About Monwabisi Beach

Monwabisi Beach is located on the Southern side of the Khayelitsa Township on the Cape Flats. It is mainly frequented by the Township locals and is accessible via a small network of roads off Baden Powell Drive or an approximate 1Km walk from Khayelitsa’s southern edge to the beachfront.

While we now living in a supposedly democratic South Africa, Monwabisi Beach was originally built by the post apartheid government for the Khayelitsa residents and to-date, it remains a mostly ‘black beach’ & is considered unsafe for other nationalities and/or races.

With the massive population of Khayelitsa making the most of it’s facilities, it is often very busy during the summer months. Swimming is very popular, but also very dangerous due to strong rip currents, which were only exasperated by the building of a breakwater and tidal pool that was meant to make swimming safer.

The Monwabisi beachfront is an exposed stretch of beach, approximately 3-kilometers in length, that is often battered by the prevailing winds. Beach or dune sand is a big maintenance problem often covering sections of the roads and parking facilities, as nature tries to reclaim its place.

While it is stated to have lifesaving facilities; it’s quite normal for there to be no lifesavers present, so swimming is entirely at your own risk. Other activities include swimming in the tidal pool and exploring the rock pools, created by the breakwater.

Braai (BBQ) and Picnic areas are available, but infrequently used. When the weather permits, this stretch of beach is relatively popular with the local fishermen many of whom rely on their catch to feed families or make a living.

Adjacent to the public beach is the Monwabisi Resort, a government owned facility offering accommodation in the form of Camping and Chalets and includes a fresh water swimming pool. This is a gated resort accessible to residents and day visitors, subject to an entrance fee.

Additional Information

Monwabisi Beach is also home to one of several “Waves For Change” branches; a Non-Profit Organisation that helps youths deal with trauma using the sport of surfing as its vehicle.

Source: https://www.capetown.gov.za/