Cape Town Area

Geography and History

Affectionately named the Mother City, Cape Town is situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa and is recipient of hundreds of travel awards, spectacularly beautiful, culturally diverse, endlessly exciting - resplendent, irresistible Cape Town is the jewel of Africa.

Cape Town, the "Mother City", is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years. It also has the top five national attractions in South Africa that should appear on every visitor’s itinerary. Between Cape Dutch homesteads, traditional dancers with painted faces performing in the streets, the smell of spicy Malay cooking and the taste of a well-made wine, this city will fill your sense.

This is truly an amazing city to visit with a national park in its limits and boasting three world heritage sites: Table Mountain National Park, Kirstenbosch and the famous Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

Cape Town is the engine of the regional economy, with most of the Western Cape’s industry located within the metropolitan area of Cape Town. It is a culturally diverse and dynamic metropolis set among beautiful beaches and winelands with a backdrop of the iconic Table Mountain.

The city shares with Cairo the title of most-visited African destination; the Soccer World Cup boosted this status to such an extent that British Airways put on an extra daily flight to the city from London.

The Port of Cape Town is ideally situated at the crossroads of some of the world’s most important trade routes, making the transport, maritime and logistics sectors very important. Bunkering and ship repair and the boat repair and boatbuilding industries are on the rise. The port plays a major role in exporting the province’s fruit, wine and other agricultural products to international markets.

Don’t miss a visit up Table Mountain; the V&A Waterfront, a unique shopping and holiday experience on a scenic working harbor; Robben Island, the former home of Nelson Mandela; the Cape Wine Routes, where some of the world’s best wines are produced and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world.

While walking through the city’s streets and meeting its people, you will fall in love with its natural beauty, creative freedom and incredible spirit. Cape Town is a city where the unexpected is always just around the corner and the beautiful province of the Western Cape lies ready to be explored across the city border

Accommodation

A variety of accommodation to suit every taste, including luxury guest houses, Bed and Breakfast establishments, chalets, caravan and camping facilities as well as self-catering cottages on farms in the area can be found in the area.

Activities

This is a sportsman’s and water sport enthusiast’s paradise having a wide variety of activities including shark cage diving, wreck diving, surfing, snorkelling and bungi jumping. Conventional sport facilities are also in abundance with golf, squash, tennis, indoor heated pools, horse riding and swimming.

Restaurants

The restaurants are a culinary delight with many fine restaurants and coffee shops on offer.  There is something for every taste.

Business Directory

Cape Town has a thriving business community and provides a wide range of goods and services to its residents as well as surrounding communities. See our business directory for a list of businesses in Cape Town or add your own free business directory listing.