Macassar, Western Cape

Macassar
Macassar  Macassar shown within Western Cape
Location within Cape Town Macassar
Coordinates:
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Established	{{#property:P571}}
Area
• Total	28.85 km2 (11.14 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	33,225
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	8.9%
• Coloured	88.3%
• Indian/Asian	0.5%
• White	1.2%
• Other	1.1%
First languages (2011)
• Afrikaans	85.2%
• English	7.5%
• Xhosa	5.0%
• Other	2.4%
Postal code (street)	7130
PO box	7134

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 Sheikh Yusuf (Tuanta Salamaka) of Sultanate of Gowa, in what is today Makassar in Indonesia, is one of the South African Muslim community's holiest places. The Sheikh, who was exiled by the Dutch in 1694, came to the strand area and made it his final resting place although his followers, who were mainly fishermen, found the sea of Macassar rather uninviting and moved further along the coast to Strand’s Mosterds Bay. After the death of Sheikh Yusuf, the followers named the place after his place of born with different spelling of c instead of k.

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 its neighbour Mitchells Plain, it is not ravaged by crime and drug abuse which is so prevalent amongst other underprivileged communities in the Western Cape.

See also

• Macassar Village Land Occupation