Witsand

• Province: Western Cape
• Garden route
• Coordinates: 34.395°S 20.841°E
• Area: 2.71 km2
• Municipality­ ; Hessequa

Not to be confused with Witsand Nature Reserve in the Northern Cape, which is an inland dune reserve.

Witsand is situated on the southern coast of the Western Cape at the mouth of the Breede River, where itflows into the Indian Ocean. The village lies east of Stilbaai and south of Malgas on the Garden Route, forming part of the wider Hessequa coastal region. Witsand is accessed via the R324 road from the N2, with the river defining much of the local landscape. The surrounding area includes wetlands, coastal dunes and farmland further inland.

History of Witsand

The small coastal town of Witsand was originally called St Sebastian’s Bay by Navigator Manuel De Mesquita Perestrello. Portuguese explorers landed there in the 16th century, and they saw that the area had a promising natural anchorage. It is a town at the mouth of the Breede River. However, many ships have sunk here in the last 400 years.

The land here was granted to Captain Benjamin Moodie by the British colonial government on October 10, 1831, under the name Westfield. The area was popular for its clean, sandy beaches and excellent fishing opportunities. By the late 1800s, it was a popular holiday spot, and the Moodie family began subdividing the land, allowing fishermen and holidaymakers to build cottages. Fishing played a significant role in the local economy, and the town became a small hub for local trade, which helped it grow in the 19th century. The name Witsand was used as early as 1867,

Scottish settler Joseph Barry recognised the potential for sea transport between Cape Town and the Overberg, so he developed a harbour at Port Beaufort. Goods could be transported upriver to Malgas. To navigate the challenging river mouth, Barry commissioned the steamship Kadie, which operated successfully for six years before sinking in 1865. The advent of the railway system led to the collapse of Barry’s enterprise.

. In the 17th century, Captain Benjamin Moodie established the Port Beaufort Trading Company, which opened the bay up to trade. Early in the 20th Century, settlers built accommodations at the Breede River mouth. The village was established on the farm Westfield.

Building in Witsand

Witsand is famous for a distinctive building style that was adopted due to a scarcity of building materials. It is an unusual truss-type construction known as”Kapstylhuisie. There are no side walls, and the trusses reach the ground with a recessed door. The style is reminiscent of Ancient European dwellings. This is the only building style allowed in the area. The first structure built, however, was a stone house known as Ou Pastorie, which Reverend Alexander Daneel built.

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The postcode for Witsand is 7349

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Useful Numbers

Residents and visitors can find important local contact numbers below, including police, medical services, utilities, and community facilities

• Emergency Services

• Police: 10111
• Fire: 084 014 1828
• Ambulance: 10177- 028 713 4554

• Medical

• Closest hospital;Swellendam Hospital-028 514 1141

• Municipal & Utilities

• Municipality; 028 713 7868
• 24-hour Emergency Number–084 014 1828
• Water: 028 713 7868
• Electricity: 028 713 7868

• Transport & Roads

• Traffic department: 028 713 7817

• Community & Safety

• NSRI 087 094 9774
• NSRI (Witsand): 082 990 5957
• SPCA: Garden Route SPCA-044 693 0824
• 24-hour Poisons Information Helpline of the Western Cape:  0861 555 777.

• Local Contacts and Community Resources 

• Tourism; 028 537 1717 /028 537 1010/ 082 922 9905 wact@telkomsa.net
• Hessequa Tourism: 028 713 7829
• Post office; Agency at the Sands supermarket- 028 537 1800
• Library: VONDELING MINI LIBRARY- 072 513 6605