The Portuguese ship São João went down near the mouth of the Mzimvubu River (at the present Port St. Johns) with 600 people on board. The ship was returning from her voyage to India when she was stranded. She had left Cochin, India, on 3 February 1552 loaded with pepper, Chinese porcelain and other merchandise. 100 people were drowned and the rest of them, led by Manuel de Souza e Sepulveda, started walking northwards along the coast. The leader, his wife and most of the survivors from the wreck died on the gruelling journey. Only seven Europeans and fourteen slaves reached Mozambique.
eventREF E-0010807Revised
8 June 1552
Disaster strikes as Portuguese ship São João sinks
- Updated
- 5 Jun 2020
How we know this
- 01Potgieter, D.J. et al. (eds)(1970). Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town: NASOU, v. 9, p. 617; Howcroft, P. (undated). South African Encyclopaedia: prehistory to the year 2000, Unpublished papers with SA History Online.
- 02Maritime history, (1977), 'A list of South African shipwrecks', from South African history online, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 9 June 2014]
Last updated · 5 Jun 2020
South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Disaster strikes as Portuguese ship São João sinks. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0010807
South African History Online (2011) 'Disaster strikes as Portuguese ship São João sinks', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0010807 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).
South African History Online, Disaster strikes as Portuguese ship São João sinks [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0010807, (accessed 6 November 2026).
"Disaster strikes as Portuguese ship São João sinks." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0010807. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.
South African History Online. "Disaster strikes as Portuguese ship São João sinks." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0010807.
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