Dangerous seas, unpredictable currents, dense fog, and rocky shores mark South Africa's coastline from Cape Cross to Cape St. Lucia. Cape Agulhas was South Africa's second permanent light station, established in 1849, at the southernmost tip of Africa. A first-order catadioptric lens was lit on March 1, 1849. It was replaced by a revolving Fresnel lens in 1915.

By 1962, the limestone structure was declared unsafe due to decomposition. Six years later the light was replaced by a skeletal tower. In 1983, funds were appropriated to restore the historic lighthouse and on March 25, 1988, the light was officially recommissioned as a navigation aid and named a national monument. Today, the station also serves as a fascinating lighthouse museum, the first of its kind on the African continent.