Witsand, located in the

Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, is a small coastal town at the mouth of the

Breede River The Breede River (), also known as Breë River, is a river in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Travelling inland north from the city of Cape Town, the river runs in a west to east direction. The surrounding western mountains formed th ...

estuary. Often referred to as the Whale Nursery of South Africa, the town attracts a remarkable number of southern right whales between June and November each year. As an authentic destination for

water sports Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms ...

and outdoor enthusiasts, Witsand offers experiences such as

kite-surfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, snow, sand, or other surface. It combines the aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snow ...

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

, stand-up paddleboarding, and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

. The town lies within the Hessequa region, also known as the Explorer's Garden Route. The

near Witsand is also known for yielding some of the largest

bull sharks The bull shark (''Carcharhinus leucas''), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in riv ...

ever recorded—though notably, there have been no reported shark attacks. Each November, Witsand hosts the finish line of the annual Vlakte Marathon, a notable event in the region. In recent years, Witsand has also gained attention as a hub for

Bitcoin Bitcoin (abbreviation: BTC; Currency symbol, sign: ₿) is the first Decentralized application, decentralized cryptocurrency. Based on a free-market ideology, bitcoin was invented in 2008 when an unknown entity published a white paper under ...

adoption in Africa, with many local merchants now accepting cryptocurrency payments.

History

On 10 October 1831, the British colonial government granted the farm Westfield—now the site of Witsand—to Captain Benjamin Moodie. By the late 1800s, the Moodie family welcomed residents of

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, including farmers and townspeople, to holiday in Witsand, known for its excellent fishing and white sandy beach, which inspired its name. Records show the name "Witsand" was already in use by 1867. The first structure built in the area was a small stone house called ''Ou Pastorie'', owned by Reverend Alexander Daneel, the first pastor of the Heidelberg Dutch Reformed Church. Around 1880, holidaymakers camped in reed huts and tents, as the area had yet to be developed. Later, Benjamin and Donald Moodie, sons of Captain Moodie, allowed fishermen to build cottages, and as interest grew, they subdivided sixty-five

morgen A Morgen (Mg) is a historical, but still occasionally used, German unit of area used in agriculture. Officially, it is no longer in use, having been supplanted by the hectare. While today it is approximately equivalent to the Prussian ''morgen' ...

of the farm into plots. In 1908, this area was formally registered under the name Witsand in a separate title deed. The first 118 plots were shared among 17 people, and over time, more plots were sold, forming a small village of 20 to 30 houses. Witsand was officially declared a local region in 1951.

Water supply

During the tourist high-season, the population swells to over 3,000 people, leading to freshwater scarcity in the town. In 2018, the Witsand Solar Desalination Plant was constructed at a cost of R9 million (about US$605,000). The plant produces 100kl of fresh water per day powered by solar energy. This volume will supply close to 50% of the daily demand of Witsand during off-peak periods. The plant is also connected to the electrical grid. This enables the plant to be operated during peak water demand periods on a 24-hour basis, with a maximum supply capacity of 300kl per day.

References

Populated places in the Hessequa Local Municipality {{SouthAfrica-geo-stub