High in the hills overlooking the small coastal town of Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape, the earth releases a stream of pink-hued water that many believe carries healing powers beyond science. Known asIsinuka, the sacred spring continues to draw visitors from across South Africa, seeking physical healing, spiritual cleansing and renewal through rituals rooted in indigenous belief systems. The site is alive with activity.
Local women sell plastic containers for collecting water, while young boys offer to guide visitors up the steep, rugged paths. Near the base of the site is a small opening in the ground emitting a strong, Vicks-like sulphur smell. Visitors hover their heads or aching feet above the hole, believing the vapour relieves headaches, sinus problems and body pain.
Isinuka is a natural spring located about 5km outside Port St Johns. Its pink colour and pungent smell are caused by a high iron and mineral content. For generations, it has been regarded as a sacred healing site, particularly among the AmaMpondo people.
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The nameIsinukaloosely translates to “it comes out by itself”, a reference to the way the water naturally emerges from the earth. According to oral history, the spring has long been used for spiritual cleansing and healing rituals, overseen by traditional custodians. Many believe people are drawn there after receiving dreams or ancestral instructions.
Elders recount that during the colonial and apartheid eras, white settlers attempted to commercialise the spring, fencing it off and restricting access. It is believed that shortly thereafter, the water mysteriously dried up, only to re-emerge at another location nearby, reinforcing local beliefs that Isinukacannot be owned, sold or controlled. Today the site continues to attract thousands, even as debates persist around conservation, access and the protection of indigenous spiritual heritage.
Local vendor Nobhengezile Solomani, who has sold plastic containers andumbona(mielies) at Isinuka for more than 20 years, believes the spring healed her. She also makes money by availing Isinuka water and mud to visitors who cannot go up the hill. “I don’t charge them for this because you cannot sell Isinuka.
However, I accept whatever they can give me,” she said. “When I first came here, I had shingles. I was healed at Isinuka.
I have seen people arrive unable to walk on their own, and when they leave, they slowly walk again.” Here the water turns pink. The springs smell of sulphur that bites the nose but soothes the skin Solomani explained that Isinuka has different forms, each believed to serve a specific purpose. “The white Isinuka is for drinking, to cleanse you from the inside.
The pink one is for painful feet and steaming. The mud is smeared on the face and body. You can also mix it with water and drink it — it helps with ulcers, tonsils and sinus.”
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