Simonsberg Silver Mine Traditional Cache

For the Dutch East India Company, whose interests were mercantile rather than colonial, it was important to exploit whatever resources it had to offer. Attempts to find gold and silver were futile in the Cape Peninsula, so there was great excitement in 1740 when Frans Diederik Muller, a German ex-VOC serviceman, claimed to have discovered silver on Simonsberg.

By 1743 Muller had persuaded the authorities to grant him mining rights. The supposed discovery by Muller proved so exciting that he had little difficulty in finding a partner to finance the project, and within a few months, he had set up a mining company, Octroojeerde Society der Mynwerken aan de Simonsberg, with the backing of reputable local businessperson Olaf de Wet.

With all preparations complete in 1743, the company began the arduous task of digging long tunnels into the side of Simonsberg at different levels and sinking shafts measuring between 15 and 30 meters to connect those tunnels. For five years Muller continued to demand more labor and funds in order to extract the rich deposits that lay ahead – with promise of silver, later copper and even gold!

Eventually the Directors became suspicious and sent a sample of ore to The Netherlands for analyses. Having given the project its support, the Dutch East India Company was particularly embarrassed by the exposure of the scam and, as fitting punishment, the company officials banished Muller to the Dutch colony of Batavia, in the East.

Although the site has been abandoned for more than 250 years, the Simonsberg silver mine remains intact in the Banghoek Valley, and one can still see the ruins of various structures that are believed to have once been part of that mining operation.

To find the cache you do NOT have to navigate any of the mines, but it is encouraged! Remember to bring your flashlights, enough food and water and something warm in case it gets chilly inside the mines. I would also highly recommend doing this hike in a group of 3 or more for safety sake.
Please take extra caution when in the final mine! There are deep shafts and one slip can be detrimental!