Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. the backwoods, a backward, rural area.

1970		Beeton & Dorner in Eng. Usage in Southern Afr. I:2 14: Gopse, [...] Inferior locality, place [DSAE].
1989		G. Butler Tales from Old Karoo 34: Horrelpoot: What sort of a doctor are you, to leave my gate open? Doctor: Do you call that a gate? Horrelpoot: Where were you educated, man? In the gops?

2. an uncouth or common loutish person.

1970

Beeton & Dorner in Eng. Usage in Sn Afr. I:2 14: ‘Gops’, a low-class person [DSAE].