Saldanha Bay

The name Saldanha Bay originates from the Portuguese admiral Antonio de Saldanha

The name Saldanha Bay originates from the Portuguese admiral Antonio de Saldanha, who first applied the name to the present day Table Bay when he anchoring his fleet below Table Mountain in 1503. It was nearly a 100 years later in 1601 that the Dutch transferred the name to it’s present location. Saldanha Bay is the largest natural harbour on the South Africa coastline and played a very important role as convoy assembly area during the Second World War because of it’s strategic location and the safe anchorage it offers. Today Saldanha with it’s sheltered bays is well known as export harbour for iron ore and plays an important part in the huge Sishen Saldanha iron ore project at which Saldanha Steel, a state of the art steel mill, takes centre stage. It is also home to one of South Africa’s largest commercial fishing fleets, the South African Military Academy and SAS Saldanha, a naval training base.