Hard Harder Hardest

For those familiar with this little West Coast delicacy (and for those who aren’t, yes, that was a joke), you’re probably already smelling it. Locally known as “harders,” the southern mullet can be found all around South Africa’s coastline.

Around 95% of South Africa's bokkoms are produced in Velddrif, known as the drinking capital (with a bokkom problem) of the world. Lined up along the riverbanks close to the mouth, a series of small individual factories call the Berg River home. Each factory has its own small jetty on the river. In the past, large schools of mullet were caught in the river, and the jetties served as places to tie small boats to unload their catch. Due to overfishing, however, catching mullet in the river is now prohibited, and the fish must be netted in the open sea just off Laaiplek.

Velddrif is an ideal place for the bokkom industry. It has access to mullet just off the coast, the weather is ideal for drying fish (dry summers and relatively low rainfall), and there’s access to huge amounts of sea salt, as the spring tide pushes seawater over the extensive salt pans. One of the largest salt factories in South Africa, which extracts salt from seawater, is also situated here. Velddrif also has access to fresh water from the Berg River.

The proper way of preparing bokkoms starts with catching the small mullets by net. A large square tank built from bricks (or, more traditionally, from seashells, lime, and local sediment) is filled with a strong pickle made from coarse salt and fresh water, to which the fish is added.

Once enough fish is added to reach the top of the tank, two or three spadefuls of dry coarse salt are spread on top. Layers of fish and salt are added until all the fish is covered in salt, with a thick layer on top. This is left for one day. On the second day, a weighted wooden press is placed on top of the fish to ensure the fish guts are pressed flat, preventing spoilage. After three days in the tank, the fish is taken out and strung in bunches of ten on a rope, using a fish needle that pierces the fish through the eyes. These bunches are then dipped 2-3 times in fresh water before being hung on scaffolds to dry.

The best drying conditions are a lot of wind but less harsh sunlight. At night, the fish is brought back inside to prevent it from absorbing moisture. The drying process typically takes 4-7 days, depending on the weather. The USS Harder (SS-257), one of the most decorated submarines of World War II, with six war patrols under her belt, was actually named after the harder.

To give some historical context about why Bokkomlaan exists, here’s a brief summary for those of you currently standing in Bokkomlaan. If you’ve scanned the QR code posted at Columbine Co. Coffee shop, face the river and look south (toward the island across from the coffee shop).

Since the 1700s, Dutch settlers stationed around what is now Cape Town and Stellenbosch were supplied with dried fish. Fish processed in and around Bokkomlaan would be loaded onto ships and transported along the coast.

If you look to your left at the end of Bokkomlaan, you’ll see shrubs and bush starting to cover the riverbank. The Velddrif Yacht Club slipway can be spotted peeking through the lush green. This entire bend of the river was once a wide sandbank with dunes and was one of the few places where fishermen could beach their boats without getting stuck in mud or fighting through thick reeds. Fishermen used to net in the river, then offload their catch on the white sandy beach to be cleaned. During the day, fish would hang out on wooden platforms to dry, and at night, they were brought into little structures to continue drying. For more than 200 years, these simple structures were made from local reeds, with poles to create frames. Some structures had clay floors sealed with cattle dung for insulation. The clay used came from a neighboring farm, as river mud was too salty. This clay was mixed with chalk and blue mussel shells cooked in chalk ovens. Merchants traveled by donkey cart to neighboring farms to sell fish. With freshwater flowing through the dunes, small freshwater fountains were plentiful, allowing locals to collect drinking and washing water.

In 1797, Sir John Barrow crossed the Berg River in his ox wagon, which floated on wine barrels. His journal notes small structures made from local reeds. In 1808, Martin Melck, associated with Kersefontein farm about 40km upriver from Bokkomlaan, applied to lease Velddrif—with the stipulation that local fishing rights to the river had to be included. This indicates that, by then, the Bokkomlaan industry was well established and recognized for its importance. A bit off-topic but interesting: the Berg River was once a habitat for hippos. However, in the late 1600s, hunters overexploited hippos for meat and hides, leading to a decline. By the mid-1700s, Governor Tulbagh imposed a 1000-guilder fine on anyone caught killing a hippo. Despite this protection, the hippo population continued to decline due to habitat destruction. By the early 1800s, only about a dozen remained, with the last known hippo shot in 1869.

Just to note: there’s a difference between the Berg and Breede rivers. The Berg River mouth is about 3-4 km downriver from Bokkomlaan, while the Breede River mouth is at Witsand, on the opposite coastline. The Breede River is known for bull sharks (Zambezi sharks) that breed around its mouth. These euryhaline sharks thrive in both fresh and saltwater and have been spotted hundreds of kilometers up river systems. Luckily, this isn’t a concern here, as the rivers aren’t connected.

Near Kleinvlei Restaurant (the small restaurant to your left), you’ll find a large lawn in front of the apartments. Locals once collected water from small freshwater springs here. Cattle also drank from these natural springs. Another spring was located where the Velddrif Yacht Club now stands. Although Bokkomlaan is known for its fishing industry, locals also made bricks by digging up shells and deposits left by the ever-moving river. This was mixed with cement (after WW2) and marked the start of moving away from reed structures to more durable brick buildings. Over time, sand dunes (where the Kingfisher apartments now stand) were leveled for development, covering springs and grey holes permanently.

Back then, fishing was done in the river, with different boat types used before outboard engines. Fishermen rowed the smaller boats or used sails on the larger trawlers. As more boats went into service, Bokkomlaan expanded with additional jetties along the riverbank. Even in the early 1900s, violas (small trading vessels) sailed to Mauritius to trade salted fish processed in Bokkomlaan.

In the 1940s, Bokkomlaan had a few trawlers: Pieter Blikkies on Majuba, Johnie Smit on Oufontein, Daan Visser on Agteros & Winburg, Jontie Boonzaaier on Nuweland, Jon Rette with Emmerentia, Awie Koegelenberg on Odendalsrus, and Pieter Giddie with Mariana. Problems arose in 1949 with the construction of the Carinus Bridge, forcing these masted trawlers to move downstream to Laaiplek. Around the same time, the bokkom industry began to thrive, with fish shops opening around the Swartland area.

Velddrif was one of the poorest fishing communities along the coast, so when World War II broke out, many local fishermen joined the Allied forces. Velddrif had one of the highest enlistment rates of any town in South Africa. By 1944, when soldiers returned, the AIF factory was ready for production, leading to unprecedented prosperity in Velddrif.

After World War II, concrete also became more accessible, and buildings replaced reed structures. Seventeen buildings were built, and cement replaced the salt tanks and netting tanks outside. Corrugated roofs became a luxury for those who could afford them, mainly fishermen and businessmen who also had fish shops in towns like Piketberg, Porterville, Paarl, Moorreesburg, and Riebeeck Kasteel. Over time, some original bokkom houses were lost to the river, which expanded beyond the banks where they once stood. Fortunately, Bokkomlaan was reinforced to prevent the river from reclaiming it.

Bokkomlaan was born from poverty, and sustained by people who persisted despite hardship. So as you walk along the dusty road today, look down, and you may find fish scales dating back to the era where men, women and children knew only one thing...bokkom. And yes… although this little mullet does make your breath smell like you’ve been kissing a goat, it’s a pretty special little fish.