Paper Short Abstract:

The coastal landscape of South Africa is often presented as a visual spectacle and recreational space. This paper proposes a sensory ethnography of the coast that may render national heritage management processes and outcomes, more inclusive and democratic.

Paper Abstract:

Coastal South Africa, specifically the areas of False Bay, Mosselbay and Knysna are visually compelling areas of the country, that attract many recreational tourists. Anthropological research in these sites 2022-2023 reveals however, that the sites are also associated with rich intangible cultural heritage (ICH) which evoke a visceral and sensorial experience of the South African coastline. The paper to be presented offers a recent ethnography of these coastal sites in South Africa and proposes a sensory ethnography of the coast and a consideration of the sensory elements of human experience and history in the identification and management of coastal heritage in the country. The paper adds a consideration of two current coastal management laws: Integrated Coastal Management Act of 2004 and the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999, to argue that the textualization of human experience has the effect of undoing human sensory of nature. By offering a sensory 'lens' of the coast and of ICH, the paper hopes to use a more viscerally attuned anthropology, to 'undo' present, national coastal heritage management.