Langeberg West Mountains

The western Langeberg belongs to the mountain country between the southern Cape and the drier interior. Valleys, slopes and passes formed part of landscapes used by Khoikhoi pastoralists and San communities through seasonal movement, hunting and the management of livestock. Water and grazing varied sharply between places, making local knowledge essential to travel and household planning.

Dutch settlement at the Cape gradually extended livestock farming towards inland districts during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Mountain passes provided routes for settlers, traders and officials between coastal markets and grazing country. Expansion brought conflict over water, pasture and movement, while Indigenous people responded through exchange, alliances, labour arrangements and resistance. The mountains offered refuge and resources but also restricted travel, concentrating encounters in particular valleys.