Bredasdorp

The economic hub of Cape Agulhas. A country-style getaway. When setting off to the Cape Agulhas region one expects it to be dotted only with small, sleepy towns. For the most part, this is true. However, with a plethora of different businesses and geographical convenience, Bredasdorp brings another element to its own quiet atmosphere. Although Bredasdorp may be the business hub of Cape Agulhas it does not mean that it has lost any of its old charms. Bredasdorp history Bredasdorp was named after its founding father, Michiel van Breda, who was the first mayor of Cape Town. Van Breda is also regarded as the father of the merino sheep industry as he was the first to introduce this valuable breed of livestock to the area when he started farming sheep on his farm Zoetendals Vallei. With the town established and finally laid out, the Dutch Reformed Church in the centre of town was erected in 1842. The growing population of the town and growing church community made it necessary for the church to be enlarged in 1856. The thriving community also soon saw the building of what is now known as the very centre of town, the Du Preez Building. This building was erected in 1894 and is presently home to the Cape Agulhas Tourism Offices. Along with the claim of being the first official town in South Africa and its thriving farming industry, Bredasdorp has also given birth to some very influential people in the
country’s history.