The Three, Spookiest, South African, Ghost Stories
When thinking of South Africa, one of the last things that often comes to mind is the idea of ghouls, ghosts, and goblins. It’s fair enough to say that we’ve got much more important things to worry about instead of the supernatural right?
Well, according to those involved in and around these spooky stories, maybe the things that go bump in the night are just as real as the day-to-day.
Grab your crucifix and salt people, let’s dive in!
Die Spookhuis
Built by Jochemus Johannes Petrus Erasmus, The Erasmus Castle is nestled quaintly in the middle of the Pretoria East Suburbs. The mansion began construction in 1892 and by 1903 Erasmus, his wife Johanna, and their children moved in. More than just the house itself, the property is home to a cave that contained numerous colonial artifacts including turquoise beads from ancient Phoenicia (2500 BC) and San artifacts from 150 000 BC.
The Erasmus family themselves were a family of immense wealth, and land ownership with many areas named directly after the family (Erasmuskloof, Erasmusrand, etc.).
Included within the property is also their own, personal graveyard wherein one of the family’s children (Enslin) unfortunately, was buried in 1917 at the age of three.
Where the spooky stories come into play, things do get wild.
Rumours of two of their children being locked in the tower due to leprosy arose and the family was suddenly under scrutiny. Many supernatural encounters have been noted at the mansion. This includes a woman dressed in a Victorian nightgown, who was seen by multiple witnesses, occasional footsteps or tapping noises, as well as the sighting of a man in an armchair.
In the modern era, the mansion is currently owned by Armscor and remains a cultural site within Pretoria while also being the home of many supernatural enthusiasts, tours, and investigators.
Charlotte the Ghost.
Nottingham Road Hotel, situated in KZN is home to a sort of friendly apparition.
With its reputation of being one of the most popular stays in the midlands since its opening in 1854, the Nottingham Road Hotel was the go-to spot for travelers going traveling in and out of KZN. Little did the guests realize that a certain specter may be roaming the halls.
The legend goes that the hotel is haunted by a little helper that rearranges flowers and cleans up after the guests. The hotel itself has reported that numerous guests have reported seeing the ghost roaming the halls late at night. The ghost also seems to have a fondness for room ten.
The ghost itself is known as Charlotte and the legend goes that a guest or employee of the hotel had jumped to her death from the second-story window in 1902. She now roams the halls causing little to no disruption except for the fact that she is quite dead.
Guests and current visitors of the hotel have no qualms with the ghost and oftentimes interactions seem to go uneventful with Charlotte ignoring guests and employees and keeping to her work.
Quite helpful.
Quite spooky.
The Flying Dutchman.
More than just a reoccurring character on Spongebob or the Main vessel of Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean, The Flying Dutchman is the scourge of The Cape of Storms.
The Legendary ship that never made it to port, the Flying Dutchman is in fact a Dutch tale (duh) rooted in the terrible weather conditions surrounding Cape Town and the dangers that the Dutch East India Trading Company faced on a continuous basis. The legend dates back to the late 18th century.
The tale goes that a sea captain rounding the Cape of Good Hope swore to his crew and to the elements that he would sail until the end of times. The Devil heard the captain’s cry and kept him to this oath, cursing the captain and his crew to sail the ship until the end of time. The only hope for the Dutchman and his crew was a woman who would share her life with him. Touching.
Sightings of the mythical ship range from King George V seeing the vessel on a three-year journey and a flurry of seafarers traveling on their trade routes.
Spotting this menacing ship is said to be an omen that will soon befall bad tidings on the crew and the journey of those who see it.
That wraps up our outlook on some of the strangest tales and scary ghost stories to haunt The Rainbow Nation.
If you know of any other stories or spooky sightings, let us know!
