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Kimberley[kim´burlE] Pronunciation Key, city (1991 pop. 167,060), Northern Cape, South Africa. The city is primarily a diamond-mining center, although textiles, construction materials, and machinery are manufactured. The city is also an important railroad junction. Kimberley was founded in 1871 when diamonds were discovered on a nearby farm. The De Beers Consolidated Mines, organized by Cecil Rhodes, assumed control of the diamond fields in 1888. In 1899–1900, during the South African War, the city was besieged by Boer (Afrikaner) forces. Northern Cape Technical College and the Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum are in Kimberley.
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