Wolvengat Viljoenshof | |
|---|---|
  Wolvengat  Wolvengat | |
| Coordinates: 34°40′12″S19°42′00″E / 34.6700°S 19.7000°E Coordinates: 34°40′12″S19°42′00″E / 34.6700°S 19.7000°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| District | Overberg |
| Municipality | Overstrand |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.36 km2 (0.53 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) [1] | |
| • Total | 50 |
| • Density | 37/km2 (95/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 11.8% |
| • Coloured | 41.2% |
| • White | 43.1% |
| • Other | 3.9% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 80.4% |
| • English | 19.6% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Wolvengat, also known as Viljoenshof, is a village in the southern Overberg region, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Elim and 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of Bredasdorp. It was originally named Wolfgat or Wolvengat in reference to the brown hyena, known as strandwolf in Afrikaans. [2] However, when the local post office was established the authorities named it Viljoenshof [3] in honour of DJ Viljoen, the Dutch Reformed (NGK) minister of Bredasdorp from 1904 to 1934; [4] this name was then extended to the village. The original name Wolvengat was officially restored in 1991. [5]
Overberg is a region in South Africa to the east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains. It lies along the Western Cape Province's south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the region known as the Garden Route in the east. The boundaries of the Overberg are the Hottentots-Holland mountains in the West; the Riviersonderend Mountains, part of the Cape Fold Belt, in the North; the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the South and the Breede River in the East.
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi), and the third most populous, with an estimated 6.6 million inhabitants in 2018. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province.
Elim is a village on the Agulhas Plain in the Western Cape of South Africa. It was established in 1824 by German missionaries as a Moravian mission station. When selecting the location, the missionaries placed a high priority on the proximity of water and on terrain that was suitable for planting vines so that wine for communion could be produced. As well as preaching the Gospel, the missionaries taught the villagers a variety of trades and skills. Elim's thatchers continue to be renowned for their craftsmanship.
In the early 1900s the village had a school with 100 children, but by the early 21st century there was neither a church nor a school. The fertile soil, and the potential of using land for vineyards, explains the high property prices. [3]
