| Kommetjie | |
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| — Village — | |
| Kommetjie viewed from Hout Bay (Photo: Hilton Teper) | |
| Street map of Kommetjie | |
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Kommetjie
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Wards | 61, 69 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Councillor | Nicki Holderness (Ward 61) (DA) Felicity Purchase (Ward 69) (DA) |
| Population (2001)[2] | |
| • Total | 2,588 |
| Ethnic groups | |
| • Black African | 1.39% |
| • Coloured | 2.43% |
| • Indian or Asian | 0% |
| • White | 96.17% |
| Languages | |
| • English | 82.46% |
| • Afrikaans | 13.87% |
| • Xhosa | 0.35% |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 7976 |
Kommetjie (Afrikaans for "small basin," approximately pronounced cawma-key) is a suburb of Cape Town, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It lies about half way down the west coast of the Cape Peninsula, at the southern end of the long wide beach that runs northwards towards Chapman's Peak and Noordhoek.
The village is situated around a small, natural and rocky inlet that resembles a basin. There is some evidence that this basin was used as a fish trap by prehistoric peoples. The area is a popular spot for surfing, since powerful waves from the Atlantic Ocean rise up over rocky reefs formed by hard sandstones of the Table Mountain Group. Wherever the bottom is rocky, the shallower waters are thick with giant kelp forests.
Kommetjie is famous for its excellent crayfishing despite recent changes in fishing quotas which have seen a drastic reduction in the daily catch allowed.
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Kommetjie supports a small number of small enterprises, including a Shell garage (including a Shell Select), a convenience store, a laundromat, a small mail-order computer business, a video shop, a café, and a variety of restaurants.
The Kommetjie Post Shoppe, situated in the Village Place, has a SA Post office agency which also offers internet access.
Kommetjie , Afrikaans for “small basin”, is an isolated little town situated below mountains, which supports part of the Cape Peninsula. The town boast with Slangkop Lighthouse, situated on the beach and stands about 33 meters tall. The lighthouse can be seen from the mountain pass “Ou Kaapse Weg” and has been around since 1919. The famous Pick n Pay Argus Cycle Tour passes each year through this small town and is also popular for local and international surfing. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean has cold water and attractive waves for surfing and crayfish and fishing. It is a quite and relaxing town ideal for camping and getaways. Not far from Kommetjie, along Long Beach lies The Kakapo Shipwreck, which ran aground in 1900, near Noordhoek.
Kommetjie hosts a variety of plant and animal species, many of which are endangered. Kommetjie is especially well known for its Milkwood groves, birdwatching and baboon troops, which frequently come down from their home on the nearby hills to raid for food among the residences.
Kommetjie is also part of the fynbos biome, which boasts the highest number of plant species per square kilometre. Some of the rarest and most sought after plants are found in this biome, but face threat from a variety of aliens, mostly Australian plants, imported in the 1800s. In a twist of irony, some fynbos plants have now become invasive aliens in parts of Australia.
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