the line reached kimberley in 1885, and has since been extended via botswana (then bechuanaland) to reach zimbabwe and zambia (when they were still known as south and north rhodesia), and branch lines have been constructed to namibia and port elizabeth through a hub at de aar, in the great karoo. further branch lines were later built from points further north to bloemfontein, durban, and, of course, to johannesburg.