There are many stories about the ghosts of South Africa. In Hout Bay, located in Kronendael, stands a former 17th-century Dutch farmhouse… with history, a ghostly past. The Cloete family once owned the Kronendael farm in the mid-1800s. The legend is about young Elsa Cloete. She fell in love with a soldier from a British garrison stationed in Hout Bay.
Love Denied
Madly in love, however, Elsa’s father, Daniel Cloete, had forbidden Elsa, being Dutch, to see her beloved British soldier.
Lovelorn, the soldier, hanged himself on a tree.
Enamored, Elsa died of a broken heart a short time after. According to the staff of Deus La Machina restaurant, Cloete may have died, but her spirit did not leave.
Ghost of Elsa Cloete
Incidents of pots fall off hooks in the wall, and lights go out without explanation. Guests also reported seeing a ghostly female figure in one of the estate’s windows.
The spirit of the young soldier lives on as well. Guests report seeing the profile of a man hiding in the oaks of the estate.
Out of respect for the admonished lovers, the Deus La Machina sets a table for two each evening for them.
You can visit the Kronendael building even today. It is home not only to Deus La Machina, but several other local businesses. While in Hout Bay keep an eye open for Elsa a famous ghost of South Africa.
Enamored, Elsa died of a broken heart a short time after. According to the staff of Deus La Machina restaurant, Cloete may have died, but her spirit did not leave.
The spirit of the young soldier lives on as well. Guests report seeing the profile of a man hiding in the oaks of the estate.
Out of respect for the admonished lovers, the Deus La Machina sets a table for two each evening for them.
You can visit the Kronendael building even today. It is home not only to Deus La Machina, but several other local businesses. While in Hout Bay keep an eye open for Elsa a famous ghost of South Africa.