| Leeu-Gamka | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Western Cape#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -32.7736°N 21.9803°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Western Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Central Karoo |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Prince Albert |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1879 |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 11.5 |
| Elevation M: | 552 |
| Population Total: | 2727 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 4.1% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 91.3% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 1.0% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 2.3% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 1.2% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 94.9% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | English |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 2.5% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 1.2% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 1.4% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 6950 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 023 |
Leeu-Gamka is a small town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located north-east of Cape Town in the Karoo.
The town of Leeu-Gamka owes its existence to the route chosen by Prime Minister John Molteno for the Cape Government Railways's western main line, from Cape Town towards the diamond fields at Kimberley.[2] The railway line reached the meeting-point of the Leeu and Gamka rivers in 1879, and on 11 August of that year a station was opened on that location.[3] It was initially named "Fraserburg Road", because it was the closest station to the town of Fraserburg, to the north-west over the Nuweveld Mountains.[4] [5]
A small town grew around this station, with a church and school opening in 1896, and a hotel in 1898. In 1950 the station and town were renamed to "Leeu-Gamka".
Leeu-Gamka is located where the Leeu River enters the Gamka River; both rivers are intermittent in this region. "Leeu" and "Gamka" both mean "Lion", in Afrikaans and ǀXam respectively.
The town lies at an elevation of 552 m, in the southern Karoo; to the north are the Nuweveld Mountains, and to the south the Swartberge. It is situated on the N1 national road and the Cape Town - Kimberley railway, between Laingsburg and Beaufort West; the travel distance from Cape Town is by road and by rail. From Leeu-Gamka the R353 road runs north-west to Fraserburg and Williston.
The 2011 Census reported that, of the population of 2,727, some 91% described themselves as "Coloured" and 95% spoke Afrikaans.
Leeu-Gamka falls within the Prince Albert Local Municipality, which is part of the Central Karoo District Municipality. It has a primary school[6] and a police station,[7] and was served by a mobile clinic.[8]
Recently, Leeu-Gamka established a new emergency medical services station in conjunction with the Western Cape Provincial Health Department to render support services to accident victims on the N1 en route to Cape Town and Johannesburg. Furthermore, a permanent community health center was erected, doing away with the previously used mobile clinic. The community also has a library and a new dam for domestic water supply. Leeu Gamka is mainly a community surrounded by farms and many of the citizens are dependent on work from these farms, with maintenance work by civil contracting engineering companies who subcontract for SANRAL.