Kassiesbaai

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“The hamlet of Kassiesbaai on the outskirts of Arniston, Western Cape can be classified as a time capsule of sorts and is sure to bring forth a feeling of nostalgia even if you’ve never visited here before. The olden ways and nature of the initial families resonate here through the simple living of this small fishing community.

Now declared a National Heritage Site in its entirety, Kassiesbaai gathers its name from the offerings of the ocean on which borders it lies. The name came about as the residents used the washed up paraffin cases (“kassies” in Afrikaans) from the shipwrecks to build their houses. The wood from the paraffin boxes combined with lime and thatch from the area were used to build the now characteristic cottages of the coastal fishing village.

Kassiesbaai is also one of the rare communities that have managed to hold onto their land and their traditions in spite of apartheid, shared ownership of the land and the decay of time.”

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