁between ▁U pping ton ▁and ▁Spring b ok ▁explo its ▁an ▁ore ▁rich ▁in ▁z inc , ▁lead , ▁co pper ▁and ▁silver ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁Close ▁by , ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁is ▁G ha ams berg ▁which ▁has ▁very ▁large ▁z inc ▁depos its , ▁but ▁the ▁ore ▁is ▁low - grade ▁and , ▁therefore , ▁at ▁present , ▁un prof itable ▁to ▁large ▁scale ▁min ing . ▁ ▁Va al put s , ▁a ▁nuclear ▁waste ▁repository , ▁has ▁been ▁s ited ▁between ▁Bush man land ▁and ▁the ▁north - west ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Kar oo , ▁and ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁de ▁fact o ▁nature ▁reserve . ▁ ▁N ama qu aland ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁ar id ▁region ▁along ▁the ▁north - western ▁coast line ▁( n orth wards ▁from ▁approximately ▁the ▁ 3 1 ° S ▁line ▁of ▁latitude ) ▁of ▁South ▁Africa , ▁partly ▁above ▁and ▁partly ▁below ▁the ▁Great ▁Esc arp ment . ▁The ▁region ▁extends ▁into ▁Nam ib ia , ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Orange ▁River , ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁" Gre at ▁N ama qu aland ", ▁or ▁" N am aland ". ▁The ▁South ▁African ▁portion ▁of ▁N ama qu aland ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁" L ittle ▁N ama qu aland ", ▁and ▁falls ▁within ▁the ▁Northern ▁Cape ▁Province . ▁ ▁The ▁region ▁is ▁sp ars ely ▁populated , ▁mainly ▁by ▁A frika ans ▁speaking ▁people ▁of ▁N ama , ▁and ▁K ho ik ho i