Macassar, Western Cape

Macassar
Macassar Show map of Western Cape Macassar Show map of South Africa Macassar Show map of Africa  Macassar shown within Western Cape
Location within Cape Town  Macassar
Coordinates: 34°04′S 18°46′E / 34.067°S 18.767°E / -34.067; 18.767Coordinates: 34°04′S 18°46′E / 34.067°S 18.767°E / -34.067; 18.767
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Established	1694
Area[1]
• Total	28.85 km2 (11.14 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	33,225
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
• Black African	8.9%
• Coloured	88.3%
• Indian/Asian	0.5%
• White	1.2%
• Other	1.1%
First languages (2011)[1]
• 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 33,225.

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

References

Communities of City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, Western Cape
Seat: Cape Town
Cape Flats	Athlone Crawford Gugulethu Hanover Park Heideveld Joe Slovo Kenwyn Lansdowne Manenberg Nyanga Ottery Philippi Rondebosch East Strandfontein Wetton
Helderberg	Faure Gordon's Bay Lwandle Macassar Parel Vallei Sir Lowry's Pass Village Somerset West Strand
Mitchells Plain Khayelitsha	Blue Downs Crossroads Eerste River Khayelitsha Kuils River Mfuleni Mitchell's Plain QQ Section
Northern	Brackenfell Durbanville Fisantekraal Kensington Kraaifontein Panorama Philadelphia Wallacedene
South Peninsula	Bergvliet Bishopscourt Capri Village Claremont Clovelly Constantia Da Gama Park Diep River Fish Hoek Glencairn Grassy Park Harfield Village Heathfield Hout Bay Imizamo Yethu Kalk Bay Kenilworth Kommetjie Llandudno Lotus River Masiphumelele Meadowridge Mowbray Muizenberg Newlands Noordhoek Ocean View Plumstead Retreat Rondebosch Rosebank Scarborough Simon's Town St James Southern Suburbs Steenberg Tokai Wynberg
Table Bay	Bakoven Bantry Bay Bo-Kaap Camps Bay Cape Town Clifton De Waterkant Devil's Peak Estate District Six Epping Foreshore Fresnaye Gardens Goodwood Green Point Higgovale Langa Maitland Mouille Point Ndabeni Nomzamo Observatory Oranjezicht Pinelands Robben Island Salt River Schotsche Kloof Sea Point Tamboerskloof Thornton Three Anchor Bay University Estate Vredehoek Walmer Estate Woodstock Zonnebloem
Tygerberg	Belhar Bellville Bishop Lavis Bonteheuwel Bothasig Delft (Blikkiesdorp) Edgemead Elsie's River Monte Vista Norwood Parow Tygerberg
Blaauwberg	Atlantis Bloubergstrand Century City Dunoon Joe Slovo Park Mamre Melkbosstrand Milnerton Parklands Table View