Mostert's Mill

The windmill, known as Mostert's Mill on de Waal Drive (M3) at Mowbray Cape Town is the only working windmill in Africa, south of the Sahara.

In the beginning windmills constructed at the Cape were often damaged by the strong winds.

The Dutch "Here Sewentien" (Council of Seventeen) decided in 1717 to send out masons, carpenters, bricks and materials on the ship Meijnden to erect a more efficient mill. This mill was called the "Oude Molen" but sadly all that remains of this historic mill is the place name.

Mostert's Mill is a farm windmill (small) and was built about 1796 to the new standards and survives today as a monument to those early artisans.

Mostert's Mill is a truncated tower-mill with a revolving cap (thatched roof) that allows the sails to be turned into the wind. This type of mill is called a Grond Zeile by the Dutch and refers to the fact that the sails are serviced from the ground. There is no equivalent English term for Grond Zeile. This Grond Zeile mill is usually found where there is no obstruction to the wind.

The Mill is officially closed. Entry is only by permission from the DPW or by membership of the Friends of Mostert's Mill (sign up at the Mill).

The Friends of Mostert’s Mill try to operate the mill once per month on a Saturday - 10h00 to 14h30 - subject to conditions below.

Contact our VoiceLink info service on 088 129 7168 or miller Neville Boyd 021 762 5127 or 082 357 9190 email nevboy@mweb.co.za for latest information on opening times.

The Friends of Mostert's Mill are a Society of volunteers who operate the mill, staff and weather permitting.  Mostert's Mill requires at least two qualified millers plus other "Friends" to safely operate the mill and it is this safety requirement and the weather that determines the opening of the Mill.

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Friends of Mostert’s Mill