Jeffreys Bay is much more than just a holiday spot for surfers

Beyond the sun and surf, the coastal town charms with its unpretentious lifestyle, welcoming inhabitants and a strong sense of community. By Angela Daniels

- Angela Daniels

It's a dog's life on Paradise Beach, where the sand stretches for kilometres.

(Photos: Angela Daniels)

The skateboard clatters across the concrete, rattling over the worn ramps.

The man riding it isn’t wearing fancy threads — in fact, they’re a little shabby — but the smile on his face is infectious.

He hops off his board when I ask, “What's it like to live in Jeffreys Bay?”

“The very best place,” he says. “I was homeless for a while. So you know, if a homeless person says it’s good, it really is.” That’s a tough statement to argue with.

Behind us, the wind carries the smell of salt from the sea and the laughter of children drifting from the nearby beach. In a town famed for world-class waves and holiday homes, it’s easy to forget that Jeffreys Bay is more than a holiday spot.

For about 40,000 people (give or take — a recent census is hard to find) it is home. Almost everyone you talk to will tell you that what makes JBay special, beyond the sun and surf, of course, are the people who live there.

It also comes with people who are humble. Like Ilgran Grobelaar, my skate park friend. He tells me he fell on hard times and lived on the streets, but with a little help from the townsfolk, he’s working again. He’s surfing and skating again too.

Last weekend, Grobelaar attended his friend Samuel’s funeral.