Mrs Hilda (née April) Adams

Mrs Hilda (née April) Adams 
Chairperson of the Mamre Small-Scale Fisher Cooperative and of the West Coast Small-Scale Fisher Forum

I was born in Mamre, a small rural town in the Western Cape, as the fourth of eleven children in a traditional fishing family. Of my five brothers, all were traditional fishers, and among my six sisters, three—including myself—continue this proud heritage.

I attended Prestwich Street Primary School in Cape Town, where I lived with my maternal grandmother. At age 12, I experienced the harsh realities of apartheid when my grandmother and aunts were evicted under apartheid laws and relocated to Manenberg on the Cape Flats. I later completed my schooling at Belgravia High School, matriculating in 1975, and qualified as a Social Auxiliary Worker in 1997 at the age of 40.

My career began in 1976 as an assistant teacher at a farm school near Mamre. Over the years, I worked across various sectors—including Coloured Affairs, Syfrets Financial Company, Pres Les Clothing in Atlantis, and the Mamre Community Health Project (1992–2007).

I am a proud mother of two and grandmother of four. Deeply rooted in community work, I have been involved in numerous awareness, development, and research initiatives, including training with UCT’s Community Counselling Programme. I have worked with people of all ages in Mamre and supervised the UK Platform 2 volunteer programme, which supported local schools, ECD centres, and community gardens.

Since 2006, my passion and commitment have focused on small-scale fishers. I currently serve as Chairperson of the Mamre Small-Scale Fisher Cooperative and of the West Coast Small-Scale Fisher Forum, established in February 2025, representing 17 cooperatives across the West Coast. Despite ongoing economic challenges, I remain dedicated to advocating for the rights and sustainability of our traditional fishers.