On 10 October 1831, the
British colonial government granted the farm Westfield—now the site of Witsand—to
Captain Benjamin Moodie. By the late 1800s, the Moodie family welcomed residents of
Heidelberg, including farmers and townspeople, to holiday in Witsand, known for its excellent fishing and white sandy beach, which inspired its name. Records show the name "Witsand" was already in use by 1867. The first structure built in the area was a small stone house called
Ou Pastorie, owned by Reverend Alexander Daneel, the first pastor of the Heidelberg Dutch Reformed Church. Around 1880, holidaymakers camped in reed huts and tents, as the area had yet to be developed. Later, Benjamin and Donald Moodie, sons of Captain Moodie, allowed fishermen to build cottages, and as interest grew, they subdivided sixty-five
morgen of the farm into plots. In 1908, this area was formally registered under the name Witsand in a separate title deed. The first 118 plots were shared among 17 people, and over time, more plots were sold, forming a small village of 20 to 30 houses. Witsand was officially declared a local region in 1951. ==Water supply==