Swimming Pools of southern Africa

In southern Africa, swimming pools were introduced by the British colonists during the 19th century.  

Many were commercial ventures, but municipalities and schools also built swimming facilities

Swimming pools can be divided into categories of Public pools, Private pools, Institutional pools, and the dead pools left behind by the retreating Europeans.

The history of swimming pools in southern Africa dates back to the tidal pools around Cape Town, such as the original Sea Point pool, and the Dolfin Pool inside Cape Town Castle, where Lady Ann Barnard, wife of the Cape Colonial Secretary 1799-1802, was supposed to have enjoyed swimming naked! The developing swimming culture in Victorian England resulted the construction of indoor swimming pools in their colonies - at Camps Bay, Pietermaritzburg, Salisbury and in Pretoria, which hosted its first South African swimming championships in 1906. 

Some of the better-known surviving historic swimming pools in South Africa, in rough order of construction.   

Early swimming pools in South Africa followed the English model, as pools were often built for commercial purposes, although most later pools were the domain of municipalities. Today, in the evolving political landscape of South Africa, many old municipal pools lie abandoned, while new 50m Olympic-size pools are built in the former townships. Many schools have developed water polo as a school sport, and some schools today have multiple swimming pools to cater for the sport. 

Institutional pools - schools, Universities, municipalities - 

One of the earliest mentions of a public swimming pool in South Africa dates from the London Times in 1869 - which refers to an open-bottom swimming enclosure floating in Table Bay. The storm mentioned was the Great Gale of 1865.

Public swimming pools have played an important part in developing aquatic sports in southern Africa. Municipalities have been building and maintaining pools since the early 20th century, often set up a commercial enterprises.  An indoor pool once existed in Camps Bay around the turn of the century, and the Long Street indoor bath still functions in 2025.

The pools were of varying dimensions, such as the 9-lane Newton Park pool and the Rachael Finlayson Beach Baths which was 100 yards long, while the Long Street indoor bath is 33,3 yards, before being converted to 25 meters. By the 1950's the pools were a mix of lengths, with 55 yards being common.

FINA had decreed that world records could only be set in 50 metre or 55-yard length pools by 1957, and by January of 1969, they only recognised records set in 50-metre pools. When Karen Muir broke two world records for the 440-yard Individual Medley in 1969, neither was ever recognised as a world record, because FINA would accept records set in 50-metre metric swimming pools.