HOUT BAY or Houtbaai – the bay, the beach and the valley – with Llandudno just over the Suikerbossie hill is unique in South Africa. A suburb of Cape Town but unlike any other suburb.
Hemmed in by the marine and land elements of Table Mountain National Park, its history is as old as South Africa's earliest colonial history while remnants of the first inhabitants predate recorded history.
At its north-eastern end – Oranjekloof Nature Reserve and Constantia Nek – it abuts the south side of Table Mountain. To the north, it nestles against the Twelve Apostles chain. To the east, Hout Bay abuts Constantiaberg. And Hout Bay and Llandudno's unique features – Klein Leeukoppie, Karbonkelberg and the Sentinel – rise majestically from the sea to the west.
Hout Bay and Llandudno have only three access roads – arguably among the most scenic in the world – Victoria Drive from the city centre, Constantia Nek from the southern suburbs, and the world-famous Chapman's Peak Drive from the south. So... driving to and from the rest of the world is pure pleasure!
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History of Porto fragoso (bay of hanging cliffs)
From: Hout Bay – An illustrated historical profile
| 1488 | Bartholomeu Diaz rounds the Cape of Good Hope. | |
| 1497 | Vasco da Gama puts foot on South African soil for the first time. | |
| 1513 | Hout Bay's first name, "Porto fragoso" (bay of hanging cliffs), appears on a map. | |
| 1607 | The 'Consent' was becalmed at the entrance to Hout Bay and landed an exploratory party. | |
| 1614 | An English sailor records having taken wood from the forest of Hout Bay for repairs to his ship. | |
| 1652 | Jan van Riebeek lands at the Cape and gave Hout Bay its present name. On November 22, 1652 Van Riebeek wrote in his journal about t'Houtbaaitjen. | |
| 1662 | The Boscheuwel road was extended from Kirstenbosch in a rough track over Constantia Nek to Hout Bay. | |
| 1668 | The first permit to cut and saw wood in Hout Bay Forest was granted. | |
| 1672 | War broke out between Holland and France. | |
| 1677 | The first agreement to rent land for farming purposes was signed. | |
| The first freeburgher farmers arrived in Hout Bay and were granted as much land as they could work. They were to plant grain and collect woods as payment for the hire of the land. | ||
| 1681 | Two farms were established – Ruyteplaats and Kronendal. | |
| 1777 | The first building at Kronendal was built by Jacobus Lourens Bierman. It was enlarged to its present form in 1800. | |
| 1781 | The French built three forts at Hout Bay. These were part of a line of forts known as the 'French Lines' to protect the Cape from falling into the hands of the English. The West Fort at the harbour dates from this time. | |
| 1793 | The South Battery Boetselaar and the North Battery Zoutman in Simon's Town are built. | |
| 1795 | First British occupation by Rear-Adm Sir Keith Elphinstone and Maj-Gen James Craig. | |
| 1803 | The Cape returned to the Batavian Republic by the British. | |
| 1806 | The second British occupation. | |
| 1834 | Abolition of slavery. Royal Navy active in crushing the slave trade and the repatriation of slaves. | |
| In the latter half of the 1800s, the farms Moddergat, Nooitgedacht, Oakhurst and Uitkyk were established. | ||
| Early farmers who settled in Hout Bay undertook fishing as well; fishing from small boats and using the method of 'trekking' with nets from the beach. In the early 1800s, the first economic exploitation of fish began when dried snoek was exported to Mauritius in exchange for yellow sugar and other essential commodites. | ||
| 1871 | Jacob Trautman, a German immigrant, bought land in Hout Bay. | |
| 1880 | Crisp Arnold set up fishing sheds and started curing snoek for export to Mauritius. A company was formed to exploits the deposits of manganese in Hout Bay. | |
| 1882 | Jacob Trautman II built Oak Villa, now a national monument followd by Uitkyk (1888), and Hillside (1890). | |
| 1891 | The first police station and post office opened in Hout Bay. | |
| 1895 | Walter Gurney built the first church. It still stands today and is known as St Peter the Fisherman. The first school in Hout Bay was started by Walter Gurney. | |
| At the turn of the 1900s the floor of the Bay was described as being a red blanket of crayfish (lobsters). | ||
| 1901 | The magnificent house of Fine View was built by Fritz Jacot, a Frenchman. | |
| 1904 | The Hout Bay Canning Company was formed and set up in the hulk of an old barque, R Morrow. For almost 10 years the factory operated successfully. exporting canned crayfish overseas and providing work for local inhabitants. | |
| 1909 | Successful manganese mining in Hout Bay recorded with shipments to Belgium. The ship Maori ran aground at 'Oude Schip' in fog. | |
| 1911 | Manganese mining ceased during the year. Reminders of the activities are the ruins of the manganese ore jetty and the old mine workings up on the mountain. | |
| 1914 | An explosion on board the R Morrow put an end to the canning industry for a short while. Seven people were killed including the owner, Lucien Plessis. After repairs the company continued until 1947 when it was abosrbed into the South African Sea Products company. | |
| 1921 | The Hout Bay Golf Club was formed. In 1948 the Golf Course land was sold for development. The Club and its social activities remained and it became a 'nomadic' club for many years. | |
| 1922 | Chapmans Peak Drive was opened to the public. It has been built using convict labour and had taken seven years to build at a cost of £20,000. | |
| 1930s | The fishing industry expanded exponentially when fish became a popular item on menus and improving facilities for transporting fish inland were created. The Trautman family improved their fishing boats and built more sheds on the beach for processing fish. They owned Trans Africa Fisheries. The Trautman brothers introduced the valuable frozen rock lobster tail export business. The Dorman family, who had originally bought land in the late 1800s for farming purposes, becames more involved in the fishing industry. Duikersklip and Chapmans Peak Fisheries were two companies owned by the Dormans. | |
| 1937 | The South breakwater was built. The post-war fisihing boom saw new companies and canning factories spreading everywhere. | |
| 1947 | South African Sea Products opened a new factory for the freezing and canning of rock lobster. | |
| 1952 | After many years of deliberation with the Cape Town City Council, piped water eventually arrived at Hout Bay. Up till then water had either been taken from the river or from boreholes. | |
| 1968 | The North Breakwater was added. | |
| 1984 | Mariner's Wharf, South Africa's first seafood & maritime-themed emporium developed by Stanley Dorman, was opened and proved a resounding success. | |
| 1987 | On May 23, the citizens of Hout Bay declared themselves a republic. This was a tourist awareness and attraction ploy which helped put Hout Bay on the map. | |
| 1991 | Government allocated the site of Imizamo Yethu to meet the needs of the Hout Bay squatter community. | |
| 1994 | First free democratic elections. Nelson Mandela was elected president. | |
| 1996 | The Masijidul Bahrayn mosque near the harbour was completed. | |
| 2003 | Chapmans Peak Drive was re-opened as a toll road on December 21, after considerable repairs had been undertaken. | |
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THIRTY years ago, Hout Bay had a population of about 7,000 people, most living in the fishing village above the harbour. The announcement by the planners at the then Divisional Council that Hout Bay's population must cater for 25,000 people (the same as Sea Point) was met with disbelief. By the 2001 census, Hout Bay's population had grown to 21,294 (– 8,063 at Imizamo Yethu – see box on the right). Llandudno's population in 2001 was 536.
Hout Bay is unique. Even today it only has two sets of traffic lights – one a pedestrian crossing. It is surrounded by the Table Mountain National Park (part of a World Heritage Site) – both the land and marine components. It's old fishing harbour has become a boating paradise. It offers spectaular bathing, watersports, mountain hikes and horse-riding.
Hout Bay is frequently described as a microcosm of South Africa – where very rich and very poor share the same suburb. The community is meeting the challenges this presents and does offer lessons – and hope – for the rest of South Africa. With such a responsible and vibrant community, it is a good place to live.
But Hout Bay is also a microcosm of all the beauty of the Cape, condensed into one small area – rugged mountains that rise dramatically from the sea, the most fertile valley in Cape Town lined by mountain ranges, and the picturesque harbour in an enclosed bay. Hout Bay and Llandudno are breathtaking!
Astute local and international buyers often ask where South Africa property prices are headed. It's probably best answered by the cover story of a recent SA Financial Mail. "South Africa is seven years into the biggest house price boom in its history. And it looks as if SA will defy the global housing meltdown to continue for another five years or more.
"Over the past 10 years SA has been the top performer in the global housing market with The Economist's house price indicator showing a rise of 351% between 1997 and end 2006. Only Ireland, with a 253% return, comes close. SA will be fully reconnected with global trends only when house prices, buildings costs and rents in the big cities have caught up with other middling cities like Perth, Buenos Aires and perhaps Madrid. That probably means that house price rises still have a way to go.
What is happening in Houtbay& Llandudno?
Property prices are continuing their upward trend unabated and I am hard-pressed to find our clients a home for under R2m, which incidentally was the average price for a home in Hout Bay two years ago.
That average screamed past R3m in April making Hout Bay one of the fasted growing suburbs in South Africa. Why? It has become one of the safest suburbs to live in due an all encompassing effort by the entire community to embrace each other and make things happen. Crime levels have dropped to an all-time low, environmentalists are getting their way, developments are carefully scrutinised and evaluated and generally the feel-good vibe is felt and lived everywhere.
Some interesting statistics and trends:
- The average house price in Hout Bay jumped 24% for the first five months of 2007 compared to the same period last year – twice the national average.
- The average residential property now costs R2.77m (this excludes sectional title apartments).
- In Llandudno house prices jumped 51% and the average is now over R10m – but only one home sells in Llandudno on average every month.
- Total sales in 2005 for Hout Bay/Llandudno were R830m.
- Total sales in 2006 were R1,150m
- Sales for the first five months are close to R600m and I predict that total sales will approach the R1.4billion mark in 2007.
In spite of massive development, Hout Bay has retained its rural charm and character largely because of the small-holdings (favoured by horse-lovers) alongside the river that runs through the heart of Hout Bay. Most development has taken place on the treed mountain slopes offering mountain and sea views.
The area offers a wider range of options than any other suburb, with neighbourhoods that include Scott Estate, Hanging Meadow, Baviaanskloof, Hillcrest, Bergendal, Penzance, Imizamo Yethu, Meadows, Oakwood, Bokkemanskloof, Overkloof, Silvermist, Longkloof, Valley, Victorskloof, Nooitgedacht, Beach Estate, Northshore, Mount Rhodes, Klein Leeukoppie Estate, Ruyteplaats, Tierboskloof, Kronenzicht, Hangberg and Hout Bay Heights.
There are the gated estates of Hanging Meadow (with stunning sea views) and Tierboskloof, while Longkloof is set amid mountains, streams, wetland and forest.
Buyers frequently shie away from areas alongside Imizamo Yethu – like Penzance Estate – but change their minds when they discover that it has one of the lowest crime rates in Hout Bay. And it has the advantage of being north-facing, unlike the homes on the opposite side of the valley which face south onto the township. Every neighbourhood offers its own advantages.
Neighbouring Llandudno, with just over 200 houses and a single access road, must be the most exclusive suburb in Cape Town.
Hout Bay's largest and most famous property owner is international hotel magnate, Sol Kerzner, who owns the Leeukoppie estate. Here is someone who can afford to buy the best properties anywhere in the world, and indeed has, but his special love for Leeukoppie and its location is well known. This is the Kerzner's family home.
June 2007
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Pic: Al Mackinnon/BillabongXXL.com
Dungeons, the ocean reef below the Sentinel in Hout Bay, produced the biggest wave ridden anywhere in the world in 2006.
Greg Long from San Clemente, California was awarded the Billabong XXL 'Biggest Wave of the Year' prize for a wave he rode at Dungeons near Hout Bay on 30 July 2006. The face of the wave was more than 20 metres in height!
Since 1999, Red Bull Big Wave Africa has offered top local and international surfers the opportunity to compete at the unpredictable, deep-water reef break at Dungeons.
Of course, apart from big waves Hout Bay is renown for fishing, yachting and a host of water sports. Then it's also one of the few places in the peninsula where horse riding is well catered for.
And if you enjoy mountain walks, they are on your doorstep. For more gentle strolls, there is the beach.
For most though, the pleasure comes from watching the activities of others -- and beachside pubs cater for that well.{/jkefel}
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Some of the organisations active in Hout Bay:
- Residents' Association of Hout Bay
- Hout Bay Ratepayers' Association
- Hout Bay & Llandudno Heritage Trust
- WorkNow! Niall
- Mellon Town Trust
- Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch
- Llandudno Civic Organisation
Republic of Hout Bay
On May 23, 1987, the citizens of Hout Bay declared themselves a Republic. The declaration came at a time when South Africa was still considered a pariah state being ruled by an apartheid government.
A national flag, anthem, a national dress and even its own passport were drawn up.
Cabinet posts were auctioned off, with the reasoning that if you were wealthy enough, you'd be above corruption. Ambassadorships were also sold, but there were never any takers for Pretoria!
The original Republic of Hout Bay passport was the brainchild of Stanley Dorman of Mariner's Wharf. The passport was immensely successful and generated worldwide publicity. There are several reports of the passport receiving real immigration stamps from countries like Egypt and even Mexico. Heathrow even issued a general advisory for immigration officials to be on the lookout for the passport.
Between May 23 and June 1, 1987 Hout Bay community organisations like Rotary and Lions manned border patrols to check that visitors were in possession of a valid Hout Bay passport.
In celebration of the return of the Cycle Tour and Two Oceans marathon over Chapman's Peak Drive, the Rotary Club of Hout Bay and Mariner's Wharf have re-launched the passport. The passport remains true to the original but includes incentives that will encourage visitors to return to Hout Bay.
The passports sell for R10 and include incentives and discounts worth at least R100. All profits from the passport will go towards serving the communities of Hout Bay under projects administered by the Rotary Club of Hout Bay.
The Rotary Club of Hout Bay has been involved in numerous projects including raising funds for the Spirit of Rotary, ambulance, fire engine and NSRI rescue boat. The Rotary Hout Bay club provides scholarships for over 85 high schools students and is in the process of launching its biggest project yet, Operation Medical Hope, which will provide medical equipment of over R500,000.
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