If you’re celebrating Halloween in Cape Town this year, you won’t have to look far to find a few spooky stories floating about.
While dress-up is fun, there are a couple of real-life ghosts that have made their rounds in the Mother City.
Here are five spooky places you can explore if you want to take Halloween to the next level, but be warned!
Green Point Lighthouse
The Green Point Lighthouse is known as one of the oldest operational lighthouses in South Africa. It dates back to 1824, which is the year it was first lit. You can spot it by its characteristic red and white structure if you walk along the Seapoint Promenade.
Maybe what you won’t easily spot is “Daddy West”. He is the one-legged lighthouse keeper who reportedly worked at the lighthouse under the name W.S. West. However, it’s believed that he strangely disappeared, and there are rumours that he can sometimes be heard.
Castle of Good Hope
If you trek a bit further into the Mother City to the CBD, on the corner of Darling and Buitenkant Streets, you will find the historical Castle of Good Hope, which is over 300 years old! The Castle holds a rich colonial history and has served several purposes, from being a military fort, a replenishment station for travelling ships, a prison, and a living space, among others.
Some of the ghosts here include Governor Pieter van Noodt, who was believed to have been cursed by a man he sentenced to die. Reportedly, he died on the same day he was cursed. Another is Lady Anne Barnard, remembered as the First Lady. Apparently, she has shown up during special events at the Castle.
The Ghost of Verlatenbosch
Cape Town’s very own Table Mountain is part of a ghostly story. The ghost of Verlatenbosch is known to have been the son of a colonial governor; the latter was deceived by a citizen when they reportedly gave his son a flute that belonged to a leper. The son was infected when he played the flute and was sent to live in a hut by Table Mountain. Keep an ear out for a flute next time you’re near the Table Mountain forests.
Kronendal Manor
Kronendal Manor in Hout Bay involves a love story gone ghostly. It was the home of Elsa Cloete and her family during the 1800s. She reportedly died of a broken heart when she couldn’t be with the man she loved. Her love interest was believed to have hanged himself from an oak tree outside the manor’s property.
Elsa’s ghost has been sighted in the house, and sometimes standing by a window looking out. Similarly, the man’s ghost is believed to sometimes stand by the oak trees, gazing at the house.
Tokai Manor House
Tokai Manor House is home to a ghostly accident. The story is generally told as follows (there are a few variations of it, so it’s not completely factual): Frederick Eksteen was (undoubtedly drunkenly) dared by his father on New Year’s Eve to ride his horse up the stairs of the house and into the dining room. When Frederick and his horse exited the house, they tripped on the stairs and both died. Reportedly, Frederick broke his neck. Both rider and horse have been known to appear at the manor house.
