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For the fishermen and other "non-Europeans" in Kalk Bay, this idyllic spot was far from

healthy. Indeed, its record is worse than that of most of the other wards in Cape Town. The

1918 flu hit this population hardest as well. And we should remember here that one of the
peculiarities of the 1918 'flu was that the age group which suffered most was that of young

adults, i.e the most economically productive sector. The 'flu left behind it orphaned
children and single mothers, many of whom had no employment.

Living conditions in Kalk Bay

So why was the health of the poor so bad? The most important reason seems to be related
to the question of housing. Table 4 indicates that 22% of the population lived in non-brick

buildings.

Table 4: Housing quality in Kalk Bay - Muizenberg, 1904

Buildings intended Uninhab- No. of people residing in dwellings made of :
for dwelling ited
Brick Wood/iron Wattle/daub Other
599 50 2952 595 46 14

According to Alan Kirkaldy, as Kalk Bay became more popular and the population

increased, the cost of land and property went up. The fishing families and other poor were
less and less able to afford accommodation and the cottages became ever more over-

crowded. By the end of the century it was estimated that the fishermen earned less than 5s

a day; their incomes were, in fact, more or less commensurate with those of the dock
workers in Cape Town. But, as with the dock workers, incomes were erratic, depending on

the weather and fishing conditions. And the African dock workers saved on

3 Note that this is not the full total of deaths in Kalk Bay. There were a scattering of other causes of death as well.

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