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Cape Town
For other uses, see Cape Town (disambiguation).

Cape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad [kpstt]; Xhosa:

Ikapa) is a coastal city in South Africa. It is the second
most populous urban area in South Africa, after

Cape Town
Kaapstad (Afrikaans)
iKapa (Xhosa)

Johannesburg.[6] It is also the provincial capital and

primate city of the Western Cape.
As the seat of the National Parliament it is also the
legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the
City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. The city
is famous for its harbour, for its natural setting in the
Cape Floristic Region, as well as for such well-known
landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. As of
2014, it is the 10th most populous city [clarification needed]
in Africa and home to 64% of the Western Cape's
population.[7] It is one of the most multicultural cities in
the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for
immigrants and expatriates[8] to South Africa. The city
was named the World Design Capital for 2014 by the
International Council of Societies of Industrial
Design.[9] In 2014, Cape Town was named the best
place in the world to visit by both the American New
York Times[10] and the British Daily Telegraph.[11]

Clockwise from top: Cape Town CBD, Strand,

Clifton beach, Table Mountain, Port of Cape
Town, Cape Town City Hall

Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town was

first developed by the Dutch East India Company as a
victualling (supply) station for Dutch ships sailing to
East Africa, India, and the Far East. Jan van
Riebeeck's arrival on 6 April 1652 established the first

Coat of arms

permanent European settlement in South Africa. Cape

Town quickly outgrew its original purpose as the first
European outpost at the Castle of Good Hope,

Nickname(s): Mother City, Tavern of the Seas

Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for "Good Hope")

becoming the economic and cultural hub of the Cape

Colony. Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the
development of Johannesburg, Cape Town was the
largest city in South Africa.

Contents

Cape Town

Show map of Western Cape

Show map of South Africa

Show map of Africa

Show all
Cape Town shown within Western Cape
Location within Cape Town

Cape Town

Coordinates: 335531S 182526E

Country

South Africa

Province

Western Cape

Municipality

City of Cape Town

Founded

1652

Government[1]
Type

Metropolitan municipality

Mayor

Patricia de Lille (DA)

Council

Cape Town City Council

City manager

Achmat Ebrahim

Area[2]
City

400.28 km2 (154.55 sq mi)

Metro

2,444.97 km2 (944.01 sq mi)

Highest elevation

1,590.4 m (5,217.8 ft)

Lowest elevation

0 m (0 ft)

Population (2011)[2]
City

433,688

Density

1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)

Metro[3]

3,740,026

Metro density

1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Capetonian

Racial makeup (2011)[2]

Black African

15.8%

Coloured

44.6%

Indian/Asian

3.4%

White

32.3%

Other

3.9%

First languages (2011)[2]

English

67.7%

Afrikaans

22.5%

Xhosa

2.7%

 Other

7.1%

Postal code (street) 7700 to 8099

PO box

8000

Area code

+27 (0)21
0.74 High (2010)[4]

HDI
GDP

US$ 58.9 billion [5]

GDP per capita

US$15,918 [5]

Website

www.capetown.gov.za

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

The earliest known remnants in the region were found at Peers Cave
in Fish Hoek and date to between 15,000 and 12,000 years ago.[12]
Little is known of the history of the region's first residents, since there
is no written history from the area before it was first mentioned by
Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1486. Vasco da Gama
recorded a sighting of the Cape of Good Hope in 1497. In the late
Arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in Table
Bay by Charles Bell

16th century, Portuguese, French, Danish, Dutch and English ships

regularly stopped over in Table Bay en route to the Indies. They traded
tobacco, copper and iron with the Khoikhoi in exchange for fresh

meat.
In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck and other employees of the Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Verenigde
Oost-indische Compagnie, VOC) were sent to the Cape to establish a way-station for ships travelling to
the Dutch East Indies, and the Fort de Goede Hoop (later replaced by the Castle of Good Hope). The
settlement grew slowly during this period, as it was hard to find adequate labour. This labour shortage
prompted the authorities to import slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar. Many of these became
ancestors of the first Cape Coloured communities.[13][14] Under Van Riebeeck and his successors as
VOC commanders and later governors at the Cape, an impressive range of useful plants were
introduced to the Cape in the process changing the natural environment forever. Some of these,
including grapes, cereals, ground nuts, potatoes, apples and citrus, had an important and lasting
influence on the societies and economies of the region.[15]
The Dutch Republic being transformed in Revolutionary France's
vassal Batavian Republic, Great Britain moved to take control of its
colonies. Britain captured Cape Town in 1795, but the Cape was
returned to the Dutch by treaty in 1803. British forces occupied the
Cape again in 1806 following the Battle of Blaauwberg. In the AngloDutch Treaty of 1814, Cape Town was permanently ceded to Britain. It
became the capital of the newly formed Cape Colony, whose territory
expanded very substantially through the 1800s. With expansion came
calls for greater independence from Britain, with the Cape attaining its

View of Table Bay with ships of the

Dutch East India Company, c. 1683

own parliament (1854) and a locally accountable Prime Minister

(1872). Surage was established according to the non-racial, but
sexist Cape Qualified Franchise.[16][17]
The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in 1867, and the
Witwatersrand Gold Rush in 1886, prompted a flood of immigrants to
South Africa.[18] Conflicts between the Boer republics in the interior
and the British colonial government resulted in the Second Boer War

A model of Cape Town as it would

have appeared in 1800.

of 18991902, which Britain won. In 1910, Britain established the Union of South Africa, which unified
the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the British colony of Natal. Cape Town
became the legislative capital of the Union, and later of the Republic of South Africa.
In the 1948 national elections, the National Party won on a platform of apartheid (racial segregation)
under the slogan of "swart gevaar". This led to the erosion and eventual abolition of the Cape's
multiracial franchise, as well as to the Group Areas Act, which classified all areas according to race.
Formerly multi-racial suburbs of Cape Town were either purged of unlawful residents or demolished. The
most infamous example of this in Cape Town was District Six. After it was declared a whites-only region
in 1965, all housing there was demolished and over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed.[19] Many of
these residents were relocated to the Cape Flats and Lavender Hill. Under apartheid, the Cape was
considered a "Coloured labour preference area", to the exclusion of "Bantus", i.e. Africans
School students from Langa, Gugulethu and Nyanga in Cape Town reacted to the news of protests
against Bantu Education in Soweto in June 1976 and organised gatherings and marches which were
met with resistance from the police. A number of school buildings were burnt down.[20][21]
Cape Town was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. On Robben Island, a former
penitentiary island 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the city, many famous political prisoners were held for
years. In one of the most famous moments marking the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandela made his first
public speech since his imprisonment, from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall hours after being
released on 11 February 1990. His speech heralded the beginning of a new era for the country, and the
first democratic election, was held four years later, on 27 April 1994. Nobel Square in the Victoria &
Alfred Waterfront features statues of South Africa's four Nobel Peace Prize winners: Albert Luthuli,
Desmond Tutu, F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela. Since 1994, the city has struggled with problems
such as drugs, a surge in violent drug-related crime and more recently gang violence. At the same time,
the economy has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the tourism and the real estate
industries.[citation needed] With a Gini coecient of 0.67, Cape Town has the highest rate of equality in
South Africa.[22]

Geography

Cape Town's "City Bowl" viewed from Table Mountain in May (late autumn)

Cape Town is located at latitude 33.55 S (approx. the same as Sydney and Buenos Aires and equivalent
to Casablanca and Los Angeles in the northern hemisphere) and longitude 18.25 E. Table Mountain,
with its near vertical clis and flat-topped summit over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high, and with Devil's Peak and
Lion's Head on either side, together form a dramatic mountainous backdrop enclosing the central area
of Cape Town, the so-called City Bowl. A thin strip of cloud, known colloquially as the "tablecloth",
sometimes forms on top of the mountain. To the immediate south, the Cape Peninsula is a scenic
mountainous spine jutting 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwards into the Atlantic Ocean and terminating at
Cape Point. There are over 70 peaks above 300 m (980 ft) within Cape Town's ocial city limits. Many of
the city's suburbs lie on the large plain called the Cape Flats, which extends over 50 kilometres (30 mi)
to the east and joins the peninsula to the mainland. The Cape Flats is situated on what is known as a
rising marine plain, consisting mostly of sandy geology and confirming that at one point Table Mountain
was itself an island.[citation needed]. The Cape Town region generally, with its Mediterranean climate,
extensive coastline, rugged mountain ranges, coastal plains, inland valleys and semi-desert fringes, has
much in common with Southern California.

Climate
Cape Town has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Kppen Csb),[23][24][25] with mild, moderately
wet winters and dry, warm summers. Winter, which lasts from the beginning of June to the end of
August, may see large cold fronts entering for limited periods from the Atlantic Ocean with significant
precipitation and strong north-westerly winds. Winter months in the city average a maximum of 18.0 C
(64 F) and minimum of 8.5 C (47 F) [26] Total annual rainfall in the city averages 515 millimetres
(20.3 in). Summer, which lasts from early December to March, is warm and dry with an average
maximum of 26.0 C (79 F) and minimum of 16.0 C (61 F). The region can get uncomfortably hot when
the Berg Wind, meaning "mountain wind", blows from the Karoo interior for a couple of weeks in
February or early March. Late spring and early summer may sometimes feature a strong wind from the
south-east, known locally as the Cape Doctor, so called because it blows air pollution away. This wind is
caused by a high-pressure system which sits in the South Atlantic to the west of Cape Town, known as
the South Atlantic High. Cape Town receives 3,100 hours of sunshine per year.[27]

Water temperatures range greatly, between 10 C (50 F) on the Atlantic Seaboard, to over 22 C (72 F)
in False Bay. Average annual Ocean temperatures are between 13 C (55 F) on the Atlantic Seaboard
(similar to Californian waters, such as San Francisco or Big Sur), and 17 C (63 F) in False Bay (similar
to Northern Mediterranean temperatures, such as Nice or Monte Carlo).
Climate data for Cape Town (19611990)
Month
Record high C (F)

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Year

39.3
38.3
42.4
38.6 33.5 29.8 29.02 32.0 33.1 37.2 39.9
41.4
42.4
(102.7) (100.9) (108.3) (101.5) (92.3) (85.6) (84.24) (89.6) (91.6) (99) (103.8) (106.5) (108.3)

Average high C (F)

26.1
(79)

26.5
(79.7)

25.4
(77.7)

23.0 20.3 18.1 17.5

(73.4) (68.5) (64.6) (63.5)

17.8 19.2 21.3 23.5

(64) (66.6) (70.3) (74.3)

24.9
(76.8)

22.0
(71.6)

Daily mean C (F)

20.4
(68.7)

20.4
(68.7)

19.2
(66.6)

16.9 14.4 12.5 11.9 12.4 13.7 15.6 17.9

(62.4) (57.9) (54.5) (53.4) (54.3) (56.7) (60.1) (64.2)

19.5
(67.1)

16.2
(61.2)

Average low C (F)

15.7
(60.3)

15.6
(60.1)

14.2
(57.6)

11.9
9.4
7.8
(53.4) (48.9) (46)

14.9
(58.8)

11.4
(52.5)

Record low C (F)

7.4
(45.3)

6.4
(43.5)

4.6
(40.3)

2.4
0.9 1.2 4.3 0.4 0.2
1.0
(36.3) (33.6) (29.8) (24.3) (31.3) (32.4) (33.8)

6.2
(43.2)

4.3
(24.3)

Average
precipitation mm
(inches)

15
(0.59)

17
(0.67)

20
(0.79)

41
69
93
82
77
40
30
14
(1.61) (2.72) (3.66) (3.23) (3.03) (1.57) (1.18) (0.55)

5.5

4.6

4.8

8.3

11.4

13.3

11.8

13.7

10.4

8.7

4.9

6.3

103.7

Average relative
humidity (%)

71

72

74

78

81

81

81

80

77

74

71

71

76

Mean monthly
sunshine hours

337.9

297.4

292.9

334.2

3,094

Average
precipitation days

7.0
7.5
8.7 10.6 13.2
(44.6) (45.5) (47.7) (51.1) (55.8)
3.9
(39)

17
515
(0.67) (20.28)

( 0.1 mm)

233.5 205.3 175.4 193.1 212.1 224.7 277.7 309.8

Source: World Meteorological Organization,[26] NOAA,[27] South African weather service,[28] eNCA[29]

Flora and fauna

Main article: Biodiversity of Cape Town

Located in a CI Biodiversity hotspot as well as the unique Cape

Floristic Region, the city of Cape Town has one of the highest levels of
biodiversity of any equivalent area in the world.[30] These protected
areas are a World Heritage Site, and an estimated 2,200 species of
plants are confined to Table Mountain more than exist in the whole
of the United Kingdom which has 1200 plant species and 67 endemic
plant species.[31][32][33] Many of these species, including a great many
types of proteas, are endemic to the mountain and can be found

Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos growing

in Table Mountain National Park.

nowhere else.[34]
It is home to a total of 19 dierent vegetation types, of which several are completely endemic to the city
and occur nowhere else in the world.[35] It is also the only habitat of hundreds of endemic species,[36]
and hundreds of others which are severely restricted or threatened. This enormous species diversity is
mainly because the city is uniquely located at the convergence point of several dierent soil types and
micro-climates.
Table Mountain has an unusually rich biodiversity. Its vegetation consists predominantly of several
dierent types of the unique and rich Cape Fynbos. The main vegetation type is endangered Peninsula

Sandstone Fynbos, but critically endangered Peninsula Granite Fynbos, Peninsula Shale Renosterveld
and Afromontane forest occur in smaller portions on the mountain.
Unfortunately, rapid population growth and urban sprawl has covered much of these ecosystems with
development. Consequently, Cape Town now has over 300 threatened plant species and 13 which are
now extinct. The Cape Peninsula, which lies entirely within the city of Cape Town, has the highest
concentration of threatened species of any continental area of equivalent size in the world.[37] Tiny
remnants of critically endangered or near extinct plants often survive on road sides, pavements and
sports fields.[38] The remaining ecosystems are partially protected through a system of over 30 nature
reserves including the massive Table Mountain National Park.

Suburbs
Main article: List of Cape Town suburbs

Cape Town's urban geography is influenced by the contours of Table

Mountain, its surrounding peaks, the Durbanville Hills, and the
expansive lowland region known as the Cape Flats. These geographic
features in part divide the city into several commonly known
groupings of suburbs (equivalent to districts outside South Africa),
many of which developed historically together and share common
attributes of language and culture.

Cape Town CBD skyline as seen from

a rooftop in De Waterkant.

City Bowl
Main article: City Bowl

The City Bowl is a natural amphitheatre-shaped area bordered by

Table Bay and defined by the mountains of Signal Hill, Lion's Head,
Table Mountain and Devil's Peak.
The area includes the central business district of Cape Town, the

An aerial panoramic of Cape Town's

City Bowl taken from above Signal Hill
looking north.

harbour, the Company's Garden, and the residential suburbs of De

Waterkant, Devil's Peak, District Six, Zonnebloem, Gardens, Bo-Kaap, Higgovale, Oranjezicht,
Schotsche Kloof, Tamboerskloof, University Estate, Vredehoek, Walmer Estate and Woodstock.

Atlantic Seaboard
The Atlantic Seaboard lies west of Cape Town and Table Mountain,
and is characterised by its beaches, clis, promenade and hillside
communities. The area includes, from north to south, the
neighbourhoods of Green Point, Mouille Point, Three Anchor Bay, Sea
Point, Fresnaye, Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, and
Hout Bay. The Atlantic Seaboard has some of the most expensive real
estate in South Africa particularly on Nettleton and Clifton Roads in

Camps Bay viewed from Lion's Head

Clifton, Ocean View Drive and St Leon Avenue in Bantry Bay, Theresa
Avenue in Bakoven and Fishermans Bend in Llandudno. Camps Bay
is home to the highest concentration of multimillionaires in Cape Town
and has the highest number of high-priced mansions in South Africa
with more than 155 residential units exceeding R20 million (or $US1.8
million).[when?][39]

Panoramic view of Hout Bay from

Chapman's Peak, with Chapman's
Peak Drive visible at the base of the
mountain

West Coast
The West Coast suburbs lie along the beach to the north of the Cape Town city centre, and include
Bloubergstrand, Milnerton, Tableview, West Beach, Big Bay, Sunset Beach, Sunningdale and Parklands,
as well as the exurbs of Atlantis and Melkbosstrand. The Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is located
within this area and maximum housing density regulations are enforced in much of the area surrounding
the nuclear plant.

Northern Suburbs
The Northern Suburbs are Afrikaans-speaking, and include Bellville, Kanonberg, Bothasig, Brooklyn,
Burgundy Estate, Durbanville, Edgemead, Elsie's River, Factreton, Goodwood, Kensington, Maitland,
Monte Vista, Panorama, Parow, Richwood, Table View, and Welgemoed. Much of the northern suburbs
is colloquially known as Tygerberg and is home to Tygerberg Hospital, the largest hospital in the Western
Cape and second largest in South Africa[40]

Southern Suburbs
Main article: Southern Suburbs, Cape Town

The Southern Suburbs hug along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, southeast of the city centre. This
area has mixed languages but is predominantly English-speaking, and includes, from north to south,
Rondebosch, Pinelands, Thornton, Newlands, Mowbray, Observatory, Bishopscourt, Claremont,
Wynberg, Plumstead, Hout Bay, Ottery, and Bergvliet. West of Wynberg lies Constantia which, in
addition to being a wealthy neighbourhood, is a notable wine-growing region within the City of Cape
Town. Constantia not only oers a luscious suburban living lifestyle, but also attracts tourists for its well
known wine farms and Cape Dutch architecture.

South Peninsula
The South Peninsula is generally regarded as the area south of
Muizenberg on False Bay and Noordhoek on the Atlantic Ocean, all
the way to Cape Point. Until recently quite rural, the population of the
area is growing quickly as new coastal developments proliferate and
larger plots are subdivided to provide more compact housing. It
includes Capri Village, Clovelly, Fish Hoek, Glencairn, Kalk Bay,
Kommetjie, Masiphumelele, Muizenberg, Noordhoek, Ocean View,

Simon's Town

Scarborough, Simon's Town, St James, Sunnydale, Sun Valley, and

Steenberg. South Africa's largest naval base is located at Simon's
Town harbour as well as Boulders Beach, the site of a large colony of
African penguins[41]

Eastern Suburbs

Wave breaking on the rocky beach of

Kommetjie

The Eastern Suburbs lie southeast of the Afrikaans-speaking

neighbourhoods in the Northern Suburbs, beyond the airport, and notably are the site of several new
subsidized housing projects and are also Afrikaans-speaking. Communities include Fairdale, Brackenfell,
Kraaifontein, Kuils River, Blue Downs, Belhar, Delft, Mfuleni and Protea Hoogte.

Cape Flats
Main article: Cape Flats

The Cape Flats (Die Kaapse Vlakte in Afrikaans) is an expansive, low-lying, flat Afrikaans-speaking area
situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. From the 1950s the area became
home to people the apartheid government designated as non-White and has been described by some
as 'Apartheid's dumping ground'. Race-based legislation such as the Group Areas Act and pass laws
either forced non-white people out of more central urban areas designated for white people and into
government-built townships in the Flats or made living in the area illegal, forcing many people
designated as Black into informal settlements elsewhere in the Flats.
Since then the Flats have been home to much of the population of Greater Cape Town. This area
includes the neighbourhoods of Mitchell's Plain, Athlone, Elsie's River, Hanover Park, Bishop Lavis,
Manenberg, Strandfontein, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Langa, and Khayelitsha.

Helderberg
Main article: Helderberg

The Helderberg consists of Somerset West, Strand, Gordons Bay and a few other towns. The district
takes its name from the imposing Helderberg Mountain, which is Afrikaans for "clear mountain", and
culminates at a height of 1,137 metres (3,730 feet) as The Dome.

Government
Main article: City of Cape Town

Cape Town's local government is the City of Cape Town, which is a

metropolitan municipality. Cape Town is governed by a 221-member
city council. The city is divided into 111 electoral wards; each ward
directly elects one member of the council, whilst the other 110
councillors are elected by a system of party-list proportional
representation. The Executive Mayor and Executive Deputy Mayor are
chosen by the city council.
In the local government elections of 18 May 2011, the Democratic

Cape Town City Hall as seen from the

Grand Parade in front of the building.
Table Mountain is visible in the
background.

Alliance (DA) won an outright majority, taking 135 of the 221 council
seats. The African National Congress, the national ruling party, received 73 seats.[42] As a result of this
victory Patricia de Lille, the DA mayoral candidate, was inaugurated as Executive Mayor on 1 June.

Demographics

Population density in Cape Town

<1 /km

100300 /km

13 /km

3001000

310 /km
1030 /km

/km
10003000

30100 /km /km

>3000 /km

Geographical distribution of home

languages in Cape Town (2011)
Afrikaans
English
Xhosa
No population or no language
dominant

Year

Pop. % p.a.

Year

Pop. % p.a.

1658
360

1731
3,157 +3.02%
1836 20,000 +1.77%
1875 45,000 +2.10%
1891 67,000 +2.52%

1970
1975
1980
1985
1990

1,114,000 +3.35%
1,339,000 +3.75%
1,609,000 +3.74%
1,933,000 +3.74%
2,296,000 +3.50%

1901
1950
1955
1960
1965

1996
2001
2007
2011
2014

2,565,018 +1.86%
2,892,243 +2.43%
3,497,097 +3.22%
3,740,025 +1.69%
3,750,000 +0.09%

171,000 +9.82%
618,000 +2.66%
705,000 +2.67%
803,000 +2.64%
945,000 +3.31%

Note: Census figures (19962011) cover figures after 1994 reflect the greater Cape Town metropolitan municipality
reflecting post-1994 reforms. Sources: 1658-1904,[43] 1950-1990,[44]
1996,[45] 2001, and 2011 Census;[46]
2007,[47] 2014 Census estimates.[citation needed]

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 not always considered as part of
Cape Town is 3,740,026 people. This represents an annual growth rate of 2.6% compared to the
results of the previous census in 2001 which found a population of 2,892,243 people.[48] :54 The sex ratio
is 96, meaning that there are slightly more women than men.[48]:55 42.4% of the population described

themselves as "Coloured", 15.7% as "White", 38.6% as "Black African", and 1.4% as "Indian or
Asian".[48]:5659 In 1944, 47% of the city's population was White, 46% was Coloured, less than 6% was
Black African and 1% was Asian.[49] 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.[48]:64
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.[48]:74
Of those aged between 5 and 25, 67.8% are attending an educational institution.[48]:78 Amongst those
aged between 15 and 65 the unemployment rate is 23.7%.[48]:79 The average annual household income
is R161,762.[48]:88
There are 1,068,573 households in the municipality, giving an average household size of 3.3
people.[48]:80 Of those households, 78.4% are in formal structures (houses or flats), while 20.5% are in
informal structures (shacks).[48]:81 94.0% of households use electricity for lighting.[48]:84 87.3% of
households have piped water to the dwelling, while 12.0% have piped water through a communal
tap.[48]:85 94.9% of households have regular refuse collection service.[48]:86 91.4% of households have a
flush toilet or chemical toilet, while 4.5% still use a bucket toilet.[48]:87 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 (either through
a computer or a cellphone).[48]:83

Economy
Main article: Economy of the Western Cape

Cape Town is the economic hub of the Western Cape Province, South
Africa's second main economic centre and Africa's third main
economic hub city. It serves as the regional manufacturing centre in
the Western Cape. In 2011 the city's GDP was US$56.8 billion with a
GDP per capita of US$15,721.[5] In the five years preceding 2014
Cape Town GDP grew at an average of 3.7% a year. As a proportion

View of the skyline of Cape Town's

central business district. The
economic heart of the city and the
Western Cape province.

of GDP the agriculture and manufacturing sectors have declined

whilst finance, business services, transport and logistics have grown
reflecting the growth in specialised services sectors of the local
economy. Fishing, clothing and textiles, wood product manufacturing,
electronics, furniture, hospitality, finance and business services are
industries in which Cape Town's economy has the largest
comparative advantage.[7]
Between 2001 and 2010 the city's Gini coecient, a measure of

Main entrance to the Cape Town

International Convention Centre

inequality, improved by dropping from 0.59 in 2007 to 0.57 in 2010

only to increase to 0.67 by 2011/12. Despite this increase, Cape Town's Gini coecient remained the
lowest of any large city in South Africa.[7]
Cape Town has recently enjoyed a booming real estate and construction market, because of the 2010
World Cup as well as many people buying summer homes in the city or relocating there permanently.
Cape Town hosted nine World Cup matches: Six first-round matches, one second-round match, one
quarter final and one semifinal. The central business district is under an extensive urban renewal
programme, with numerous new buildings and renovations taking place under the guidance of the Cape
Town Partnership.[50]
Cape Town has four major commercial nodes, with Cape Town Central Business District containing the
majority of job opportunities and oce space. Century City, the Bellville/TygerValley strip and Claremont
commercial nodes are well established and contain many oces and corporate headquarters as well.
Most companies headquartered in the city are insurance companies, retail groups, publishers, design
houses, fashion designers, shipping companies, petrochemical companies, architects and advertising
agencies.[51] The most notable companies headquartered in the city are food and fashion retailer
Woolworths,[52] supermarket chain Pick n Pay Stores and Shoprite,[53] New Clicks Holdings Limited,
fashion retailer Foschini Group,[54] isp MWEB, Mediclinic International,etv, multi-national mass media
giant Naspers, and financial services giant Sanlam.[55] Other notable companies include Belron (vehicle
glass repair and replacement group operating worldwide), CapeRay (develops, manufactures and
supplies medical imaging equipment for the diagnosis of breast cancer), Ceres Fruit Juices (produces
fruit juice and other fruit based products), Coronation Fund Managers (third-party fund management
company), ICS (was one of the largest meat processing and distribution companies in the world), Vida e
Ca (chain of coee retailers), Capitec Bank (commercial bank in the Republic of South Africa). The city
is a manufacturing base for several multi-national companies including, Johnson & Johnson,
GlaxoSmithKline, Levi Strauss & Co., Adidas, Bokomo Foods, and Nampak.
Much of the produce is handled through the Port of Cape Town or Cape Town International Airport. Most
major shipbuilding companies have oces and manufacturing locations in Cape Town.[56] The Province
is also a centre of energy development for the country, with the existing Koeberg nuclear power station
providing energy for the Western Cape's needs.
The Western Cape is an important tourist region in South Africa; the tourism industry accounts for 9.8%
of the GDP of the province and employs 9.6% of the province's workforce. In 2010, over 1.5 million
international tourists visited the area.[57]
With the highest number of successful Information Technology companies in Africa, Cape Town is an
important centre for the industry on the continent. Growing at an annual rate of 8.5% and an estimated
worth of R77 billion in 2010 nationwide the IT industry in Cape Town is becoming increasingly important
to the city's economy.[58]
The city was recently named as the most entrepreneurial city in South Africa, with the percentage of
Capetonians pursuing business opportunities almost three times higher than the national average. Those
aged between 18 and 64 were 190% more likely to pursue new business, whilst in Johannesburg, the

same demographic group was only 60% more likely than the national average to pursue a new
business.[59]

Panorama of the Cape Town city centre

Tourism
Cape Town is not only the most popular international tourist destination in South Africa, but Africa as a
whole. This is due to its good climate, natural setting, and well-developed infrastructure. The city has
several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably Table Mountain,[60] which forms a
large part of the Table Mountain National Park and is the back end of the City Bowl. Reaching the top of
the mountain can be achieved either by hiking up, or by taking the Table Mountain Cableway. Cape
Point is recognised as the dramatic headland at the end of the Cape Peninsula.[61] Many tourists also
drive along Chapman's Peak Drive, a narrow road that links Noordhoek with Hout Bay, for the views of
the Atlantic Ocean and nearby mountains. It is possible to either drive or hike up Signal Hill for closer
views of the City Bowl and Table Mountain.[62]
Many tourists also visit Cape Town's beaches, which are popular with
local residents.[63] Due to the city's unique geography, it is possible to
visit several dierent beaches in the same day, each with a dierent
setting and atmosphere. Though the Cape's water ranges from cold
to mild, the dierence between the two sides of the city is dramatic.
While the Atlantic Seaboard averages annual water temperatures
barely above that of coastal California around 13 C (55 F), the False
Bay coast is much warmer, averaging between 16 and 17 C (61 and
63 F) annually. This is similar to water temperatures in much of the

Clifton Beach is one of Cape Town's

most famous beaches and is a
significant tourist destination in its
own right.

Northern Mediterranean (for example Nice). In summer, False Bay water averages slightly over 20 C
(68 F), with 22 C (72 F) a common high. Beaches located on the Atlantic Coast tend to have very cold

water due to the Benguela current which originates from the Southern Ocean, whilst the water at False
Bay beaches may be warmer by up to 10 C (18 F) at the same moment due to the influence of the
warm Agulhas current, and the surface warming eects of the South Easter wind.[63]
Both coasts are equally popular, although the beaches in auent Clifton and elsewhere on the Atlantic
Coast are better developed with restaurants and cafs, with a strip of restaurants and bars accessible to
the beach at Camps Bay. The Atlantic seaboard, known as Cape Town's Rivera,is regarded as one of
the most scenic routes in South Africa. The majestic slopes of the Twelve Apostles to the unspoilt
boulders and white sand beaches of Llandudno, which the route ending in Hout Bay - a diverse bustling
suburb with a harbour and a seal island. This fishing village is flanked by the luscious Constantia valley
and the picturesque Chapmans Peak drive.Boulders Beach near Simon's Town is known for its colony of
African penguins.[64] Surfing is popular and the city hosts the Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing
competition every year.
The city has several notable cultural attractions. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, built on top of part of
the docks of the Port of Cape Town, is the city's most visited tourist attraction. It is also one of the city's
most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium.[65][66] The
V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which ferries depart for Robben Island.[67] It is
possible to take a ferry from the V&A to Hout Bay, Simon's Town and the Cape fur seal colonies on Seal
and Duiker Islands. Several companies oer tours of the Cape Flats, a mostly Coloured township, and
Khayelitsha, a mostly black township.[68]
Cape Town is noted for its architectural heritage, with the highest density of Cape Dutch style buildings
in the world. Cape Dutch style, which combines the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany,
France and Indonesia, is most visible in Constantia, the old government buildings in the Central
Business District, and along Long Street.[69][70] The annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also known by
its Afrikaans name of Kaapse Klopse, is a large minstrel festival held annually on 2 January or "Tweede
Nuwe Jaar" (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of minstrels parade in brightly coloured
costumes, performing Cape Jazz, either carrying colourful umbrellas or playing an array of musical
instruments. The Artscape Theatre Centre is the main performing arts venue in Cape Town.
The city also encloses the 36 hectare Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden that contains protected
natural forest and fynbos along with a variety of animals and birds. There are over 7,000 species in
cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species of the Cape Floristic Region. In
2004 this Region, including Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[71]
Cape Town's transport system links it to the rest of South Africa; it serves as the gateway to other
destinations within the province. The Cape Winelands and in particular the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl
and Franschhoek are popular day trips from the city for sightseeing and wine tasting.[72][73] Whale
watching is popular amongst tourists: southern right whales and humpback whales are seen o the
coast during the breeding season (August to November) and Bryde's whales and killer whale can be
seen any time of the year.[74] The nearby town of Hermanus is known for its Whale Festival, but whales
can also be seen in False Bay.[74] Heaviside's dolphins are endemic to the area and can be seen from
the coast north of Cape Town; dusky dolphins live along the same coast and can occasionally be seen
from the ferry to Robben Island.[74]

The only complete windmill in South Africa is Mostert's Mill, Mowbray. It was built in 1796 and restored
in 1935 and again in 1995.
The most popular areas for visitors to stay include Camps Bay, Sea Point, the V&A Waterfront, the City
Bowl, Hout Bay, Constantia, Rondebosch, Newlands, Somerset West, Hermanus and Stellenbosch.[75]
In November 2013, Cape Town was voted the best global city in The Daily Telegraph's annual Travel
Awards.[76]

Tourism marketing
The City of Cape Town works closely with Cape Town Tourism to promote the city both locally and
internationally. The primary focus of Cape Town Tourism is to represent Cape Town as a tourist
destination.[77][78] Cape Town Tourism receives a portion of its funding from the City of Cape Town while
the remainder is made up of membership fees and own-generated funds.[79]

Cape of Good Hope

Clifton's 4th Beach

Panoramic view across the Victoria

Basin at the Victoria & Alfred
Waterfront, with Table Mountain in the
background

The distinctive Cape

Malay Bo-Kaap is one of
the most visited areas in
Cape Town.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Mostert's

Groote Kerk, Cape

Mill

Town

Communications and media

Several newspapers, magazines and printing facilities have their oces in the city. Independent News
and Media publishes the major English language papers in the city, the Cape Argus and the Cape Times.
Naspers, the largest media conglomerate in South Africa, publishes Die Burger, the major Afrikaans
language paper.[80]
Cape Town has many local community newspapers. Some of the largest community newspapers in
English are the Athlone News from Athlone, the Atlantic Sun, the Constantiaberg Bulletin from
Constantiaberg, the City Vision from Bellville, the False Bay Echo from False Bay, the Helderberg Sun
from Helderberg, the Plainsman from Michells Plain, the Sentinel News from Hout Bay, the Southern Mail
from the Southern Peninsula, the Southern Suburbs Tatler from the Southern Suburbs, Table Talk from
Table View and Tygertalk from Tygervalley/Durbanville. Afrikaans language community newspapers
include the Landbou-Burger and the Tygerburger. Vukani, based in the Cape Flats, is published in
Xhosa.[81]
Cape Town is a centre for major broadcast media with several radio stations that only broadcast within
the city. 94.5 Kfm (94.5 MHz FM) and Good Hope FM (9497 MHz FM) mostly play pop music. Heart FM
(104.9 MHz FM), the former P4 Radio, plays jazz and R&B, while Fine Music Radio (101.3 FM) plays
classical music and jazz. Bush Radio is a community radio station (89.5 MHz FM). The Voice of the Cape
(95.8 MHz FM) and Cape Talk (567 kHz MW) are the major talk radio stations in the city.[82] Bokradio
(98.9 MHz FM) is an Afrikaans music station.[83] The University of Cape Town also runs its own radio
station, UCT Radio (104.5 MHz FM).
The SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) has a small presence in the city, with satellite
studios located at Sea Point. e.tv has a greater presence, with a large complex located at Longkloof
Studios in Gardens. M-Net is not well represented with infrastructure within the city. Cape Town TV is a
local TV station, supported by numerous organisation and focusing mostly on documentaries. Numerous
productions companies and their support industries are located in the city, mostly supporting the
production of overseas commercials, model shoots, TV-series and movies.[84] The local media
infrastructure remains primarily in Johannesburg.

Sport
Cape Town's most popular sports by participation are cricket,
association football, swimming, and rugby union.[85] In rugby union,
Cape Town is the home of the Western Province side, who play at
Newlands Stadium and compete in the Currie Cup. In addition,
Western Province players (along with some from Wellington's Boland
Cavaliers) comprise the Stormers in the Southern Hemisphere's Super
Rugby competition. Cape Town also regularly hosts

Venue

Kitesurfing in Table Bay

Sport

Capacity Club(s

the national team, the Springboks, and hosted

matches during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, including

Cape Town
Stadium

Association
football/Rugby

69,070

Ajax CT
Cape
Town
City FC

Newlands
Cricket Ground

Cricket

25,000

Cape
Cobras
Western
Provinc
Cricket

the opening ceremony and game, as well as the semifinal between New Zealand and England that saw
Jonah Lomu run in four tries.
Association football, which is better known as soccer
in South Africa, is also popular. Two clubs from Cape
Town play in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), South

Newlands Rugby 47,000

Stadium

Africa's premier league. These teams are Ajax Cape

Rugby

Town, which formed as a result of the 1999

Stormers,
Western
Province

Athlone Stadium Association football

24,000

was also the location of several of the matches of the

Philippi Stadium Association football

5,000

FIFA 2010 World Cup including a semi-final,[86] held in

Bellville
Velodrome

Cycling track

3,000

Western
Provinc
Cycling

Hartleyvale
Hockey Centre

Field Hockey

2,000

Western
Provinc
Hockey

Turfhall Stadium

Softball

3,000

Western
Provinc
Softball

Good Hope
Centre

Various indoor sports 6,000

Various

Royal Cape
Yacht Club

Sailing

N/A

Royal
Cape
Yacht
Club

Grand West
Arena

Various

6,000

N/A

Green Point
Athletics
Stadium

Athletics, Association 5,000

football

N/A

Newlands
Swimming Pool

Swimming/water
polo/diving

WP
Aquatic

amalgamation of the Seven Stars and the Cape Town

Spurs and newly promoted Chippa United. Cape Town

South Africa. The Mother City built a new 70,000 seat

stadium (Cape Town Stadium) in the Green Point area.
In cricket, the Cape Cobras represent Cape Town at
the Newlands Cricket Ground. The team is the result
of an amalgamation of the Western Province Cricket
and Boland Cricket teams. They take part in the
Supersport and Standard Bank Cup Series. The
Newlands Cricket Ground regularly hosts international
matches.
Cape Town has Olympic aspirations: in 1996, Cape
Town was one of the five candidate cities shortlisted
by the IOC to launch ocial candidatures to host the
2004 Summer Olympics. Although the games
ultimately went to Athens, Cape Town came in third
place. There has been some speculation that Cape
Town is seeking the South African Olympic
Committee's nomination to be South Africa's bid city
for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.[87]

2,000

Autshumato/Berg Rowing/Canoe-Kayak N/A

River Dam
Khayelitsha canal Rowing/Canoe
Khayelitsha
Association
Rugby & Soccer football/Rugby
stadium

6,000

Sports events
Further information: List of sports events in Cape Town

The city of Cape Town has vast experience in hosting major national and international sports events.
The Cape Town Cycle Tour is the world's largest individually timed cycle race and the first event
outside Europe to be included in the International Cycling Union's Golden Bike Series. It sees over

Santos
Footbal
Club

N/A]

35,000 cyclists tackling a 109 km (68 mi) route around Cape Town. The Absa Cape Epic is the largest
full-service mountain bike stage race in the world.
Some notable events hosted by Cape Town have included the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 2003 ICC Cricket
World Cup, and World Championships in various sports such as athletics, fencing, weightlifting, hockey,
cycling, canoeing, gymnastics and others.
Cape Town was also a host city to the 2010 FIFA World Cup from 11 June to 11 July 2010, further
enhancing its profile as a major events city. It was also one of the host cities of the 2009 Indian Premier
League cricket tournament.

Education
Public primary and secondary schools in Cape Town are run by the Western Cape Education
Department. This provincial department is divided into seven districts; four of these are "Metropole"
districts Metropole Central, North, South, and East which cover various areas of the city.[88] There are
also many private schools, both religious and secular, in Cape Town.

Tertiary education
Cape Town has a well-developed higher system of public universities.
Cape Town is served by three public universities: the University of
Cape Town (UCT), the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Stellenbosch
University, while not in the city itself, is 50 kilometres from the City
Bowl and has additional campuses, such as the Tygerberg Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences and the Bellville Business Park closer
to the City.

University of Cape Town's main

campus

Both the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University are leading universities in South Africa.
This is due in large part to substantial financial contributions made to these institutions by both the
public and private sector. UCT is an English-speaking institution. It has over 21,000 students and has an
MBA programme that is ranked 51st by the Financial Times in 2006.[89] It is also the top-ranked

university in Africa, being the only African university to make the world's Top 200 university list at
number 146.[90] Since the African National Congress has come into governmental power, some
restructuring of Western Cape universities has taken place and as such, traditionally non-white
universities have seen increased financing, which has benefitted the University of the Western
Cape.[91][92]
The public Cape Peninsula University of Technology was formed on 1 January 2005, when two separate
institutions Cape Technikon and Peninsula Technikon were merged. The new university oers
education primarily in English, although one may take courses in any of South Africa's ocial languages.
The institution generally awards the National Diploma.
Cape Town has also become a popular study abroad destination for many international college
students. Many study abroad providers oer semester, summer, short-term, and internship programs in
partnership with Cape Town universities as a chance for international students to gain intercultural
understanding.

Primary education
Secondary education

Transport
Air
Cape Town International Airport serves both domestic and international flights. It is the second-largest
airport in South Africa and serves as a major gateway for travellers to the Cape region. Cape Town has
direct flights to most cities in South Africa as well as a number of international destinations.[93]
Cape Town International Airport recently opened a brand new central terminal building that was
developed to handle an expected increase in air trac as tourism numbers increased in the lead-up to
the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[94] Other renovations include several large new parking garages, a revamped
domestic departure terminal, a new Bus Rapid Transit system station and a new double-decker road
system. The airport's cargo facilities are also being expanded and several large empty lots are being
developed into oce space and hotels.
The Cape Town International Airport was among the winners of the World Travel Awards for being
Africa's leading airport.[95]

Sea
Cape Town has a long tradition as a port city. The Port of Cape Town,
the city's main port, is in Table Bay directly to the north of the central
business district. The port is a hub for ships in the southern Atlantic: it
is located along one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world. It is
also a busy container port, second in South Africa only to Durban. In

2004, it handled 3,161 ships and 9.2 million tonnes of cargo.[96]

Simon's Town Harbour on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula
is the main operational base of the South African Navy.

The Port of Cape Town is a major

transport node in southern Africa. In
addition to moving freight it also
serves as a major repair site for ships
and oil rigs.

Rail
The Shosholoza Meyl is the passenger rail operations of Spoornet and operates two long-distance
passenger rail services from Cape Town: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via Kimberley and a
weekly service to and from Durban via Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg. These trains
terminate at Cape Town railway station and make a brief stop at Bellville. Cape Town is also one
terminus of the luxury tourist-oriented Blue Train as well as the five-star Rovos Rail.
Metrorail operates a commuter rail service in Cape Town and the surrounding area. The Metrorail
network consists of 96 stations throughout the suburbs and outskirts of Cape Town.

Road
Cape Town is the origin of three national roads. The N1 and N2 begin in the foreshore area near the city
centre.
The N1 runs ENE as a highway through Edgemead, Parow, Bellville, and Brackenfell. It connects Cape
Town to Paarl and the major cities in the interior - Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Zimbabwe.
An older at-grade road, the R101, runs parallel to the N1 from Bellville.
The N2 runs ESE as a highway through Rondebosch, Guguletu, Khayelitsha, Macassar to Somerset
West. It becomes a multiple-carriageway at-grade road from the intersection with the R44 onwards. The
N2 continues east along the coast, linking Cape Town to the coastal cities of Port Elizabeth, East
London and Durban. An older at-grade road, the R101, runs parallel to the N1 initially, before veering
south at Bellville, to join the N2 at Somerset West via the suburbs of Kuils River and Eerste River.
The N7 originates from the N1 at Wingfield Interchange near Edgemead. It runs north, initially as a
highway, but becoming an at-grade road from the intersection with the M5 (Potsdam Rd) onwards. It
links Cape Town with the Northern Cape Province and Namibia.
There are also a number of two- and three-digit regional routes linking Cape Town with surrounding
areas. The R27 originates from the N1 near the Foreshore and runs north parallel to the N7, but nearer to
the coast. It passes through the suburbs of Milnerton, Table View and Bloubergstrand and links the City
to the West Coast, ending at the town of Velddrif. The R44 enters the east of the metro from the north,
from Stellenbosch. It connects Stellenbosch to Somerset West, then crosses the N2 to Strand and
Gordon's Bay. It exits the metro heading south hugging the coast, leading to the towns of Betty's Bay
and Kleinmond.
Of the three-digit routes, the R300, which is informally known as the Cape Flats Freeway, is a highway
linking the N1 at Brackenfell to the N2 near Mitchells Plain and the Cape Town International Airport. The
R302 runs from the R102 in Bellville, heading north across the N1 through Durbanville leaving the metro

to Malmesbury. The R304 enters the northern limits of the metro from Stellenbosch, running NNW
before veering west to cross the N7 at Philadelphia to end at Atlantis at a junction with the\sR307. This
R307 starts north of Koeberg from the R27 and, after meeting the R304, continues north to Darling,
Western Cape, Darling. The R310 originates from Muizenberg and runs along the coast, to the south of
Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha, before veering north-east, crossing the N2 west of Macassar, and
exiting the metro heading to Stellenbosch.
Cape Town, like most South African cities, uses Metropolitan or "M" routes for important intra-city
routes, a layer below National (N) roads and Regional (R) routes. Each city's M roads are independently
numbered. Most are at-grade roads. However, the M3 splits from the N2 and runs to the south along the
eastern slopes of Table Mountain, connecting the City Bowl with Muizenberg. Except for a section
between Rondebosch and Newlands that has at-grade intersections, this route is a highway. The M5
splits from the N1 further east than the M3, and links the Cape Flats to the CBD. It is a highway as far as
the interchange with the M68 at Ottery, before continuing as an at-grade road.
Cape Town suers from the worst trac congestion in South Africa.[97][98]

Buses
Golden Arrow Bus Services operates scheduled bus services throughout the Cape Town metropolitan
area. Several companies run long-distance bus services from Cape Town to the other cities in South
Africa.

Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT)[99]

Main article: MyCiTi

Cape Town has a significantly enhanced public transport system in about 10% of the City, running north
to south along the west coastline of the City, comprising Phase 1 of the IRT system. This is known as
the MyCiTi service.
MyCiTi Phase 1 includes services linking the Airport to the Cape Town inner city, as well as the following

areas: Blouberg / Table View, Dunoon, Atlantis and Melkbosstrand, Milnerton, Paarden Eiland, Century
City, Salt River and Walmer Estate, and all suburbs of the City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard all the way to
Llandudno and Hout Bay.
The MyCiTi N2 Express service consists of two routes each linking the Cape Town inner city and
Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats.
The service use high floor articulated and standard size buses in dedicated busways, low floor
articulated and standard size buses on the N2 Express service, and smaller 9-metre (30-foot) Optare
buses in suburban and inner city areas. It oers universal access through level boarding and numerous
other measures, and requires cashless fare payment using the EMV compliant smart card system, called
myconnect. Headway of services (i.e. the time between buses on the same route) range from 3 mins to
20 mins in peak times to 60 minutes during quiet o-peak periods.

Taxis
Cape Town has two kinds of taxis: metered taxis and minibus taxis. Unlike many cities, metered taxis
are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called to a specific location.
Cape Town metered taxi cabs mostly operate in the city bowl, suburbs and Cape Town International
Airport areas. Large companies that operate fleets of cabs can be reached by phone and are cheaper
than the single operators that apply for hire from taxi ranks and Victoria and Alfred Waterfront . There
are about a thousand-meter taxis in Cape Town. Their rates vary from R8 per kilometre to about R15 per
kilometre. The larger taxi companies in Cape Town are Excite Taxis, Cabnet and Intercab and single
operators are reachable by cellular phone. The seven seated Toyota Avanza are the most popular with
larger Taxi companies. Meter cabs are mostly used by tourists and are safer to use than minibus taxis.
Minibus taxis are the standard form of transport for the majority of the population who cannot aord
private vehicles.[100] Although essential, these taxis are often poorly maintained and are frequently not
road-worthy. These taxis make frequent unscheduled stops to pick up passengers, which can cause
accidents.[101][102] With the high demand for transport by the working class of South Africa, minibus taxis
are often filled over their legal passenger allowance. Minibuses are generally owned and operated in
fleets.[103]

Table Mountain from

the harbour

Metrorail train leaving

N2 highway, entering

Kalk Bay station

the City Bowl

Taxi rank above Cape

Town railway station

Twin towns sister cities

Cape Town has nine twin towns and sister cities:
Country

City

Established

Belgium

Antwerp[104][unreliable source] 1996

Germany

Aachen[105]

2000

Israel

Haifa[106]

1975

China

Hangzhou[107]

2005

Mozambique Maputo[citation needed]

1994

France

Nice[108]

1974

Russia

Saint Petersburg[109]

2001

Portugal

Funchal[citation needed]

1995

Angola

Luanda[citation needed]

1997

See also
Greenmarket Square
Noon Gun
OPENCities

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Notes
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cape Town.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopdia Britannica article Cape Town.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Cape Town.

Ocial website of the City of Cape Town
Ocial website of the Western Cape
Ocial Cape Town Tourism website
Cape Town Routes Unlimited

(ocial Western Cape Tourism website)

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