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History

Watch: Oom Willem heads southeast, all the way down to Durban (Film 8)

Durban's past unveiled: from rickshaws to historic forts

By Andries van Zyl • 19 July 2025
Watch: Oom Willem heads southeast, all the way down to Durban (Film 8)

Oom Willem's 16mm film captures a fascinating journey from Standerton to Durban, revealing early 20th-century South African life. With expert help, landmarks like the Landau & Co. shop and Durban's iconic rickshaws are identified, offering a unique historical glimpse.

In this eighth episode of Oom Willem van den Berg’s travels, we continue to recap his journey through South Africa, which he captured on 16mm film. The footage offers a truly unique and fascinating glimpse into the country’s history, and it seems that this time Oom Willem travelled from Standerton—where he first farmed just before moving to Levubu in the early 1930s—all the way down to Durban.

This time, we were somewhat “bowled out” by Oom Willem’s film and had to call on the expertise...

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