Cape Town

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa and the country's oldest city. It is also the second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape region. As the seat of the Parliament of South Africa, it is very important for the country's government.

The city is famous for its beautiful natural setting, including Table Mountain and Cape Point. Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town's main business area is in the City Bowl. This is the oldest part of the city and has lots of cultural history.

Cape Town is a popular tourist destination and is often named one of the best cities in the world for travelers. It has beautiful coastlines along the Atlantic Ocean and False Bay. The city includes Table Mountain National Park and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which shows many plants that are native to the Cape region.

History

Main articles: History of Cape Town and Timeline of Cape Town

Early period

People have lived in the area of Cape Town for a very long time. The oldest signs of human life there were found in a place called Peers Cave in Fish Hoek in the 1920s.

The first European to see the area was Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. He called it "Cape of Storms." Later, it was named "Cape of Good Hope" because it showed a new sea route to faraway places. In 1497, another explorer named Vasco da Gama saw the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1510, a battle happened at the Salt River. Many people were hurt, and the place was later traded by different groups.

Dutch period

See also: Dutch Cape Colony

In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck and others from the United East India Company came to Cape Town to set up a place for ships to rest on their trips. The town grew slowly because it was hard to find workers. New people were brought from faraway places to help.

Many new plants were brought to the area, like grapes and fruits, which changed the land and its people.

British period

See also: Cape Colony

Britain took control of Cape Town in 1795 but gave it back in 1803. They took it again in 1806 and kept it forever after that. Cape Town became the capital of the Cape Colony, which grew bigger over time.

In 1833, a rule that hurt many people ended, and life changed for many in the city. New trains started in 1859, and discoveries of valuable minerals brought many new people to the area.

South African period

In 1910, Cape Town became an important city in the new Union of South Africa. By 1936, another city, Johannesburg, became bigger. In 1945, the area around Cape Town grew larger.

Apartheid era

Before the middle of the last century, Cape Town was a place where people of different backgrounds lived together. But in 1948, new leaders came who wanted to separate people by race. Laws were made to force people to live in certain areas. Many people were moved from their homes.

During a big protest in 1976, students in Cape Town also stood up for their rights. Many important leaders who fought against unfair laws lived in or near Cape Town.

Post-apartheid era

Since the time when laws separated people ended, Cape Town has grown and changed a lot. It has become a busy place with many jobs and visitors. The city has improved in many ways, but some areas still struggle because of old problems left over from the past.

The city has faced tough times, like not having enough water for a while. But Cape Town remains an important and beautiful place in South Africa.

Geography and the natural environment

Cape Town is found at latitude 33.55° S and longitude 18.25° E. The city is surrounded by tall mountains, including Table Mountain, Devil's Peak, and Lion's Head. These mountains make a lovely view called the City Bowl, where the main part of the city and many homes are.

The Cape Peninsula stretches south into the Atlantic Ocean and ends at Cape Point. The city has many peaks and is edged by coast, mountains, and valleys. Some parts, like the Cape Flats, are flat and sandy. Others, like the Helderberg area, are hilly and used for homes and farms.

The city includes places like Robben Island, which has an important history. Cape Town’s many landscapes make it a very beautiful place.

Government

Main article: City of Cape Town

Cape Town is run by a city council with 231 members. These members are chosen in two ways: some are elected directly in different areas called wards, and others are chosen from lists of candidates based on how many votes each political party receives.

In elections in 2021, a political group called the Democratic Alliance won the most seats. A person named Geordin Hill-Lewis was chosen to be the mayor of Cape Town.

Cape Town is known for being well-managed. The city takes good care of its buildings and services, and it keeps things safe. In 2025, Cape Town was praised for its strong leadership and good financial management.

Budget

Every three years, Cape Town plans its spending for things like services and building projects. For the year 2026, the city planned to spend about R86 billion. Most of this money will go towards everyday services like water and electricity, and some will be used to build new things.

The city also plans how to collect money from people who live there. For every amount of money collected, parts go to different things like police, parks, and schools.

International relations

Cape Town has friendly relationships with cities in many countries around the world, including places like Germany, the United States, China, and Brazil.

Demographics

According to the South African National Census of 2011, the population of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality – an area that includes suburbs and exurbs – is 3,740,026 people. This is an increase from the previous census in 2001, which found 2,892,243 people.

Of those residents who were asked about their first language, 35.7% spoke Afrikaans, 29.8% spoke Xhosa and 28.4% spoke English. 24.8% of the population is under the age of 15, while 5.5% is 65 or older. The sex ratio is 0.96, meaning there are slightly more women than men.

Of those residents aged 20 or older, 1.8% have no schooling, 8.1% have some schooling but did not finish primary school, 4.6% finished primary school but have no secondary schooling, 38.9% have some secondary schooling but did not finish Grade 12, 29.9% finished Grade 12 but have no higher education, and 16.7% have higher education.

Overall, 46.6% have at least a Grade 12 education. Of those aged between 5 and 25, 67.8% are attending an educational institution. Amongst those aged between 15 and 65 the unemployment rate is 23.7%.

The average annual household income in the Western Cape, of which Cape Town is the capital and largest city, is South Africa's highest. As of June 2025, the province's average household income is R407,000.

The total number of households grew from 653,085 in 1996 to 1,068,572 in 2011. Of those households, 78.4% are in formal structures (houses or flats), while 20.5% are in informal structures (shacks).

97.3% of City-supplied households have access to electricity, and 94.0% of households use electricity for lighting. 87.3% of households have piped water to the dwelling, while 12.0% have piped water through a communal tap. 94.9% of households have regular refuse collection service.

91.4% of households have a flush toilet or chemical toilet, while 4.5% still use a bucket toilet. 82.1% of households have a refrigerator, 87.3% have a television and 70.1% have a radio. Only 34.0% have a landline telephone, but 91.3% have a cellphone. 37.9% have a computer, and 49.3% have access to the Internet.

In 2011 over 70% of cross provincial South African migrants coming into the Western Cape settled in Cape Town.

Cape Town has a young population. In the 2022 census, the median age of residents in the city was 31. In the same year, approximately 40% of the population of Cape Town was under the age of 25.

According to the 2016 City of Cape Town community survey, there were 4,004,793 people in the City of Cape Town metro. Out of this population, 45.7% identified as Black African, 35.1% identified as Coloured, 16.2% identified as White and 1.6% identified as Asian.

The Western Cape province, in which Cape Town is the largest city, has the highest rate of marriage out of all South African provinces. In the 2022 census, 33.8% of those in the province were legally married.

During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, local media reported that increasing numbers of wealthy and middle-class South Africans have started moving from inland areas of the country to coastal regions – most notably Cape Town.

In 2022, the city expected its population to grow by an additional 400,000 residents between 2020 and 2025.

According to the United Nations' World Urbanization Prospects (2018), Cape Town's population is projected to continue growing steadily over the next decade. Based on estimates compiled by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs in 2018, the city's population is expected to reach approximately 5.468 million by 2030, and roughly 5.845 million by 2035.

Religion

See also: Religion in South Africa

In the 2022 South African Census, religious data were gathered for the Western Cape province, of which Cape Town is the capital and largest city. The Western Cape census respondents self-identified as follows:

• 85.6% as Christian
• 5.2% as Muslim
• 5.3% as following a traditional African religion
• 2% as having no religious affiliation
• 0.8% as "other"
• 0.3% as Agnostic
• 0.3% as Atheist
• 0.2% as Hindu
• 0.2% as Jewish
• 0.1% as Buddhist

As of 2022, a total of 2.6% of Western Cape residents are irreligious.

Most places of worship in Cape Town are Christian churches and cathedrals. These include the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK), Zion Christian Church, Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa, Assemblies of God, Baptist Union of Southern Africa, Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Presbyterian Church of Africa, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Town, the Orthodox Archbishopric of Good Hope, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Islam is the city's second largest religion with a long history in Cape Town. This has resulted in a number of mosques and other Muslim religious sites spread across the city, such as the Auwal Mosque.

Cape Town's significant Jewish population supports a number of synagogues, the most notable of which is the historic Gardens Shul. Marais Road Shul, located in Sea Point, is the largest Jewish congregation in South Africa. Temple Israel also has three temples in the city.

Other religious sites in the city include Hindu and Buddhist temples and centres.

Economy

Cape Town is a big city in South Africa and helps the country's economy. The city has many jobs and businesses.

Cape Town is good at technology and has many new ideas. It is also important for renewable energy, with companies working on clean energy. People in Cape Town often earn good money, and houses there are valuable.

Many people visit Cape Town each year to see places like Table Mountain and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The city also has shops, film studios, and boat building businesses, making it a fun place to live and visit.

See also: Economy of the Western Cape

Housing

Cape Town has many types of homes, including detached homes, townhouses, and apartments. Older parts of the city, such as the Southern Suburbs, often have big houses with parks and trees. Newer areas, like the Northern Suburbs, have a mix of houses and tall buildings.

For many years, Cape Town has had the highest average home price in South Africa. Home prices have gone up a lot over time. Many people want to live in Cape Town, which makes home prices rise. There are also many places to rent, and students from around the world study at the University of Cape Town, which helps create a need for rentals.

Infrastructure and services

The City of Cape Town works hard to build and care for its roads, buildings, and services. In 2024 to 2025, the city spent a lot of money on these projects, and it plans to spend even more later. Most goods come through the Port of Cape Town or Cape Town International Airport. The city has offices for important shipbuilding companies and is a place for energy development, including the Koeberg nuclear power station.

Cape Town has five big business areas, with many offices and headquarters in the center and other parts of the city. The city's property investment and construction are doing well.

Telecommunications

Cape Town has good phone and internet services, with fast fibre connections and networks from big companies.

Health

The city has many clinics and hospitals, both public and private, including special care for mental health and teaching hospitals.

Education

Cape Town has many public and private schools, and three public universities: the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape, and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. There are also several colleges and many chances for students from other countries to study here.

Safety and security

Cape Town has several law enforcement groups working together to keep the city safe. These include the Metro Police, Traffic Service, Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), and the South African Police Service (SAPS). The city uses technology like CCTV cameras, drones, and license plate recognition to help keep people safe.

Energy supply

Cape Town has a steady supply of energy, including the Koeberg nuclear power station. The city is trying to use more energy from nature by adding new power sources and using renewable energy. Programs like "Cash for Power" let people sell extra solar energy to the city.

Water supply

Cape Town's water comes from a system of dams and pipes. The city had a big water problem from 2017 to 2018 but has since made improvements. New plans include building a desalination plant to make sure there is always enough water.

Future infrastructure developments

Cape Town has a long-term plan called Vision 2050 to make improvements. Goals include better public transport, more renewable energy, new homes, improved policing, and planting more trees, among other things. The plan aims to make Cape Town a modern, sustainable city for everyone.

Transport

Air

Cape Town International Airport is the second-largest airport in South Africa. It has flights within the country and to places like Southern Africa, East Africa, Mauritius, the Middle East, the Far East, Europe, Brazil, and the United States. It also connects to eleven other places in South Africa.

Before the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a new building was added to handle more travelers. The airport now has better parking, a new bus stop, and new roads. There is also more space for offices and hotels.

Cape Town is one of five cities that has flights to Wolf's Fang Runway in Antarctica. The airport is 18 km from the Central Business District and won an award for being the best airport in Africa.

A second airport, Cape Winelands Airport, is being planned near Durbanville in the Northern Suburbs. If built, it will be a private airport for local travel.

Sea

Cape Town has been an important port city for a long time. The Port of Cape Town is very busy and helps ships carry goods to and from Latin America and Asia. It is the second-busiest place for ships in South Africa.

Simon's Town Harbour is where the South African Navy is based.

Rail

The Shosholoza Meyl train runs once a week from Cape Town to Johannesburg through Kimberley. It stops at the Cape Town railway station and Bellville. Cape Town also has special trains for tourists going to Simon's Town and Grabouw.

Metrorail runs every day with 96 stops around Cape Town.

Road

Cape Town is where three big roads start: the N1, N2, and N7.

The N1 goes from near the city center through places like Goodwood, Parow, Bellville, and Brackenfell before going inland to cities like Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. The N2 goes from the city center through Mowbray, Khayelitsha, and Somerset West before reaching coastal cities like Mossel Bay, George, Port Elizabeth, East London, and Durban. The N7 starts near Acacia Park and Edgemead and goes north along the coast to Malmesbury, Clanwilliam, Vredendal, and toward the border with Namibia.

There are also many smaller roads to nearby areas.

Buses

City-owned MyCiTi and private Golden Arrow both run bus services in Cape Town.

Golden Arrow

Golden Arrow Bus Services runs buses all over Cape Town, with about 1,200 buses on 1,300 routes. Many people use these buses every day.

The system uses a special card for payments and offers discounts for weekly and monthly passes, as well as for students and older people.

Golden Arrow was the first in South Africa to use electric buses, starting in 2024.

MyCiTi

Main article: MyCiTi

The MyCiTi bus system is important for public transport in Cape Town. It has 223 electric and diesel buses that stop at 42 stations and around 1,000 places in the city.

The buses have special lanes and free Wi-Fi, with waiting areas at stations. Payments are made using a special card or mobile tap-to-pay.

Taxis

Cape Town has many taxis, including app-based services like Bolt and Uber, as well as traditional metered taxis.

The Western Cape government gives licenses for app-based taxis, which must be renewed. There are over 5,000 licensed app-based taxi drivers in Cape Town.

Traditional taxis include metered taxis and minibus taxis. Metered taxis are often found at airports and hotels, while minibuses can be picked up at taxi ranks or on main streets.

Culture

Cape Town is famous for its special buildings, especially the Cape Dutch style. You can see this style in places like Constantia and old government buildings. One special spot is Mostert’s Mill, the only complete windmill in South Africa, built in 1796.

The city was named World Design Capital for 2014 and is a Design City by UNESCO. The Artscape Theatre Centre is the largest place for performances in Cape Town.

Every year on January 2nd, the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also called Kaapse Klopse, has colorful parades with musicians performing Cape Jazz.

The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a beautiful place with many plants and animals. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

Whale watching is popular, especially for seeing southern right whales and humpback whales along the coast from August to November.

Cuisine

Cape Town has many special foods, like Bobotie, a spiced meat dish from the 17th century, and Gatsby, a filling sandwich created in 1976. Koe’sisters are sweet pastries, and Malva pudding is a sticky dessert often served with custard. The city is also known for its wine, with famous wineries like Groot Constantia.

Cape Town is well-known for its pizza, with restaurants like NOVO and Pizza Connection receiving global recognition.

The city has a strong coffee culture, with many cafes and chains, and it was ranked among the best cities for coffee in the world.

Media

Cape Town has many newspapers and magazines, with major papers like the Cape Argus and Cape Times. There are also many community newspapers in different languages.

The city has many radio stations playing different types of music, like pop, jazz, and classical. Bush Radio and Voice of the Cape are community stations, and the University of Cape Town has its own station, UCT Radio.

Hiking and trails

Cape Town has many beautiful hiking trails for people to explore, with options for walking, running, and cycling. Popular spots include Lion’s Head and Table Mountain.

Sport

Cape Town loves sports like cricket, soccer, swimming, and rugby. The city has hosted big events like the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Cape Town has many golf courses, including Clovelly Country Club and Metropolitan Golf Club.

Water-based activities

The coastline around Cape Town offers many chances for scuba diving, with different conditions on each side of the peninsula. False Bay has many named surf breaks, and the Atlantic coast has big waves.

Zeekoevlei is a freshwater lake used for sailing and rowing, home to several rowing clubs.

Libraries

Cape Town has 102 public libraries, including the Central Library in Cape Town CBD, which has books for all ages and public computers. In 2025, the city launched a digital library service with e-books and an online catalogue.

Museums and theaters

Cape Town has many cultural spots, like the District Six Museum, which tells the story of the Cape Colored community, and the Iziko South African Museum with important collections. The city also has famous theaters like the Artscape and Baxter Theater.

Car culture

Cape Town has a strong car culture with many events like Cars & Coffee and the Cape Town Motor Show. There are also automotive museums nearby, such as the Franschhoek Motor Museum.

Other

In Cape Town CBD, you can visit the Houses of Parliament, the Planetarium, and the Company’s Garden, South Africa’s oldest park.

Notable people

The Rosenkowitz sextuplets were the first set of sextuplets to live past their first year.