Surfing has been part of Muizenberg’s identity for more than a century, and a new exhibition at Het Posthuys Museum explores how the sport has shaped the suburb, its people and South African surf culture.
Surfing – a living Muizenberg Heritage opened over the weekend and brings together photographs, records and stories spanning the past 120 years. Researched and curated by Muizenberg Heritage chairperson Brett McDougall, the exhibition traces the story from the early days of surfing right through to the vibrant surf community that exists today.
Heather Price was the first surfer photographed riding a wave in Muizenberg in 1919. By the 1930s, Muizenberg had become South Africa’s premier holiday destination — the “Brighton of South Africa” — attracting visitors including George Bernard Shaw and Agatha Christie.
But the story isn’t all sunshine and perfect waves. The growing popularity of surfing led to tensions with holidaymakers and, in 1964, the Cape Town City Council introduced a total ban on surfing between Surfer’s Corner and the pavilion.
The exhibition also looks at surfing during apartheid, when beaches were strictly segregated. It highlights the experiences of early Black surfers, including Ahmed Collier, who surfed at Nine Miles Beach east of Muizenberg — described at the time as the only beach where “surfers of colour” could surf.
Today, Muizenberg Beach is a place where surfing is enjoyed by people from across South Africa, with clubs, schools, competitions and organisations helping to make the sport accessible to all. And, of course, the surf shops, cafés and characters around Surfer’s Corner remain an important part of the scene.
Importantly, this isn’t intended to be the final word. The exhibition is being presented as a draft to encourage community dialogue and feedback. Visitors are invited to share photographs, artefacts, memories and stories that could help fill in the gaps.
The exhibit will be up though summer with he long-term dream is to turn Surfing – a living Muizenberg Heritage into a permanent exhibition.
📍 Het Posthuys Museum, Main Road, Muizenberg
🗓️ Saturdays & Sundays
⏰ 10am–3pm
If you’re in Muizenberg, go check it out. There’s more than a century of surf history in this little corner of Cape Town — and plenty of stories still to be told.