Situated halfway between Gansbaai and Bredasdorp, lies the unique village of Elim. Before 1824, the Moravian church of South Africa already had 3 congregants. Due to the overcrowding at these mission stations, it was decided to establish a fourth one. On 24 May 1824 Bishop Hallbeck bough the farm Vogelstruiskraal to establish the Mission Station at Elim.

A year after the founding of the station, on Ascension Thursday, 12 May 1825, with reference to its Biblical origin, the name was changed to Elim - place of water.

Dedicated to establishing a self-supporting church of indigenous people, even at present, the whole of the municipal property is still, uniquely, owned and managed by the Moravian Church of South Africa.

As a streetscape the architecture of Elim presents a unique view from South Africa. In addition to unique buildings like the church, the old mission shop (currently the Museum) and the mill, the architecture can be described as vernacular, unique to the Strandveld region.

Neat little thatched-roofed cottages line the streets of Elim. The houses were built of mud-brick, plastered with lime plaster made of sea shells and originally thatched with "restio-grass", harvested from the surrounding Fijnbos. The floors used to be levelled with cow dung, a habit that has gradually disappeared.

Thatching is Elim's main trade. Many of these craftsmen travel travel all over the world to create watertight, reed-roofed houses. This tradition started centuries ago and is still being passed down from father to son.

Nowadays some of the cottages are painted in bright colours and many have corrugated steel roofs, expressive of changing times and harmonising surprisingly well with the historical setting and architecture.

The charming "Kerkwerf" itself is a collection of communal buildings with a central function. The village used to be, and still is for the most part, a self-sustaining farming community, in historical days delivering its handicrafts and farm goods to the surrounding settlements.

The working water mill, which used to grind the flour for the local bakery, has been restored to its original historical state and was declared a national monument in 1974.

The local museum, with a collection of historical handicraft shows the history of the village with a large collection of historical photos. The museum is situated in the original mission store, which was until recently an important provider of goods for a large area around Elim.

The Elim Church, was erected in 1835, and is one of the few religious buildings in South Africa, built in Cape Dutch style.

On your way through the beautiful Overberg, several gravel roads lead to Elim. Visit this charming village, a declared national monument in its entirety and see how Elim has changed little since yesteryear.

Contact the Elim Tourism Bureau for more information - 028 482 1806