Looking back at the stories that shaped the far south in 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back at some of the major stories that made headlines across the far south -  from halted developments and heritage milestones to community loss, local achievements, and long-awaited upgrades.

In January, the matric class of 2024 achieved South Africa’s highest National Senior Certificate pass rate yet - 87.3%, as announced by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube. In the far south, Masiphumelele High School saw a significant jump from 62.8% to 78.8%.

Fish Hoek High and Muizenberg High maintained strong results at 99.5% and 85.4% respectively. Simon’s Town School improved to 95.6%, up from 89.9%, while Ocean View High rose from 54.3% to 61.5% (“Far south schools record strong matric results,” Echo, January).

In February, a plan to build three outdoor padel courts at the Noordhoek Garden Emporium was shelved after strong community pushback. Developer Brendhan Kannemeyer announced that he would no longer pursue the project following concerns about noise, safety, and incompatibility with Noordhoek’s rural character (“Noordhoek padel court plans shelved,” Echo, April 14).

In May, the historic SAS Assegaai submarine officially opened to the public as a museum in Simon’s Town following a special ceremony (“Submarine museum officially opens in Simon’s Town,” Echo, May 6).

Later in May, tributes poured in for Noordhoek resident and Sporting Chance founder Brad Bing, who died at the age of 62 after a battle with glioblastoma. He was remembered as a visionary, a pioneer, and the heartbeat of his community (“Tributes pour in for community champion Brad Bing,” Echo, May 27).

In August, Zone Radio celebrated a fresh start with the launch of its new studio at Longbeach Mall. It marked a major comeback for the far south station, which had been forced off air for almost a year after Icasa refused to renew its licence (“Zone Radio launches new studio at Longbeach Mall,” Echo, August 26).

In October, the long-awaited False Bay Hospital upgrade moved into its early construction phase. A contractor was appointed, and site establishment was expected to begin in November, with construction planned to run for about 18 months (“Upgrades underway at False Bay Hospital to improve patient care and safety,” Echo, August 13).

Later in October, the City defended its draft Masiphumelele Local Spatial Development Framework after strong public reaction. The plan sparked debate between civic groups in Fish Hoek and community leaders in Masiphumelele over development sites, land use, and access to dignified housing. (“Community voices concerns as City defends Masiphumelele spatial development plan,” Echo, October 31).

In November, Fish Hoek police launched an investigation after a 22-year-old woman was found dead in her Echo Road home following a house robbery. She had been restrained, items were missing, and the cause of death was still being determined. The report relating to the cause of death is close to being released, and the investigation is still ongoing. No arrests have been made.  (“Investigation underway after fatal house robbery in Fish Hoek,” Echo, November 10).

In December, Fish Hoek Athletics Club announced a major breakthrough for South African road running. The 2026 Timbercity Red Hill Marathon will become the country’s first established marathon to go fully water refill-only, eliminating all single-use plastic cups, sachets and bottles. Each runner will receive a reusable MANZI hydration flask to refill along the route (“Fish Hoek Athletics Club pioneers South Africa’s first plastic-free marathon,” Echo, December 4).