Richmond

Richmond in the Northern Cape sits smack on the N1, roughly halfway between Cape Town and Gauteng, so it's a favourite overnight stop for long-haul drivers rather than a quick local hop, with Hanover the closest town at 62 km away. Expect flat Karoo scenery, sheep farms, and big skies along the way. There's one fast EV charger nearby. Richmond's real claim to fame is its secondhand bookshops, earning it the nickname South Africa's book town.