South Africa: Western Cape

Overview

The Western Cape (sometimes referred to as the Western Province) occupies the south-west of South Africa, covering an area of 129,386km2 (49,956mi2), which is 10.6 per cent of the country, and is sometimes described as South Africa’s Mediterranean, with its warm climate, impressive coastline of sandy beaches, rocky promontories and rolling surf, vineyards, rugged inland mountains and green valleys. The Western Cape is the most mountainous province in South Africa and many people find it the most beautiful; its many attractions include the magnificent city of Cape Town, the wine producing region around Stellenbosch, stunning spring flower displays along the west coast, the Winelands (considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful wine regions, with Dutch colonial gabled buildings, undulating valleys, craggy mountains and attractive towns, particularly Stellenbosch and Franschoek) and the glories of the Garden Route, which stretches east from the middle of the province’s south coast.

Cape Town

Cape Town is the capital of the Western Cape, the largest city in South Africa (population 3.2 million) and the centre of much that is innovative and fashionable in the country. Its central importance to the country is illustrated by its nickname, the ‘Mother City’, and it’s one of South Africa’s major tourist draws, offering culture, history, shopping, restaurants, the stunning Table Mountain and other areas of natural beauty, scores of beaches, diverse architecture and vineyards, among many other attractions. Cape Town has become so popular over the last decade, that in global travel industry surveys, it’s often bracketed with Barcelona, San Francisco, Sydney and Vancouver as one of the world’s most attractive cities to visit and live in.

Other Towns & Resorts

Other important towns in the province include Vredenburg-Saldanha, a significant harbour for iron exports and the fishing industry; Worcester and Stellenbosch in the Winelands; George, which is renowned for timber and vegetables; Oudtshoorn, famous for its ostrich products; and Beaufort West, on the arid, sheep-rearing plains of the Great Karoo.

Cape Peninsula

Cape Town lies at the north of a peninsular around 52km (32mi) from north to south and an average of 10km (6mi) wide, which contains stunning scenery and a wide range of attractions, including, on the west side, the 10km (6mi) Chapman’s Peak Drive along a road cut into the coastal mountains and overlooking Chapman’s Bay, Hout Bay and the Sentinel; and the Good Hope Nature Reserve at the southern tip.

Little Karoo

Much of the centre of the Western Cape is occupied by the Little Karoo, a vast expanse of semi-desert, which can be surprisingly beautiful. To the south of the Little Karoo is the Overberg (Afrikaans for ‘over the mountain’), where the De Hoop Nature Reserve is one of the highlights of the province, boasting a beautiful coastline, statuesque sand dunes, stunning flora and fauna and the chance to spot whales off the coast, particularly between July and September.

Garden Route

East of the Overberg is the famous Garden Route, a narrow strip of coast with beautiful countryside crammed between the mountains and the ocean. It stretches from Slang River near Heidelberg to the Tsitsikamma Forest and Storms River. The best way to enjoy this highlight of the province is by car, but another option is the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train on the three-hour journey from George to Knysna. The towns of the Garden Route are also attractions, including Mossel Bay (ignore the industrial part seen from the N2) with its watersports, historic buildings and great restaurants; Knysna, with its mountain and lagoon location, and fashionable hotels and shops; and Plettenburg Bay, the so-called ‘jewel of the Garden Route’, with a stunning coastal position, favourable climate, sports and nature reserves. East of Plettenburg Bay, and stretching into the Eastern Cape, is the Tsitsikamma National Park, a marine and forest reserve with numerous attractions.

North Coast

North of Cape Town stretches remote, windswept Atlantic coast, an area of stark beauty and plenty of outdoor restaurants from which to enjoy the scenery and watch whales. Attractions include the old town of Langebaan, a resort set on a beautiful lagoon, offering bird watching, stunning flora and an intriguing set of human footprints made 120,000 years ago, at the dawn of homo sapiens sapiens. A short distance away, Saldanha is the largest natural bay in South Africa, while Paternoster is one of the most beautiful villages on the coast. Inland lies the majestic, beautiful Cederberg mountain range, which provides great views for drivers along the N7, the main road between Cape Town and Namibia. The town of Clanwilliam is an attractive base from which to explore this beautiful region.

Population

The Western Cape’s population of around 4 million (9.7 per cent of the country’s total) is swelled considerably by numerous holidaymakers from other parts of South Africa and abroad. Culturally, racially and economically it’s the least African part of the country, only around 20 per cent of the population being black African; over half of the population is made up of ‘coloureds’ (people of mixed race). As well as the trendy and prosperous parts of the Western Cape which fill the tourist brochures – the upmarket suburbs of Cape Town, the wine region and the Garden Route – there’s plenty of poverty in the province, as the huge squatter camps near Cape Town Airport graphically demonstrate to everybody flying in and out of the city.

Economy

The Western Cape contributes over 14 per cent of the nation’s GDP and, although not rich in minerals, the province compensates with agricultural and fishing products. Apples, grapes, olives, peaches and oranges are important crops, while vegetables dominate agriculture in the east of the province. Wheat, ostrich products, sheep, chickens and the breeding of racehorses are significant. Fishing is important too and the province is fortunate that its west coast is washed by the plankton-rich Benguela current, providing one of the world’s richest fishing grounds.

Tourism (centred on Cape Town) is an important part of the province’s economy and other significant industries include retail, textiles (one of the largest employers in the Western Cape) and publishing, while numerous important petroleum and insurance companies have their national head offices in Cape Town.

Communications

Cape Town’s unchallenged status as South Africa’s tourism centre has led to the growth of an excellent transport network throughout the Western Cape. Visitors can disembark at Cape Town International Airport or at the Port of Cape Town, in the shadow of Table Mountain. An extensive web of roads connects the city with the rest of the province: the N7 runs out to the west and north-west of the province; the N1 runs through the middle and north-east of the province; and the N2 runs due east of Cape Town.

Intercity express buses connect Cape Town with major centres throughout the country, services being run by various companies, e.g. Greyhound (418 4312), Intercape (386 4400) and Translux (449 3333). The Metro Rail suburban train service connects Cape Town with Stellenbosch and Paarl. Mainline trains, which can be slow, connect Cape Town with Bloemfontein, Durban, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria.

Property

The Western Cape – particularly Cape Town and the peninsula to the south – is a major draw for foreigners looking to buy property in South Africa (see below) and consequently has some of the country’s highest prices. Until 1995, Gauteng had the most expensive property in South Africa, but over the past decade it has been eclipsed by the Western Cape, where it’s estimated that 10 to 15 per cent of property sales – 15,000 to 22,500 per year – are to foreigners.

According to figures released by ABSA bank, during the period 2000 to 2003, the average house price in the Western Cape was R392,500 (£34,130), the highest of the nine provinces.

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying a Home in South Africa” 1st Edition, Graeme Chesters.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying a Home in South Africa” 1st edition, by Graeme Chesters.

For extensive information about buying a property in South Africa, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net