Locals can look forward to Muizenberg Heritage’s exciting Heritage Month programme which will celebrate the rich history and culture of the Muizenberg community.

Muizenberg Heritage (MH) director Ryan Green said the area’s layered history connects residents to the wider story of South Africa.

MH is a voluntary organisation, which hosts talks, exhibitions, walking tours, and community events throughout the year.

“Looking back on our heritage helps us understand how our society came to be, while building greater appreciation for the diverse people, cultures and experiences which continue to shape our community,” he said.

Architectural fabric

The programme starts on Saturday 12 September with the Magical Muizenberg Village walking tour, which explores the architecture and personalities of the historic neighbourhood.

The village’s architectural fabric, dating mainly between 1900 and 1940, remains remarkably intact — a result of its relative neglect for almost half a century and investment in its regeneration during a period when Muizenberg was deeply unfashionable.

Palmer Road, once the business centre of Muizenberg, offered residents and visitors a choice of where to buy groceries, have shoes repaired, get furniture upholstered, and even visit a milliner for the latest hat fashions.

The village also has surprising connections to the whaling industry, the delivery of airmail in South Africa, the suffragette movement, and even boere-musiek.

Surfing has been part of Muizenberg’s history for at least 120 years and is intrinsic to the area’s culture.

A draft of the “Surfing — a living Muizenberg Heritage” exhibition will be launched on Saturday 19 September at Het Posthuys Museum.

The exhibition aims to encourage community feedback and will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm.

On Heritage Day, Thursday 24 September, the Cannon Association of South Africa will once again fire the cannon outside Het Posthuys as part of their cannon call-up system, which will be staged across the Peninsula. Starting in Simons Town, cannons will be fired at five-minute intervals into other parts of South Africa, with the Het Posthuys cannon fired just before noon.

Books

The third Muizenberg Literary Heritage Festival will be held on Saturday 26 September at Rhodes Cottage on Main Road.

The festival celebrates writers who write in or about Muizenberg and aims to promote the area’s rich literary heritage.

This year’s festival features authors, poets, and cartoonists. Michael Cope will speak about how Muizenberg encourages chance encounters and how this has influenced his writing. Melissa Volker will launch her book “Chasing the Waves”, which tells the story of South African women in surfing.

Serai Dowling will reflect on why blue spaces that bring strangers together matter as much as the city’s infrastructure.

Cartoonist Carlos Amato will speak about how satire can combat shameless power and the privatisation of truth.

Four local poets will read and discuss poems inspired by the neighbourhood’s landscape, people, and history.

Tickets can be purchased on Quicket by searching for “Muizenberg Heritage”.

Visit the Muizenberg Heritage website, follow Muizenberg Heritage on Facebook, or search #muizenberg_heritage on Instagram to keep up to date.

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