Small millionaire town in South Africa fighting against nuclear power station on its doorstep
Residents from St Francis Bay, a holiday town in the Eastern Cape, are fighting against a 5,200 MW nuclear power station proposed by Eskom on its doorstep.
St Francis Bay has a rich history which dates back to 1488 when Bartolomeu Dias named the bay Golfo dos Pastores.
In 1575, the Portuguese navigator and cartographer, Manuel Perestrelo, changed the name to Bahia de São Francisco, which later became St Francis Bay.
It became a popular fishing village, but was transformed after Leighton Hulett bought land and developed its famous man-made canal system.
He had a vision of a marina and a unique holiday village, and established strict building codes that remain legendary in South African urban planning.
All homes in the original village and canal area were required to have white walls and black roofs, which gave the town a unique and attractive look.
St Francis Bay gained international fame in the mid-1960s through Bruce Brown’s iconic surf documentary, The Endless Summer.
The film showcased a perfect wave found at a point in the bay, which was subsequently named Bruce’s Beauties.
Today, St Francis Bay is a popular holiday and retirement town, referred to as the “Jewel of the Eastern Cape” by residents.
Its extensive man-made canal system remains a primary drawcard for many wealthy people who move there to retire.
Most homes on the canals have private moorings, and it is common to see residents travelling to restaurants or visiting neighbours by boat.
It is also a vital centre for South Africa’s Chokka (squid). It has a privately owned working harbour that hosts a commercial chokka fleet alongside luxury yachts.
St Francis Bay residents are not happy with nuclear power plant plans
Eskom is moving ahead with its plan to build a new 5,200 MW nuclear power station at Thyspunt, located between Oyster Bay and Cape St Francis.
A recent Draft Environmental Scoping Report, prepared by WSP Group Africa for Eskom, officially recommended Thyspunt as the preferred site for a nuclear plant.
The report highlighted that Thyspunt is technically superior because the land is already owned by Eskom, it is appropriately zoned, and has a ready-made power grid.
The draft scoping report is open for public review and comment, the first step toward a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
However, there are challenges. In January 2025, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) declared the Thyspunt properties a provisional cultural landscape.
It recognised the area as a ‘coastal cradle of humankind’, containing well-preserved shell middens and archaeological sites that track early human behaviour.
The local squid industry also raised concerns that the sand and debris pumped into the ocean during construction will destroy the delicate spawning grounds of the squid.
Residents further feel that a large industrial nuclear complex will destroy the wilderness brand of St Francis Bay and Oyster Bay.
Organisations like the Thyspunt Alliance and the Gamtkwa Khoisan Council have proposed an alternative vision.
They put forward a vision of a World Heritage site and national park linking Thyspunt to the Klasies River Caves, focusing on human origins tourism.
Thyspunt Alliance leader Trudi Malan explains
Thyspunt Alliance leader Trudi Malan told Biznews that their opposition to the nuclear development in the area stretches back decades.
She explained that the site was selected during the apartheid government’s time, where different considerations were important.
These considerations included that the site could not be too close to a homeland for security reasons, which are now no longer relevant.
She added that the environmental and heritage protections were far weaker when the sites were first chosen.
However, Eskom started buying up land in preparation for the new nuclear power station in the region, and she said it is now dead set on using this site.
She said Eskom’s public consultation process has been inadequate, and that residents’ concerns have largely been ignored.
“We’ve been submitting comments and responding to the environmental impact assessment since I started living here, which is nearly 25 years,” she said.
“The community has turned up for the meetings to give their inputs with very good questions that could not be answered.”
“At the moment, we don’t think it’s a fair process. It does not address half of the issues of the current scoping phase.”
Despite concerns about limited consultation, Malan said residents have shown strong engagement and opposition.
She explained that from a biodiversity perspective, it is an important site with systems that can have downstream impacts on communities and water security.
Safety concerns remain a major sticking point, particularly around evacuation. “There’s only one road leading out of the town,” she said.
Malan said that a legal battle is increasingly likely as they prepare detailed submissions challenging the project.
St Francis Bay photos
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