In Impressions of South Africa, first published in 1897, James Bryce writes, “The preferred vehicle for long journeys was the ox wagon. These vehicles travel from 12 to 16 miles a day, and only slightly more if pushed. The oxen walk very slowly, resting and feeding as they go. They feed more hours than they travel. Coaches drawn by mules and horses run from some points. These are always uncomfortable and not always safe, but they do manage six to eight miles an hour on good ground. This drops considerably in sandy or rugged conditions. These coaches each have two drivers. On the horse coaches, one holds the reins while the other wields a long whip, constantly cracking it in the air above the horses’ heads. One of the mule coach drivers also holds the reins, but the second runs alongside, beating the animals with a short whip and shouting expletives at them.
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These speeds were confirmed by old-timers who still remembered travelling by wagon in their childhood days. It must be kept in mind of course that the animals needed regular rest and feeding during the day, which considerably slowed one down.
A good riding horse could go much faster and a speed of up to 13 miles an hour was not unusual.
Although trade north of the Orange River was long forbidden, itinerant traders came as far north as Olijvenhouts Drift to sell their wares. For them, ox wagons were the only viable means of transport until the advent of the donkey.
During the late nineteenth century donkeys conclusively opened up the backveld with their versatility, their stamina and their overall toughness. They needed no special food and foraged on what was available wherever the driver stopped. Being relatively small, they needed less to fill up than the large oxen and even the mules, which were used mainly for people transport.
The invaluable role the humble donkey played in pioneering the interior is immortalised by a life-size statue on the museum grounds at Upington.