The Republic of South Africa occupies the southern end of the African continent, including the famous capes of Good Hope and Agulhas. During the colonial era Dutch and British colonists struggled for many years to control the country, but by the mid 1800s the entire coastline was under British control. As a result South Africa's lighthouse heritage is British. The country was formed in 1910 as the Union of South Africa, an autonomous British dominion combining the Cape, Transvaal and Natal colonies and the Orange Free State republic. Full independence was granted in 1931 and the Union became the Republic in 1961. South Africa is divided into nine provinces and the provinces are divided into districts and municipalities. This page describes lighthouses of the the provinces of Western Cape and Northern Cape. Located at the southern tip of Africa, these provinces face southeast on the Indian Ocean and west on the Atlantic Ocean. There are also pages for the provinces of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Lighthouses in South Africa are operated by the Lighthouses and Navigational Systems division of the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). Some are still staffed. Some of the larger and more accessible light stations have been developed for tourism by the Transnet business office. Official languages in South Africa include English, Afrikaans, and nine native African languages. In Afrikaans the word for a lighthouse is vuurtoring; eiland is an island, kaap is a cape, punt is a point of land, baai is a bay, and klip is a rock. In the Xhosa language common in the Western Cape indlu yokukhanya ("house of light") is a lighthouse. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113 for the Atlantic coast and 112 for the Indian Ocean coast.
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Western Cape Province Lighthouses
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Ystervark Point Light, Gouritz, November 2017 Google Maps photo by B Van Zyl |
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Cape Hangklip Light, Overstrand, September 2021 Google Maps photo by Ilse Halgryn |
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1919 Cape Point Light, Cape of Good Hope, June 2005 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Bernhard Hecker |
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South Head Light, Saldanha Bay, August 2014 Google Maps photo by B. Van Zyl |
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Northern Cape Province Lighthouses
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Namibia | East: Eastern Cape
Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key
Posted June 2, 2005. Checked and revised February 22, 2024. Lighthouses: 43. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.