Platinum Highway captures SA history

Fortunately these and many other intriguing stories have been captured in a book by acclaimed author, journalist and editor, Peter Delmar, who has now captured the rich heritage of the areas along the Platinum Highway in his latest book; The Platinum Road.

Sponsored by Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire (Bakwena), the concessionaire responsible for the design, maintenance and upgrades to the Platinum road, The Platinum Road covers many fascinating stories relevant to areas along the route. By recording, collating and publishing information that was previously accessible to only a few, Delmar takes the reader on a journey through time and distance that will add value to South African society for generations to come.

"Bakwena sponsored The Platinum Road in the belief that its content will add value to the driving experiences of our customers who use the roads operated by our company. We believe that the book will make an important contribution to the dissemination of knowledge and will increase the appreciation of very important parts of South Africa's heritage. Bakwena is proud to be associated with the project," says Charmaine van Wyk, spokesperson for Bakwena.

The book represents a journey of discovery across various landmarks on the Platinum Highway, stopping at each area to share gems of information that have sculpted a great deal of South African history. From the section between Pretoria and Brits that has a history filled with conflict and tales of the Voortrekkers, and to the area between Rustenburg and Swartruggens that is home to the Bafokeng, one of the wealthiest tribes in Africa, The Platinum Road book is filled with tales told and untold.

Awareness of SA history

"I have an abiding interest in history and travel and am equally passionate about telling stories that make my fellow South Africans appreciate what a remarkable country we live in," says Delmar. "I hope that this book will contribute to a greater awareness of the history that makes us who we are.

"Essentially as you travel along the Platinum Highway you are driving back in history. Part of this history is not mere millions of years old but hundreds, even thousands of millions of years. From the N4, without getting off the highway, the most momentous geological events in the history of the Earth are visible. The human history of this part of South Africa is much more recent, but just as momentous as the region's geological past. The ride along The Platinum Road never ceases to intrigue and amaze and I look forward to taking you with me on the journey," concludes Delmar.

The Platinum Road is the third "road book" Delmar has written and published through his business, Parkview Press. Previous books include The N3 Book (covering the national road between Johannesburg and Durban, which sold almost 9,000 copies) as well as The N4 Book (the route between Gauteng and Maputo, Mozambique).

Earlier in 2013 Delmar, along with Mike Alfred, published The Johannesburg Explorer Book, using Delmar's same "history-from-your-car" formula. The Johannesburg Explorer Book has been well received by Radio 702, the Saturday Star, Radio Today and the Sunday Times.

The Platinum Road is available as an e-book from both Amazon.com and from the Apple iBooks Store.

For more on Bakwena and the projects that they are involved in, go to www.bakwena.co.za.