Macassar, Western Cape

Macassar is a small town in South Africa, close to Strand and Somerset West, with an approximate population of 38 136

Macassar’s history is closely tied to the Strand as it is from here that its first inhabitants came. The kramat (shrine) of Sheik Yussaf of Bantam, in Macassar, is one of the South African Muslim community’s holiest places. The Sheik, who was exiled by the Dutch in 1694, made Macassar his final resting place although his followers, who were mainly fishermen, found the sea off Macassar rather uninviting and moved further along the coast to Strand’s Mosterds Bay.

The Macassar Dunes Nature Reserve, in Baden Powell Drive, forms part of the vital coastal dune system, one of the biodiversity hotspots of the Western Cape. These dunes have been under enormous threat from conflicting activities, including cattle grazing and 4X4 vehicle use.

Macassar is a predominantly coloured area close to the Macassar Dunes, whose population historically work in the fishing and boatmaking industry. Unlike it is neighbour Mitchells Plain it is not ravaged by crime and drug abuse which is so prevalent amongst other underpriveleged communities in the Western Cape.

[http://www.fallingrain.com/world/SF/1/Macassar.html] .

Geography

The town is situated at an altitude of four meters above sea level. Its cartographic position is 34°04'00"S, 18°46'00"E.