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Durbanville | |
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 .JPG)   .JPG) From Top: View of Durbanville Nature Reserve; left:Dutch Reformed Church; right:Onze Molen Mill; left: Rust-en-Vrede Wine Farm; right: King's Court House. | |
  Durbanville  Durbanville | |
| Coordinates:33°49′57″S18°38′51″E / 33.83250°S 18.64750°E /-33.83250; 18.64750 | |
| Country |  South Africa |
| Province |  Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Established | 1825[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 27.41 km2 (10.58 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 54,286 |
| • Density | 1,981/km2 (5,130/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 5.5% |
| • Coloured | 10.1% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.0% |
| • White | 82.2% |
| • Other | 1.2% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 58.9% |
| • English | 37.2% |
| • Other | 3.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 7550 |
| PO box | 7551 |
Durbanville, previously called Pampoenkraal, is a town in theWestern Cape province ofSouth Africa, part of the greaterCape Town metropolitan area.[3] It is a semi-rural residential suburb on the north-eastern outskirts of the metropolis, surrounded by farms producingwine andwheat.
Precolonial period (before 1652)
The first modern humans indigenous to the Cape area included the Khoina and theKhoisan tribes. The indigenous people lived in the Cape and its surrounding coastal areas dating as far back as 60 000 years ago.[4] They migrated from the interior of the country, what is today theNorthern Cape province, and fromBotswana andNamibia to the Cape.[5]
Dutch colonial period (1652–1795)
Durbanville's inception can be traced to a fresh water spring located in the town. The spring is currently situated behind theDurbanville Children's Home.[6] The spring was designated by theVOC (Dutch East India Company,Dutch:Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) in the mid-1600s to be used as a water replenishment station for travelers on their way from Cape Town to the interior of southern Africa. In 1661 rhinoceros and ostrich were known to inhabit the area.[7]
Durbanville was originally known as Pampoenkraal (from theAfrikaans wordspampoen meaningpumpkin, andkraal meaning corral - an enclosure for livestock). This name was attributed to the town because of a pumpkin patch which grew alongside a dam located behind the current Town Hall. Due to the natural spring, Pampoenkraal became a preferred resting place for travellers before continuing on their journey into the interior.[7]
During the late 1600s, the VOC allocated farms tofree burghers situated around the town.[7] Some of those farms are still in existence today, many of which are renowned for their wine production. These include Bloemendal, Meerendal, Diemersdal and Altydgedacht.
British colonial period (1795–1902)
The first portions of land were earmarked as residential properties and allocated in 1806, signifying the start and development of Durbanville.[7]
In 1825 a group of local farmers requested permission fromLord Charles Somerset (governor of theCape Colony at that time) to build their own church. The Dutch Reformed Church was commenced in 1825 and inaugurated a year later on 6 August 1826.[citation needed] A small village grew between the church and the outspan (overnight stop).
During 1836 the inhabitants of Pampoenkraal petitioned the Governor of theCape Colony, SirBenjamin d'Urban, for permission to rename the village D'Urban in his honour. Permission was duly granted and the new name persisted until 1886 when it was renamed to Durbanville in order to avoid confusion withDurban - a major port city in the east ofSouth Africa.[7]
Durbanville had its own court house, jail and magistrate from the 1870s and became a Magisterial District ofBellville. The court house complex still exists in altered form within the Rust-en-Vrede complex, originally erected in 1850.[citation needed] A village management board was established in 1897 and a municipality in 1901.[citation needed] The first mayor elected was John King.[citation needed]
The village grew rapidly after the turn of the 19th century and a local wagon industry developed. The King Brothers Wagon Works' used to beSouth Africa's biggest wagon works. At the turn of the century, it employed more than 200 men, which just about accounted for the entire village.
Post-Apartheid (1994-)
In 1996, Durbanville lost its municipal status and was dissolved into the Tygerberg Municipality along withBellville,Parow andGoodwood as part of the transition in local government. As of 2000, Durbanville was amalgamated into theCity of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality and is effectively a large town within the confines of the City of Cape Town, with various smaller suburbs.
Although Durbanville is now part of the City of Cape Town, it is still a town in its own right, and contains various amenities which enables it to operate independently, which includes the Village Square centre with a newly upgradedWoolworths flagship store, opened in July 2025,[8] and with theGroot Phesantekraal View shopping center that opened in 2025.[9]
Durbanville is situated in thenorthern suburbs ofCape Town, approximately 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) north-east of the city, bordered byBellville to the south,Brackenfell to the south-east andKraaifontein to the east. It lies at an altitude of between 100 m (328 ft) to 240 m (787 ft), in the vast rolling hills ofTygerberg and Koeberg.[10][11]
Durbanville contains the following residential areas:
The Durbanville Wine Valley is home to fifteen wine farms spread out along the scenic Tygerberg Hills, many of which offer wine tastings and fine dining. The valley is also dubbed as the "Sauvignon Blanc Country" owing to the amount ofsauvignon blanc produced here which is favoured by winemakers for its cooler climate (by comparison to theBoland wine region) influenced by the winds ofTable Bay andFalse Bay resulting in a different style of wine produced within the valley.[12][13]
Welgegund, situated just outside Durbanville along Malanshoogte Road, is a dairy farm owned by Fair Cape, which is one of the largest dairy producers in the Western Cape. Established in 1955 with just 64 cows on the farm, today Welgegund now has 5625 cows with each of them delivering 40 litres of milk daily.[14][15]
The historical town centre, the Durbanville CBD remains the traditional commercial centre of the town with shops, bars, cafés, boutiques and restaurants along the mainhigh street of Wellington Road and many more tucked away down the side streets.
There are three major shopping centres serving Durbanville, all of which are located in Durbanville Central - De Ville Centre, Durbanville Town Centre and The Village Square.[16][17][18] Also found in the town are the following smaller shopping centres:
Groot Phesantekraal View, a newer shopping center, is located just outside of Durbanville.
Durbanville is surrounded by a number of stoningquarries on the Tygerberg Hills with companies such as Afrimat, Portland and Ciolli Bros operating in the area.[25][26]
The Greater Durbanville area has two areas of light industry, both situated just outside the town, with the Durbanville Industrial Park to the east, along the R302 and the Atlantic Hills/Atlas Gardens area to the west, near the N7.[27] The Atlantic Hills Business Park, which is situated adjacent the established Atlas Gardens Business Park is currently one of the fastest-growing light industrial areas in the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area.[28]
Notable companies such asCurro (the largest independent education provider inSouthern Africa), Stadio Holdings (an independent higher education provider in South Africa),Xneelo (South African web hosting company), andPuma South Africa have their head offices in Durbanville.[29][30][31][32]
In recent years, there has been a population boom in Durbanville with former farmland been given over to large gated estates such as Pinehurst, Graanendal and Clara Anna Fontein. This has gradually changed the image of the town to more of a high-income area and one of the most sought-afternorthern suburbs of Cape Town.[33]
As a result of the growth, many roads in and around Durbanville have had to be extended in order to accommodate the boom including Jip de Jäger Road, Legato Road, Okavango Road and Brackenfell Boulevard.[34][35][36]
The Durbanville CBD has also seen high levels of investment over the past few years, with the upgrading of De Ville Centre, Durbanville Town Centre and Midville Centre and the recent launch of The Village Square. This has resulted in small-scalegentrification in the CBD and hence an increase in coffee shops and street-side cafes and restaurants.[37]
However, Durbanville still boasts large quantities of farmland and smallholdings along its borders, despite the recent developments, which has resulted in the town being able to retain its unique country atmospheres.
Afrikaans andEnglish are the main languages spoken in Durbanville.[citation needed] In the past Afrikaans predominated culturally, but this has changed with the rapid development of the town. However the majority (59%) of the town still speaks Afrikaans as a first language. The principal religion of the population isChristianity with a wide variety of churches in the community
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Owing to the rich history and heritage of the town, Durbanville boasts its fair share of historical features and attractions largely situated in the CBD and its immediate surroundings including:[38]
According to the2011 Census, the population of Durbanville was 54,286. The following tables show various demographic data about Durbanville from that census.[2]
| Gender | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 28 615 | 52.71% |
| Male | 25 671 | 47.29% |
| Group | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 44 607 | 82.17% |
| Coloured | 5 491 | 10.11% |
| Black African | 2 995 | 5.52% |
| Indian/Asian | 560 | 1.03% |
| Language | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| Afrikaans | 31 346 | 58.94% |
| English | 19 803 | 37.24% |
| Xhosa | 491 | 0.92% |
| Other African languages | 752 | 1.39% |
| Other languages | 732 | 1.38% |
The town has the following public high schools:
The area is home to numerous primary schools, including:
Durbanville also has a number of private schools, including:
Mediclinic Durbanville is the sole hospital serving the town of Durbanville. Owned byMediclinic International, it is a private hospital operating 24-hour emergency services. The hospital is located in the heart of the town on Wellington Road.[39]
A short distance from Mediclinic Durbanville, the Durbanville Community Day Centre is a government-funded clinic operated by theWestern Cape Department of Health and Wellness.[40]
Cape Winelands Airport is located approximately 13 km NE of Durbanville.[41] Located in the Western Cape winelands, Cape Winelands Airport (formerly Fisantekraal Airfield) is an ex–South African Airforce airfield now operating privately as a general flying airfield and used for aviation training. Of the four original runways, two remain operational while the other two are used for film production.[citation needed] It has been in private ownership since 2021. Operators at the airfield are Cape Town Flight Training Centre and Aerosport Training.[42] The Fighting on Fire organisation also has a summer base atCape Winelands Airport. The ICAO designator is FAWN. Located on a 150ha site, Cape Winelands Airport has a number of aircraft hangars for the storage and maintenance of private aircraft and helicopters.[citation needed]
Durbanville is served byGolden Arrow Bus Services which operates daily commuter bus services across the Cape Metropole.[43] Minibus taxis are also a major form of public transportation in Durbanville with the majority of minibus taxis terminating at the Durbanville Public Transport Interchange in the town centre.
Durbanville is one of the few areas in the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area that do not have a railway passing through, however the nearest railway stations are located within a 10 kilometre radius includingKraaifontein,Bellville, andBrackenfell railway stations.
The main route through Durbanville is theR302, which is formed by three roads (Durbanville Avenue, Main Street and Wellington Road). It connects the town withKlipheuwel andMalmesbury to the north-east and withBellville to the south. TheR312 (Lichtenburg Road) starts from the R302 in the north-east of the town, running towardsFisantekraal andWellington.
The town is also connected to surrounding towns and villages by a number ofmetropolitan routes: It is connected toBellville via theM13 (Church Street; Race Course Road; Tygerberg Valley Road),M16 (Jip de Jager Drive),M31 (Tygerberg Valley Road) and theM124 (Eversdal Road). It is connected to Milnerton via theM13. It is connected to Vissershok via theM48 (Vissershok Road). It is connected toPhiladelphia via theM58(Koeberg Road; Adderley Road). It is connected toBrackenfell via theM73 (De Bron Road), theM100 (Brackenfell Boulevard) and the M137 (Okavango Road). It is connected toKraaifontein via theM15 (Langeberg Road) and theM137 (Okavango Road).
The two nature reserves in Durbanville include theDurbanville Nature Reserve situated adjacent the racecourse along Race Course Road and theUitkamp Wetland Nature Reserve situated in D'Urbanvale, north of Durbanville.
Affectionately known as the "Jewel of the North", the Durbanville Golf Club is a large 18-holegolf course that was opened in 1967 and is located south of the Durbanville CBD.[44]
One of the main attractions which draws visitors to Durbanville is the Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse, established in 1922 and is one of the only two horserace courses in the Western Cape along withKenilworth in theSouthern Suburbs. Situated just south-west of the CBD, it has a left-handed oval course with a circumference of around 2200m and a home straight of roughly 600m.[45]
In August 2022, Cape Racing announcedHollywoodbets as the naming rights sponsor for the Durbanville and Kenilworth racecourses, and as a result the Durbanville Racecourse is now known as the Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse.[46]
Durbanville is host to 3 major annual cycling events in the Western Cape, which are as follows:
- Durbie Dash (usually in October)[47]- 99er Cycle Tour (usually early February)[48]- Tour de PPA (usually late February)[49]
The Durbanville municipal council assumed a coat of arms, designed byIvan Mitford-Barberton andH. Ellis Tomlinson, in April 1948,[50] and registered them at theBureau of Heraldry in February 1981.The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA)
The arms, derived from those ofSir Benjamin d'Urban, were :Or, on a chevron between in chief two six-pointed stars Sable and in base a bunch of grapes proper, three garbs Or. In layman's term, the shield is gold and depicts, from top to bottom, two black six-pointed stars, a blue chevron bearing three golden sheaves of wheat, and a bunch of grapes.
The crest was a red sphinx charged with three golden rings, and the mottoSit nomine digna.[citation needed]
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Communities ofCity of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality,Western Cape | |||||
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