A sleek, black leviathan rests silently on land, its massive form contrasting sharply with the clear blue sky above Simon’s Town. Towering over the curious crowd, the submarine’s superstructure proudly bears the insignia “S99.” Children buzz with excitement, craning their necks to take in the imposing figure of the SAS Assegaai. Nearby, an Indian couple admires its smooth, dark hull, still exuding the aura of a powerful machine once designed for stealth and strength beneath the waves. This is no ordinary exhibit—it’s South Africa’s first and only submarine museum, docked permanently at Cole Point within Simon’s Town naval base.
Once a feared underwater predator, the SAS Assegaai now invites visitors to step aboard and explore its preserved interior. Decommissioned and stripped for scrap in 2003, the vessel was saved by the South African Navy and the Naval Heritage Trust and transformed into a floating time capsule of Cold War-era naval technology.
Originally part of South Africa’s fleet of three Daphné-class submarines, the Assegaai is the only one that remains. Tours inside the submarine are conducted in small groups of no more than 10 people due to the confined spaces. This limitation, however, creates an intimate and immersive experience. The tour begins in the officers’ quarters— compact and efficiently designed—offering a glimpse into the personal spaces of those who once lived and worked beneath the ocean’s surface. Commander Leon Steyn of the South African Naval Museum explains, “The interior has been left untouched. The submarine is a perfect ‘time
capsule’ of the technology that typifies the 1960s and 1970s.” Visitors can peer through original periscopes, view preserved control panels, and examine the intricately arranged communication and sonar systems that once guided this vessel through deep and dangerous waters. A highlight is the demonstration of the escape system, once used to train crew for emergency evacuations from beneath the sea. From torpedoes to navigation equipment, the exhibits broaden the understanding of submarine warfare.
The museum is part of the larger South African Naval Museum which boasts an impressive collection—naval guns, cannons, and even the iconic British Westland Wasp, an anti-submarine helicopter. Looking up from the base, visitors can spot the remnants of an old aerial ropeway once used to transport patients and supplies from the dockyard. Though no longer functional, it remains a testament to South Africa’s once formidable naval infrastructure. This immersive, interactive tour of the SAS Assegaai invites you to step back in time and experience the hidden, high-pressure world beneath the waves.