Iconic Swimming Pools in southern Africa

A number of swimming pools in southern Africa have gained iconic status over the years. The first pool mentioned in the press is a floating enclosure in Table Bay, which was swept away during a storm in 1869. Numerous tidal pools have been created along the coast to provide safe swimming spaces, and by the end of the 19th century, the colonists had built swimming pools throughout the region. 

Although many of them are now (2025) derelict due to a lack of maintenance, which has been a trend in post-1994 South Africa. Post-independence Mozambique and Rhodeisa have experienced the same destruction of municipal facilities like swimming pools, although Namibia seems to have avoided following that trend.