"Suurbraak lies in what could easily be termed a little piece of heaven, and because it is not a commercial centre is left largely alone." This Village was established in 1812, when the London Missionary Society established a mission station to serve the Khoikhoi.
It is situated in a Valley at the foot of the Tradouw Pass, about 250 kilometres from Cape Town.
It was founded as a Mission Station when the Khoi, led by Captain Hans Moos, invited Johannes Seidenfaden from the London Missionary Society to settle in the area. Along with Mamre and Genadendal, it is one of the oldest Mission Stations in the country. Following Helm’s death in 1848, his son, Daniel Helm, continued the mission work. Seidenfaden remained there until 1825, after which Reverend Heinrich Helm took over and played a significant role in shaping both the spiritual and community life of the village. Adjacent to the main town square are the original church, parsonage, and school, built by the London Missionary Society between 1828 and 1848. In 1875, the Mission was taken over by the: 'Algemeene Sendingkerk', which is known as the Dutch Reformed Mission Church.
A decade later, Cape Governor Sir George Grey granted the land to the inhabitants, which included the “Attaquas and freed slaves”.
In 1880, a rift in the local congregation caused a split, leading to the construction of an Anglican Church. 
Today, both Historic Churches still stand as prominent features in the town square. In the Town, many residents still cook on wood-burning stoves and use donkey-drawn ploughs, as well as horses and carts for transportation. These methods harken back to a pre-electricity and pre-motor-vehicle age for South Africa.These both were only introduced in the 1890's. South Africa first got electricity in 1880, using electric lamps before the first power station was built in, 1891. The first car was imported to the country in 1896.
While many in the settlement still turn to these methods—which have become central to the region’s off-grid lifestyle and part of its charm—the town is connected to the National grid and has road infrastructure.
Suurbraak was known as 'Xairy'; meaning paradise- by the Quena tribe of the Khoi, who were the original inhabitants. Suurbraak is a Settlement in Overberg District Municipality. It lies in a fold of the Langeberg Mountains just down from the incredible Tradouw Pass. Suurbraak is a small place in South Africa and can be easily explored within a day! (Tour packages of Suurbraak are available) – it’s really old-style living and is mostly untouched by development! The local community is rather starved of sources of income. The heart of the Village of Suurbraak has been preserved, and the Buildings that rest on the Village Square and the two Church buildings have been restored. Most of the old style houses line the road through town, and if you want to explore, it is a wonderful place to visit and from which to walk – the Wonder Kloof lies across from town, an incredible geological crack in the Langeberg Mountain range, with a number of recently opened hiking trails that take you through the kloof. The hiking and biking trails and visiting historical buildings are the main attractions of the Town. It has a population of about 2 252 people, with the majority being the Afrikaans-speaking people
