A local environmental activist has branded Cape Town’s Macassar Beach as one of the “dirtiest” in the country.

This comes after another mass clean-up on the beach, located in False Bay and 30km from the city centre.

IS CAPE TOWN HOME TO SA’S DIRTIEST BEACH?

In a viral TikTok video, environmental activist Zoë Prinsloo revealed her horror at cleaning up “South Africa’s dirtiest beach”.

Not for the first time, the young woman has coordinated a mass clean-up of Macassar Beach, located in False Bay, located 30kms from Cape Town.

In the clip, Zoë and a small group of volunteers scoured the shore, collecting over 124 kilograms of litter.

She captioned the clip: “Having cleaned over 120 beaches around SA, I have named this as the dirtiest beach in South Africa.”

@saveafishie Macassar Beach 💔 Having cleaned over 120 beaches around SA, I have named this as the dirtiest beach in South Africa 🌍 #saveafishie #savetheplanet #beachcleanup #nonprofit #savetheearth #earth #awareness #fypシ゚ #activism ♬ INTERESTELLAR – Kore Blanco

On Facebook, she documented her experience in detail, adding: “The litter. The sheer scale of it. An endless plastic road, with plastic scattered as far as the eye could see. I honestly don’t even have the words”.

In the comments section, many Cape Town residents agreed that Macassar Beach was amongst the dirtiest in the province, if not, the whole country!

The young environmental activist is the founder of the NGO Save A Fishie. She holds the world record for participating in the longest beach clean-up, which lasted 27 hours. In 2023, she won the Cape Town  Medal for Conservation, and in 2024, she was named a Paul Harris Fellow for her humanitarian work.

What a day. Not even sure where to begin.🙃

We woke up at 3:30am, and by 4:20 Trevor the trailer was hitched to Suzi…

Posted by Save a fishie on Wednesday 14 January 2026

CLEANEST BEACHES IN CITY

According to the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, Cape Town has eight beaches with Blue Flag Status, which are assessed for cleanliness, high water-quality standards, environmental management, and safety.

They include:

• Bikini Beach
• Camps Bay Beach 
• Clifton 4th Beach
• Fish Hoek Beach 
• Llandudno Beach
• Melkbosstrand Beach
• Muizenberg Beach 
• Silwerstroomstrand

Despite complaints of water quality and safety, the rest of the Western Province features more than 30 other Blue Flag beaches.