Malgas

Malgas

Malgas

Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Malgas (or Malagas[2]) is a settlement on the right (southwest) bank of the Breede River in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. It is situated 25 kilometres north-west of the Breede River mouth at Witsand, and 30 kilometres south-east of Swellendam.

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"Malgas" is the Afrikaans for gannet. The word "malgas" is probably an adaptation of the Portuguese: mangas de velludo, lit. 'velvet sleeves', referring to the Cape gannet (Morus capensis) with its black-tipped wings.[3] According to the 2011 census, Malgas has a population of 44 people in 20 households.[1]

Malgas Pont

It is well known for the "pont", a man-hauled pontoon cable ferry across the Breede River, which is the last of its type in South Africa.[4] The man-hauled ferry has been replaced by a motor driven ferry, a yellow steel pontoon with a massive diesel engine.

Breede River crossing on the Malgas Pont
The old Malgas cable ferry on the Breede River
Boarding the Malgas Pont

References

  1. [1]
    "Main Place Malgas". Census 2011.
  2. [2]
    "Malagas/Malgas and Joseph Barry | The Heritage Portal". www.theheritageportal.co.za. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. [3]
    Raper, P. E. (1987). Dictionary of South African Place Names. Lowry Publishers. pp. 292–293. ISBN 0947042067.
  4. [4]
    Brooke, Simon (18 April 2013). "However you spell it, Malgas is an oasis". Business Day. Times Media (Pty) Ltd. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  • Media related to Malgas at Wikimedia Commons


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