Hondeklip Bay is a small coastal village in Namaqualand, accessible only by gravel roads from Koiningass and Klipfontein, with the nearest commercial hub, Springbok, two hours away. The village lacks basic amenities such as a supermarket, high school, and petrol station, and its floodlight has not worked for years.

Historically, Hondeklip Bay's natural harbour was used for shipping copper ore in the mid-1800s and later supported the commercial fishing industry. Generations of residents, like Boy Adams, have been fishers, with some families experiencing tragic losses due to capsized boats.

The collapse of the mining and commercial fishing industries has left few employment opportunities. The small-scale fishing industry, however, persists, attracting fishers from neighboring provinces, especially during the snoek season around Easter. These fishers travel to Hondeklip Bay daily for the catch and return to their home areas to sell the fish. Local residents earn money by cleaning and gutting fish, carrying fish from boats, cleaning workspaces, and renting accommodations to traveling fishers. Poorer residents often take home leftover fish parts for cooking.

The village's dependence on fishing makes residents like Boy Adams anxious about the risks posed by potential marine oil and gas extraction. Offshore extraction could make the coastline vulnerable to oil spills, leading to significant environmental and social consequences.


These photographs were made through a grant I received from the Pulitzer Center.