Welcome

This is the Malagas Ratepayers & Residents’ Association official website. Our purpose is to guide residents and visitors to essential information when living / staying in Malgas. If you’re unable to find what you’re looking for, please contact us with any queries and we’d be happy to help.

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Emergencies

Read the Latest Articles

All Community Disaster Management Environment River History

Environment

Soil Building and Water Retention for Semi Arid Climates

06/01/20255 min Read More

Disaster Management Environment

Fire Proofing with Plants

06/01/20253 min Read More

Community Environment

Regenerating the Environment

06/01/20254 min Read More

Environment River History

Historic Flood Data

06/01/20252 min Read More

Community

River Awareness

06/01/20255 min Read More

River History

History of the Pont

06/01/202512 min Read More

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Local Links

Swellendam Municipality Public Mapping Viewer

Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association Map of Malgas Area

Lower Breede River Conservancy Trust Witsand Tide Times

Did You Know?

…that Sir Charles Somerset established the village of Port Beaufort in ^+- 1817.

…that the first records of he Breede River Estuary were those of Bartholomew Diaz who landed in the area in 1488.

…that Bartholomew Diaz named the river “Nazaré”.

…that the Breede was first encountered by European explorers in 1667. Sergeant P Cruythoff is considered to be the first.

…Lady Anne Barnard picknicked in the Breede River area in May 1798. Jacob van Reenen of Slangrivier was the host!

…the catchment area of the Breede River is 12,625 sq kms. Secondly only to the Gouritz River in the Southern Cape.

…that the Breede River is 257 kms long.

…that the Breede River has more than 58 tributaries with regular flow.

…that there are at least 14 major dams in the Breede system.

…that the deepest areas (more than 10 metres) of the River between the Mouth and Malgas are: Port Beaufort/Moddergat, Rooiheuwel, Diepkloof and Malagas.

…it took the “SS Kadie” 2 hours and 20 minutes to travel from Port Beaufort to Malagas.

…that the furthest the “SS Kadie” ventured from her home waters was her single trip to Mauritius with a cargo of ostriches destined for Australia.

…that the small church which stands guard over San Sebastian By like the monument to some early navigator, was competed in 1859 by Thomas Barry as an inter-dominational chapel for the people of the port.

…that HJ Deneysson was the first Postmaster at Malagas, inaugurating the agency in August 1853.

… Malgas was the inland depot of the mighty Barry and Nephews trading empire, based in Swellendam. The little historical village was originally an important inland harbour.

… The Malgas Dutch Reformed Church was built in 1856 and regular services are held to this day. The church, a National Heritage Site was nearly destroyed during a flood in 1906, when water rose to a height of 2m inside and destroyed some valuable collections.

… Malagas is named after one of the last Khoekhoe ‘kapteine’ who was based near the Breede River. On 26 January 1791 the farm ‘genaamt Malegaas Craal geleegen aan de Breede Rivier aan den landouwer ene Adriaan Odendal toegeken is’. He remained until 1837.

… The SS Kadie was a nimble 158-ton screw steam assisted sailing ship. She was custom designed to navigate 35 km up the Breede River to Malgas. Steam engines were the latest in technology at the time.