Port Nolloth

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Port Nolloth is a port in the Namaqualand Region on the north western coast of South Africa.

Port Nolloth, formerly known as 'Aukwatowa' (Nama: "Where the water took the old man away"), was virtually uninhabited until the discovery of diamonds in 1926. Old railway tracks bear testament to copper deposits that were mined inland at Okiep and transported by train to be exported from this harbour town in long forgotten days. Sizamile (which means: "we have tried") was built in 1993 and is home to about 1200 people. In 1921, the first black people started living in Port Nolloth in Paraffien-Street on the border of the coloured settlement. Later, they were moved to the Tent Dorp and the Bloukamp, before they settled in Sizamile. Topographically, the town belongs to the dry and vast Sandveld, and is often shrouded in sea fog locally known as the malmokkie.

Established as a small-vessel harbour in 1854, Port Nolloth is a centre for small-scale diamond recovery and crayfishing industries. Access to much of the South-North coast is restricted by diamond mines but at Port Nolloth you can enjoy sunbathing, walking and line-fishing on clean beaches. Local guides from Sizamile will take you on a walking tour during which they will fill you in on the settlement's rich history, cultural and social challenges and recent developments.