Malgas | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 34°18′00″S 20°34′59″E / 34.3°S 20.583°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Western Cape |
District | Overberg |
Municipality | Swellendam |
Area | |
• Total | 0.77 km2 (0.30 sq mi) |
Population (2011)
[1] | |
• Total | 44 |
• Density | 57/km2 (150/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 11.4% |
• Coloured | 50.0% |
• White | 38.6% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Afrikaans | 74.4% |
• English | 18.6% |
• S. Ndebele | 2.3% |
• Xhosa | 2.3% |
• Other | 2.3% |
Time zone | UTC+2 ( SAST) |
Malgas (or Malagas [2]) is a settlement on the right (southwest) bank of the Breede River in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. It is situated 25 kilometres north-west of the Breede River mouth at Witsand, and 30 kilometres south-east of Swellendam.
"Malgas" is the Afrikaans for gannet. The word "malgas" is probably an adaptation of the Portuguese: mangas de velludo, lit. 'velvet sleeves', referring to the Cape gannet (Morus capensis) with its black-tipped wings. [3] According to the 2011 census, Malgas has a population of 44 people in 20 households. [1]
It is well known for the "pont", a man-hauled pontoon cable ferry across the Breede River, which is the last of its type in South Africa. [4] The man-hauled ferry has been replaced by a motor driven ferry, a yellow steel pontoon with a massive diesel engine.