Mossel Bay Research Articles

Coastal shipping and the early development of the Southern Cape

The economic development of the region east of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains (at that time the districts of Graaff-Reinet and Swellendam) could not be explored at first, because of the lack of local markets and the distance to Cape Town. To solve the problem the Dutch East India Company established harbour facilities at Mossel Bay in 1786 and two years later at Plettenberg Bay. This, however, did little if anything for the economic development of the southern Cape, mainly because residents were indifferent and not prepared to shoulder the costs involved in coastal shipping. After 1795 a few individuals, in partnership with the British authorities, took the initiative in promoting coastal shipping between Cape Town and the east coast, thereby linking the inhabitants and resources of that region to the Cape market. This reduced transport costs considerably, while also increasing the margins of profit.

Further insights into killer whales Orcinus orca preying on white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in South Africa

Photography and video footage, captured by researchers and tourists on board two vessels, provided insights into the predation techniques employed by an adult male killer whale Orcinus orca in Mossel Bay, South Africa. The incapacitation of its prey, a juvenile white shark Carcharodon carcharias (∼2.5 m TL), followed by consumption of the liver, occurred within less than 2 minutes, highlighting the predator proficiency of the killer whale. Notably, another adult male killer whale, and constant traveling companion with the first, was observed approximately 100 m away and was not involved during the predation. The following day a second carcass of a different eviscerated white shark (3.55 m TL) washed ashore in the vicinity, indicating that at least two white sharks may have been killed during the interaction.

NEW DATA ON THE SYSTEMATICS OF RECENT OSTRACODA OF THE GENUS AMBOSTRACON HAZEL 1962 (HEMICYTHERIDAE, PODOCOPIDA) FROM SOUTH AFRICA

The study provides a revision of the taxonomic composition (subgenuses, species) of the genus Ambostracon Hazel 1962 and a monographic description of the fossil (Holocene) and Recent marine ostracods of the genus Ambostracon of South and South-Eastern Africa. The material examined comes from geological stations on the shelf, continental slope and deep-water depression (32–3059 m water depth) of three areas (from the southern coast Mossel Bay to the eastern coast south of Durban, the outer part of Maputo Bay and the eastern coast of South Africa) and surface sediment samples from lagoons, estuaries and coastal lakes of the eastern coast of the South East Africa (Wilderness area, 0.2–1000 m water depth) (R/V METEOR M123-2016). The validity of the selection of the subgenus Ambostracon Patagonacythere is discussed. Two species (Ambostracon keeleri, A. flabellicostata) and one new species (Ambostracon frenzeli sp. nov.) were described. The systematic section provides data about synonymy (compiled on the results of a revision of the species volume), holotype (paratypes, syntypes), material, diagnosis, description, dimensions (linear, relative), sexual dimorphism, individual and geographic variability (fixation of the manifestations and the range of the variability of the morphological elements of the shell), comparison, remarks, localities, stratigraphical position, geographical distribution, environmental conditions of the site (for recent species), palaeoecology (for fossil species), zoogeography. SEM-images of external and internal structures of the carapace (macro- and mesosculpture, central muscle scar field, hinge, normal pore canals) are provided.

Historical Geographies of Coastal Tourism: Mossel Bay, South Africa c.1850-1988

During the past decade there has occurred a burst of international research and debate on coastal tourism as part of the ‘blue economy’ including a growth of geography-specific scholarship. Arguably, however, within the extant geographical literature there is an overwhelming ‘present-mindedness’ and limited historical perspectives. This paper addresses this neglected knowledge gap by using an historical approach and archival sources to undertake a locality-based study of the historical transitions which have shaped and reshaped one coastal settlement in South Africa. The Mossel Bay area is of considerable historical significance because of its long history of indigenous settlement before the first European contacts triggered by the arrival in 1488 of Bartholomew Diaz and crew who were in search for a trading sea route for Portugal to India. The nature of the colonial growth of tourism in Mossel Bay and the distinctive tourism economy of the town under apartheid is interrogated. This culminated in the scripting of the controversial 1988 Dias festival hosted to celebrate the opening of ‘apartheid’s last museum’ which occurred before Mossel Bay would experience a radical social transition following South Africa’s democratic elections. Overall, the evolutionary pathways and transitions in the historical geography of this coastal locality are the focus of discussion.

The use of fish parasitic isopods as element accumulation indicators in marine pollution monitoring

Marine ecosystems are continuously under threat due to pollutants, which endanger marine biodiversity. The present study determines the potential use of the parasitic isopod, Cinusa tetrodontis Schjödte et Meinert, 1884, together with its fish host, Amblyrhynchotes honckenii (Bloch) for marine bioaccumulation monitoring. The concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn were determined in muscle and liver tissues of infested and uninfested fish, and male and female parasites on the South African temperate south coast. The concentrations of Cu and Ni in C. tetrodontis differed significantly between two sampling sites, a near-pristine (Breede River Estuary, Witsand) and a more polluted site (harbour area in Mossel Bay). Mossel Bay isopods had higher concentrations of Ni, while Witsand isopods had higher concentrations of Cu. In contrast to fish hosts, parasitic isopods accumulated significantly higher levels of all elements except Cd. Most significant relationships between elements accumulated by C. tetrodontis and an increase of elements in fish tissues were seen in liver, rather than muscle tissue samples. Specimens of C. tetrodontis can be defined as good bioindicators for elements such as As, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn, as they possess high bioaccumulation capabilities. This study addresses one of several future directions needed within environmental parasitology and highlights the importance of studying and utilising this host-ectoparasite model system.

Full‐scale simulation of a nearly depleted gas field in South Africa for carbon utilisation and storage

AbstractEnhanced gas recovery (EGR) is a recognised CO2 utilisation technique that can reduce the cost of carbon storage and improve its economic feasibility. Although there are many studies on the potential of depleted gas fields for CO2 storage, there has not been a comprehensive full‐scale study that can analyse different aspects of carbon utilisation together with the potential of storage, from reservoir characterisation to modelling and economic evaluation. The aim of this study is to develop a benchmark for assessing the technical and economic feasibility of carbon utilisation and storage in abandoned and nearly depleted gas fields. A depleted gas field from the Bredasdorp Basin in South Africa was selected for CO2‐EGR and storage, given the availability of data and infrastructure. The reservoir of interest is divided into compartments, with this study focusing exclusively on compartment C1. The gas in place (Gi) in compartment C1 was 5.8E+08 MSCF, which was reduced to 3.33E+08 MSCF at the end of the primary production phase. The results obtained indicated that the gas reservoir is very heterogeneous, and a recovery of 20% can be achieved if the injection and production rates are 500 and 3000 MSCF/day, respectively. The amount of CO2 injected after 71 years was about 7.78E+07 MSCF. It was shown that the CO2 in this field can be injected for 71 years without causing problems with the integrity of the reservoir. The economic model was built assuming a project duration of 10 years. The model shows that the total cost of carbon capture, transport and storage is higher than the total revenue for 8 years of natural gas utilisation, which means that the amount of gas recovered from compartment C1 of the reservoir could not offset the cost of CCUS. It is recommended that additional data be collected for the C2 compartment, the carbon capture processes at the Mossel Bay GTL plant, and pipeline transportation to reduce the uncertainty of the proposed economic model. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Shoreline variability and coastal vulnerability: Mossel Bay, South Africa

Coastal erosion may cause significant damage to property and infrastructure with far reaching socio-economic consequences. Assessing the site-specific shoreline dynamics is fundamental to understand the morphodynamic behaviour of a particular coastal area, as well as the associated coastal hazards. However, changes in shoreline position, even when significant, are not necessarily associated with increased coastal hazards. In this contribution we investigate the impact of short-term changes in shoreline position within a crenulated embayment of Mossel Bay. The 30 km-long embayment, located in the Western Cape region of South Africa, lies in a high-energy wave-dominated, micro-tidal setting. Mossel Bay is heavily populated and experiences an influx of tourists year-round. Much of the coastal community and infrastructure lies within 25–40 m of the foredune toe.Georeferenced Landsat 7/8 and Sentinel 2A scenes are used to manually digitise shoreline position in ArcMap, using the “wet/dry” line as a shoreline position proxy. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System was then used to generate shoreline change statistical metrics. Wave conditions were modelled using SWAN wave model, implemented using a nested grid approach with a high-resolution (10 m) inshore grid, and a lower resolution (50 m) offshore regional grid. The nearshore wave field during mean and storm conditions was obtained along the 15 m isobaths along the entire embayment.The embayment's orientation in relation to the prevailing swell direction results in significant alongshore variability in nearshore wave conditions; wave heights increase towards the east along the embayment. This variability in wave forcing is reflected by the changes in shoreline position in both long and short-term, computed using the end-point rate method. However, the areas of higher shoreline change are not those experiencing the worst detrimental effects.Over the long-term, the present-day Mossel Bay embayment is relatively stable, with no significant signs of extensive accretion or erosion. However, rapid migration the shoreline is documented on a seasonal scale (short-term) with significant change proximal to river mouths, areas influenced by megacusps, and regions where the highly dynamic shoreline behaviour is constrained by rocky platforms and unable to freely adjust to variations in forcing. Thus, Mossel Bay is divided into three sub-cells in terms of coastal processes and coastal vulnerability with hazards associated with the location of such infrastructure rather than the specific patterns of shoreline change.

Was there a shift from Levallois to Still Bay point knapping at Hollow Rock Shelter, South Africa?

ABSTRACT With this contribution we revisit the lithic point assemblage from Hollow Rock Shelter, South Africa. Our objective is to test whether, in addition to its finely retouched Still Bay points, an earlier Levallois-type Mossel Bay point-making tradition may also be represented at the site and, if so, how the two traditions relate to each other. We conducted a fine-grained temporal attribute study that includes point-production strategies, material use and morphometric analyses. We show that, contrary to previous interpretation, Mossel Bay-type points are represented at Hollow Rock Shelter before about 80,000 years ago. Subsequently, the knappers started to make Still Bay points during the later phase, but Levallois-type Mossel Bay points continued to be used throughout the sequence. Variation between the phases lay in the frequencies of point types and material use through time, as well as in subtle changes in morphometric attributes. As a result, we suggest that Levallois point production was part of the inventory of the Still Bay at Hollow Rock Shelter, but has not previously been reported as such. This study adds to an increasing body of work that demonstrates that Still Bay point production in southern Africa was not the abrupt technological phenomenon previously claimed, but our outcomes nevertheless require further testing at sites with better stratigraphic context than that available at Hollow Rock Shelter.

Technocomplexes and chronostratigraphy for MIS 6-1 in southern Africa

AbstractOne of the conventional ways to construct Late Quaternary chronostratigraphic frameworks for archaeology in southern Africa is through archaeological technocomplexes. This practice is more developed in South Africa and Lesotho than in the northern areas of the region. The Still Bay, Howiesons Poort, Robberg, Oakhurst, and Wilton technocomplexes are widely recognized, whereas more ambiguity is associated with the Bambata, Tshangula, Pietersburg, Mossel Bay, Sibudu, Sibudan and early Later Stone Age. Technocomplexes are frequently defined in relation to generalized, typological attributes from lithic assemblages excavated over several decades at different sites with various levels of resolution. This might lead to coarse-level data that do not necessarily relate to changes in culture, cognition, climate or the environment. Here the relationship between lithic technology and the palaeoenvironment is explored from a constrained chronostratigraphic context in two technocomplexes from the southern Cape coast, the Mossel Bay from Klasies River Main site, and the Oakhurst from Klipdrift Cave. Significant changes in the shore habitat are not reflected at technocomplex level, but lithic densities and dimensions of the products vary more closely with environmental shifts. Although a close relationship between Marine Isotope Stages and technocomplexes cannot be unambiguously demonstrated, some aspects of lithic technology seem to be sensitive to palaeoenvironmental change. Technocomplexes have heuristic value to identify cultural patterns through time and space and they are useful in determining where gaps in evidence occur. Ordering stone tool assemblages using technocomplexes remains one of the main ways to construct archaeological chronologies, especially when refined dating results are not available, and for exploring archaeological cultural developments against the backdrop of paleoclimate fluctuations, especially between MIS 6 and 1.

William John Burchell, multi-skilled polymath

Two hundred and ten years ago, 29-year-old William John Burchell stepped on to the wooden jetty near Cape Town's Castle and immediately started planning his journey of scientific exploration of southern Africa. This would take four years, mostly by ox-wagon, and cover 7000km. On 19 June 1811, he departed Cape Town '’with a mind free from prejudice'’ and “solely for the purpose of acquiring knowledge” …He travelled to about 150 km north of Kuruman, explored the Ky-Gariep (Vaal) River and returned to Cape Town via Graaff-Reinet, the mouth of the Great Fish River, Uitenhage, Mossel Bay and Swellendam...

Activity concentrations and radiological hazard assessments of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in soil samples of oil-producing areas of South Africa

ABSTRACT The specific activity of natural radionuclide in soil samples of the oil-producing areas of South Africa was measured using a High Purity Germanium detector. The activity of226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in the soil range from 16.5 ± 1.3 to 64.9 ± 3.1, 16.8 ± 1.5 to 88.6 ± 1.2, 135.2 ± 17.5 to 604.8 ± 13.4 Bqkg-1 for Mossel Bay; 14.3 ± 1.2 to 48.9 ± 8.2, 22.3 ± 1.4 to 45.1 ± 3.2, 237.7 ± 10.9 to 486.5 ± 40.1 Bqkg-1 for Cape Town; 10.5 ± 1.1 to 25.8 ± 3.2, 13.1 ± 1.9 to 44.3 ± 5.2, 140.2 ± 10.9 to 229.8 ± 12.8 Bqkg-1 for Nelson Mandela Bay and 5.6 ± 2.2 to 13.1 ± 2.9, 4.5 ± 2.5 to 14.1 ± 2.7, 62.7 ± 22.6 to 126.5 ± 21.2 Bqkg-1 for Msunduzi. Most soil samples’ radiological hazards were within the world average.

The family physician as a primary care consultant - the Mossel Bay experience.

The South African family physician (FP) is an expert generalist who has a number of roles to strengthen the district health system. A research study on FPs in district hospitals has previously demonstrated an impact; however, more evidence on impact in primary health care (PHC) is needed. By serving as a consultant for the PHC team, the FP may improve access to care, capacitate team members, enhance comprehensiveness of care, and improve coordination and continuity of care. This report narrates the story of how one of the FPs at a rural district hospital recorded his experience of being a consultant to the PHC team and was able to self-audit the experience. A self-designed audit tool analysed 1000 patient consultations with the FP and enabled a reflection on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related changes to the consultant role. There was a clear need for FPs to consult patients with complex multi-morbidity and multifaceted psychosocial aspects to their illness, in consultation with their team members. Patients were referred to them by medical officers, other specialists, family medicine registrars, allied healthcare professionals and nurse practitioners. The FP’s ability to strengthen the PHC service outside the district hospital may be enhanced by creating more FP posts at a subdistrict level to support high-quality, team-based primary care in line with the PHC policy directions.

Is Crassula fragilis Schonl. a Valid Taxon or Synonymous with C. pubescens Thunb. subsp. Pubescens?

During the collection of specimens for the Southern Cape Herbarium, George, Western Cape, South Africa, a number of plants of an unusual scandent Crassula species, subsequently identified as C. fragilis (Schonl. 1929), were found along the dunes west of Mossel Bay. TÖlken (1985) had previously placed this taxon in the synonymy of C. pubescens Thunb. and in particular as a synonym of C. p. subsp. pubescens. Apart from specimens examined, plants were grown in cultivation and compared to that of a range of forms attributed to C. p. subsp. pubescens. Not only does C. fragilis differ from C. pubescens in habit, growth form and floral morphology but it is endemic to the coastal dunes mostly in association with limestone. In contrast C. p. subsp. pubescens has wide habitat tolerances centred around rocky outcrops and rocky and stony soils mostly derived from shale and sandstone. Both taxa belong to the Section Globulea with large terminal appendages on the petals but these differ between the two taxa. These and other characteristics are considered sufficient to justify the re-instatement of C. fragilis to species status.

Pleistocene and Holocene procurement of the clam Donax serra (Bivalvia: Donacidae) along the southern Cape coast of south Africa

Humans began to exploit aquatic resources routinely since the late Middle Pleistocene (c. 162 ka), as evidenced by PP13B Cave in the southern Cape of South Africa. Hard bottom or rocky shore species were among the first to be collected, and although they dominate Pleistocene and Holocene archaeomalacological assemblages locally, the soft-bottom Donax serra clam began to be collected systematically near PP13B by 110 ka. Since then, D. serra appears intermittently in early and Holocene middens. Earlier studies on PP13B D. serra assemblages dated to 110–91 ka concluded that initial collection of D. serra ~ 110 ka was unselective in terms of shell size and was undertaken along the entire tidal gradient. In later visits ~ 91 ka, foragers narrowed their collection to the mid-intertidal where most larger clams live, thus increasing the efficiency of D. serra procurement. In this paper, further metrical data from other Pleistocene and late Holocene assemblages is presented in order to test these conclusions. Pleistocene data from mainly the Klasies River main site also reflect small sizes as in contemporary levels from PP13B; however, it is not possible to generalise that the increase in foraging efficiency observed in PP13B also applies to post 90 ka contexts overall due to a lack of Pleistocene samples dating to this latter period. However, it is clear that foraging efficiency was comparatively higher in the Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay areas since the early Holocene. Variability among Holocene D. serra assemblages appear to be explained also in terms of foraging ranges. Settlement patterns, group size and/or its composition may be factors behind the generally intermittent presence of D. serra in the southern Cape middens.

Breaking down the silos: Building resilience through cohesive and collaborative social networks

Building resilience at the local government level will require governance which is able to respond to the growing threats of climate-related risks, while transforming the vulnerabilities of the most marginal populations. This paper considers the influence that social networks have on knowledge exchange and adaptive governance for improving the ability of local governments to build resilience to floods. Using two local government case studies in South Africa, this paper found that the structure of social networks had an effect on the ability of local governments to transform flood vulnerabilities in informal settlements. In the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality, poor connections among actors resulted in the formation of institutional silos, limited knowledge-exchange processes and inhibited flood risk governance. In the Mossel Bay local municipality, strong social ties facilitated cohesion amongst actors, supported knowledge sharing and benefited flood risk governance. This paper demonstrates how effective social network structures in local governments can stimulate adaptive risk governance, and contribute to the development of coping, adaptive and transformative capacities.

Seasonal occurrence and sexual segregation of great white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in Mossel Bay, South Africa

The seasonal occurrence and temporal sexual segregation of great white sharks Carcharodon carcharias have been widely documented in various temperate and sub-tropical waters across the globe. Yet, there is limited understanding of the relationship between the life stages and habitat use of C. carcharias, particularly in the Southern Cape. In this study, we investigated the population dynamics of C. carcharias in Mossel Bay, South Africa, between 2009 and 2013, using skipper logbooks and citizen research data obtained by a cage-diving vessel. A total of 3064 sharks, ranging in life history stages from young-of-the-year to subadult, were sighted during 573 trips. Juveniles dominated the sightings throughout the study, and there was marked sexual segregation, with females dominating the total sightings of sharks. C. carcharias were most abundant during the cooler, winter season, with females differing in abundance seasonally and males maintaining a low abundance throughout the year but peaking in the winter. In addition, sea surface temperature was the best indicator of C. carcharias presence. Abundance was greatest when vertical water visibility exceeded 3 m, with cloud cover influencing overall abundance negatively. Likely reasoning for the aggregation of C. carcharias in Mossel Bay includes the favourable conditions and abundance of food. Juvenile sharks may also utilise this area as a training ground to learn from larger conspecifics. This research demonstrates that information on population size and structure of C. carcharias can be obtained effectively through a compilation of logbook and citizen science data to assess and identify potential critical habitats in the quest to develop appropriate management strategies. This research also shows value in commercial cage-diving operations deriving international data sets needed to assess global populations of C. carcharias.

Judicial Guidance on the Application of Section 49 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 – Van Wyk t/a Skydive Mossel Bay v UPS SCS South Africa (Pty) Ltd [2020] 1 All SA 857 (WCC)

In South Africa, the legislature’s response to the negative consequences resulting from the pervasive use of disclaimers by suppliers has been to regulate the use of these terms through the enactment of a number of provisions in the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA), including sections 48, 49 and 51. A number of publications have considered the meaning of these provisions and the impact they may have on the use of disclaimers in consumer contracts. As a consequence of the widespread use of disclaimers and the adverse consequences they may hold for consumers, any judicial pronouncement on the impact of the CPA on these clauses is significant. In Van Wyk t/a Skydive Mossel Bay v UPS SCS South Africa ([2020] 1 All SA 857 (WCC) (Skydive v UPS)), the Western Cape High Court was afforded the opportunity to consider the impact of aspects of section 49 specifically on the use of a clause in a consumer agreement excluding the risk or liability of suppliers (referred to as an “exemption clause” in this note).Section 49 of the CPA applies to four distinct types of clause enumerated in section 49(1) – namely, clauses limiting the risk or liability of suppliers in respect of any other person; clauses constituting an assumption of risk or liability by the consumer; clauses imposing an obligation on the consumer to indemnify the supplier for any cause; and clauses requiring a consumer to acknowledge a particular fact. As indicated, in Skydive v UPS, the contentious clause was one excluding the risk or liability of the supplier. The focus of this note then is on the interpretation and application by the court in Skydive v UPS of the relevant provisions of section 49 of the CPA to an exemption clause.

Monitoring metals in South African harbours between 2008 and 2009, using resident mussels as indicator organisms

More than 65% of the South African coastline is threatened as a result of pollution, a large proportion of which is land derived. To date the majority of published data on metal monitoring has been on limited regions or once-off sampling events. In this paper, we present the first data on metal exposure at sites along the eastern seaboard of South Africa in resident brown mussels (Perna perna) from six harbour sites (Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth and Richards Bay Harbours) over a two-year period (2008 and 2009). These data do not represent historical or the current metal exposure levels, but rather an indication of the degree of metal exposure fluctuations over two years at the same site. Metal accumulation of aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, uranium and zinc was determined by thermo-inductive coupled plasma mass spectrophotometry. The results showed marked fluctuations in metal concentrations between years and identified Cape Town, Mossel Bay and Port Elizabeth Harbours as those sites where mussels had the highest metal levels. Statistically significant variations in metal concentrations were observed between the two sampling periods and the six harbours. Metal concentrations decreased from 2008 to 2009, which was largely attributed to changes in ambient metal concentrations, as a result of variable non-point discharges of metals into the harbours and larger-scale oceanographic changes in upwelling events. The results further emphasise the necessity for annual monitoring of the South African marine environment.

Cave life histories of non-anthropogenic sediments help us understand associated archaeological contexts

AbstractPinnacle Point (PP) near Mossel Bay in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, is known for a series of archaeological caves with important archaeological finds. Extensive excavations and studies in two of them (PP13B and PP5-6) have documented alternating periods of anthropogenic-dominated and geogenic-dominated sedimentation. A variety of caves do not bear evidence of anthropogenic remains. We have studied in detail the remnant deposits of three of them, Staircase Cave, Crevice Cave, and PP29, which have been formed under the same geologic and sedimentary conditions with those with anthropogenic contributions. Their remains are small and patchy but have extensive speleothem formations (as do most caves at PP) that were isotopically analyzed for paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. These caves also offer the opportunity to understand the purely geogenic signature of the PP locality and thus offer a geogenic baseline for the anthropogenic caves. Archaeologists normally focus only on sites with strong anthropogenic signals, but by building cave life histories we “raise the bar” (Goldberg 2008, p. 30) on our contextual knowledge.

Exploration into the potential for a low-enthalpy geothermal power plant in Cape fold belt

South Africa has long been dependent on coal and other fossil fuels for cheap electricity generation. While there has been an increase in utilising renewable energy over the last two decades, the main focus has been on solar and wind, which are intermittent, with geothermal energy not even considered. With advances in technology that harness geothermal energy, geothermal resources as low as 85 °C have been reported attainable when using low-enthalpy technologies as such binary systems. This makes geothermal energy a reality for regions in South Africa where moderately high geothermal gradients exist.The initial high level assessment of the geothermal potential of the Cape Fold Belt region was done through accessing eight hot springs found to have the highest temperature from previous studies. Temperature measurements were taken as close to the source as possible as well as collection of water samples for ICP-AES analysis for major cations. The cation concentrations from the ICP-AES analysis (completed with the Thermo ICap 6200 ICP-AES) allowed for geothermometry calculations to be conducted which gave the minimum temperature estimates of the reservoirs of each hot spring. Both the surface temperature measurements and the estimates of the reservoir temperature resulted in two locations that were in the top three for both measurements. These two locations were Calitzdorp and Caledon, having water temperatures of 47 °C and 45 °C at surface and estimates of the reservoir temperatures of 117 °C ± 13 °C and 108 °C ± 21 °C respectively.The hydro-geological analysis of the Oudtshoorn region, where the Calitzdorp hot spring is located, was conducted using published geophysical data in the form of magneto-telluric (MT) survey that was carried out in 2005 by the Agulhas-Karoo Geoscience Transect project. The MT data was presented in a paper by Weckmann et al. (2012) as a cross sectional profile from Mossel Bay to Prince Albert to a depth of 30 km, where a large region of low resistivity was found below the Oudtshoorn basin. The Calitzdorp hot spring is positioned at the surface above this region. The geological cross sections and regional interpretation presented in this study infers that a major syncline of the Cape Supergroup exists below the basin, potentially as deep as 10 km, and covers the low resistivity area shown in the MT profile. This led to the inference that the large region of low resistivity is most probably due to a large water reservoir. This potential reservoir is about 40 km in length with a depth of 2.5 km–7 km at its thickest, tapering out towards the edges.The depth to the top of the potential reservoir and the estimated reservoir temperature from the geothermometry results in a geothermal gradient of 39 °C/km ±4.3 °C/km. Thus Calitzdorp was identified as a promising location for further exploration, ideally deep boreholes or more geophysical surveys, to validate the existence of a reservoir and take down-hole temperature measurements. The depth and size of this potential reservoir would make it a favourable candidate for a pilot low-enthalpy geothermal power plant within the Cape Fold Belt and South Africa.