Bredasdorp, Western Cape Province, South Africa

🇿🇦 Bredasdorp is a town in the Southern Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa, and the main economic and service hub of that region. It lies on the northern edge of the Agulhas Plain, about 160 km (100 mi) south-east of Cape Town and 35 km (22 mi) north of Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa.

Tourist attractions of Bredasdorp include the Heuningberg Nature Reserve, many historical churches, and art galleries and craft shops. Bredasdorp is also home to the Shipwreck Museum which tells the stories of the 150 wrecks along the nearby Agulhas Reef. It is the only museum of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

History The town of Bredasdorp was founded with the building of a Dutch Reformed Church in 1838 on the farm Langefontein. The town was named after Michiel van Breda, the first Mayor of Cape Town, who was also known as the father of South Africa's merino sheep industry. Van Breda and Pieter Voltelyn van der Byl could not agree on a location for the church; as a result, two churches were built, and two towns, Bredasdorp and Napier, were established.

Government Bredasdorp is located in the Cape Agulhas Local Municipality; as the largest town in the municipality, Bredasdorp is divided between its second, third and fourth wards. The local municipality in turn forms part of the Overberg District Municipality; Bredasdorp is the location of the head offices of both municipalities.

The area of Bredasdorp is divided into two wards with two councillors.

Demography In the census of 2011, the population of Bredasdorp consisted of 15,524 people living in 4,521 households. 66.5% of the people described themselves as "Coloured", 19% as "White" and 12.7% as "Black African". 83% spoke Afrikaans as their first language, 7.5% spoke Xhosa, and 4.3% spoke English.

Economy Besides the sheep farming, the town also boasts other agricultural activities, including wheat, canola, milk, and indigenous fynbos cultivation. The town is also the location of the offices of Kapula Candles, an international candle company that exports hand-painted candles to Europe and the United States. The population of the town got a boost during the middle 1980s with the establishment of both the South African Air Force's Air Force Base Overberg which is home to the Test Flight and Development Centre as well as the Denel Overberg Test Range near the small coastal village of Arniston.

Surrounding towns • Arniston (Waenhuiskrans), 24 km • L'Agulhas, 34 km (Southernmost town in Africa) • Napier, 14 km • Caledon, 74 km • Swellendam, 69 km • Struisbaai, 28 km.

Culture • The town has a museum dedicated to the shipwreck of the Arniston. • Audrey Blignault Room: Furnished in honour of Audrey Blignault who was born in Bredasdorp and who enjoyed national recognition as a writer. • The Heuningberg Nature Reserve is open to the public and views can be enjoyed of this rich fauna and flora area.