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How Gargantua was sent to Paris, and of the huge great mare that he rode on; how she destroyed the oxflies of the Beauce.

In the same season Fayoles, the fourth King of Numidia, sent out of the country of Africa to Grangousier the most hideously great mare that ever was seen, and of the strangest form, for you know well enough how it is said that Africa always is productive of some new thing. She was as big as six elephants, and had her feet cloven into fingers, like Julius Caesar’s horse, with slouch-hanging ears, like the goats in Languedoc, and a little horn on her buttock. She was of a burnt sorrel hue, with a little mixture of dapple-grey spots, but above all she had horrible tail; for it was little more or less than every whit as great as the steeple-pillar of St. Mark beside Langes: and squared as that is, with tuffs and ennicroches or hair-plaits wrought within one another, no otherwise than as the beards are upon the ears of corn.

But I could not find a link between him and (South) Africa...

The original hut at Rabelais' gate is still preserved. This was the original entrance gate to the central region, on to the old Orpen road to the east of the N’wamatsatsa Drift. The Hut is 9 kilometres from Orpen Restcamp. The gate appears to have been named after the original farm on which it was situated. This gate was replaced in 1954 by Orpen Gate, when, due to the Orpen’s donation of farms, the boundary was moved further westward.

The original hut was renovated and is used as an information centre (c1932), and museum. The farm was probably named after the French writer and satirist, Francois Rabelais (c1483-1553). Beyond this small museum is the Rabelais waterhole, which usually attracts large numbers of game.

The only change I'll make is that the Rabelais waterhole has been closed due to severe erosion.

Txs for the tip.
I would have driven to the wh this july

On subject of strange names there is a small river to the north of Rabelais called the 'red gorten' - African names, or Afrikaans names are easy enough to figure - but where does this come from ???- maybe Kloppers & Bornman can shed on this..