Southern Suburbs | |
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 The Southern Suburbs viewed fromOu Kaapse Weg | |
 Interactive map of Southern Suburbs | |
| Coordinates:33°59′0″S18°28′30″E / 33.98333°S 18.47500°E /-33.98333; 18.47500 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
TheSouthern Suburbs are a group of predominantly affluent,Anglophonesuburbs inCape Town,Western Cape,South Africa. The region is home to mainlydetached homes, and features tree-lined streets and numerous publicparks.[1]
This group of neighborhoods includes, among others,Observatory,Mowbray,Pinelands,Rosebank,Rondebosch,Rondebosch East,Newlands,Claremont,Lansdowne,Kenilworth,Bishopscourt,Constantia,Wynberg,Ottery,Plumstead,Diep River,Meadowridge,Bergvliet,Tokai,Grassy Park, andZeekoevlei.[2]
The Southern Suburbs were some of the earliest parts of Cape Town to develop – most especially the areas around the Constantia Winelands.
During theApartheid era, the Southern Suburbs were predominantly "whites only" residential areas.
In mid-2025, the Southern Suburbs had some of Cape Town's highest property prices, with some large detached homes selling for as much as aroundR80 million.[3] The region is among the most popular in South Africa for real estate, both with local and international buyers.[4][5]
Cape Town's Southern Suburbs lie to the southeast of the slopes ofTable Mountain within rich valleys and vast plains reaching from just south of theTable Bay industrial neighborhoods in the north to theFalse Bay coastal suburbs and theCape Peninsula cliffs to the south, and are crossed north-south by theM3 andM5 freeways.
The majority of the Southern Suburbs' population areWhite,English-speaking individuals, with large minority communities of Black, Indian, and Coloured people residing in some suburbs. Many non-White residents speak English as a first language. The area has a population of 205,000 people.[citation needed]
Owing to the large British descendant population, the area has a bigger pro-Commonwealth and pro-monarchy (in reference to the British monarch's official title as Head of the Commonwealth) sentiment than the rest of the Cape.
Because of this, many institutions retained their royal patronage (such as theRoyal Cape Golf Club and theRoyal Cape Yacht Club), and there are many institutions related to British heritage in the region (including the Cape Town1820 Settlers Association, Cape Town Scottish Highlander Pipe Band and Cape Town Scottish Caledonian Pipe Band). The area is also home to the CecilRhodes Memorial and is home to many British pubs and tea rooms.
Due to the region being predominantly inhabited by White, English-speaking South Africans, it is also home a very large concentration of Anglicans, with many Anglican churches and Anglican private schools (most notably theSt. George's Grammar School andBishops Diocesan College).[citation needed]
The Southern Suburbs is a predominantlyEnglish-speaking region ofCape Town, whereas, in contrast, theNorthern Suburbs is a predominantlyAfrikaans-speaking region, and the two regions have their own rather distinct cultures.
From a Southern Suburbs perspective, the Northern Suburbs lie behind what is locally known as the 'Boerewors Curtain', which is used, often jokingly, by some Capetonians to draw an informal crossover point between the English-speaking Southern Suburbs and the Afrikaans-speaking Northern Suburbs, and their respective cultures.[6]
Housing in the Southern Suburbs is some of the most sought after in Cape Town, with the region offering peaceful neighborhoods with tree-lined streets, well-maintained infrastructure, an abundance ofgreen spaces, and easy access to amenities.[7]
Southern Suburbs housing comprises mostlydetached homes,townhouses, andlow-risecondos. Plots and homes are generally larger on average than in other parts of the city.[8]
Housing supply in the region is limited, and price increases outpace many other parts of not only Cape Town, but South Africa as a whole. The region contains some of South Africa's most affluent neighborhoods.[9] As of late 2025, the average price of a 2-bedroom home in the Southern Suburbs was R2.35 million, and the average for a 3-bedroom property was R3.3 million, both well above the national average.[10]
The Southern Suburbs has many scenicpublic spaces, includingnature trails,hiking spots,wine farms,forests, andparks. These range from public amenities such as Kirstenbosch Garden, Newlands Forest, and Silvermine Nature Reserve, to private establishments such as Groot Constantia, Constantia Uitsig, Buitenverwagting, Steenberg Estate, and Westlake Golf Club.
Kirstenbosch Garden
TheKirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical gardens in South Africa and is situated along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain in the suburb of Bishopscourt. There are many unique flower species in this garden that are not found anywhere else in the world.
Rhodes Memorial
TheRhodes Memorial is a popular tourist attraction on the slopes ofDevil's Peak in the suburb of Rondebosch. This memorial commemorates a former British South African politician,Cecil John Rhodes. This memorial is nearby to theUniversity of Cape Town.
Newlands Forest
Newlands Forest is a popular forest along the slopes of Table Mountain atNewlands. It includes many hiking trails andbraai area. Ruins of the old "Paradise" estate whereLady Anne Barnard lived for a portion of her stay in Cape Town lay deep within this forest.
Golf
There are multiplegolf courses in the Southern Suburbs, including King David Mowbray Golf Club, Rondebosch Golf Course, Royal Cape Golf Club, Westlake Golf Club, and Steenberg Golf Club.
Arderne Gardens
Arderne Gardens is a public park and arboretum tucked away from the busy Main Road in Claremont. It was established in 1845 and is a popular venue for wedding photographs. The focus of the Arderne Gardens is the cultivation of exotic species.
The suburb ofClaremont is an important commercial hub in the Southern Suburbs and is the location of numerous offices.
Malls situated in the Southern Suburbs includeBlue Route Mall andCavendish Square. Shopping centers in the Southern Suburb includeConstantia Emporium, Constantia Village, Steenberg Village, Meadowridge Shopping Center,3Arts Village, andPalmyra Junction.
The Southern Suburbs is home to theUniversity of Cape Town, which is situated beneath the mountain, on the border ofNewlands andRondebosch. Othertertiary education institutions in the area includeVarsity College,AFDA, Cape Audio College, The South African School of Applied Psychology, and Damelin Mowbray.
The Southern Suburbs offers many good public and private primary and highschools, including some of the top-ranked schools in South Africa. Most of these schools are found in the suburbs of Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont, and Wynberg. Some schools have catchment areas, requiring accepted applicants to reside within a certain radius of the school.
List of high schools:
•Rustenburg Girls’ High School•Rondebosch Boys High School•Westerford High School•Groote Schuur High School•South African College High Schools•Bishops Diocesan College•San Souci Girls’ High School•Livingstone High School•Windsor High School•Herschel Girls Secondary School for girls•Wynberg Boys’ High School•Wynberg Girls’ High School
List of primary schools:
•Rustenberg Girls’ Junior School•Oakhurst Girls’ Primary School•Groote Schuur Primary School •Mickelfield School for Girls•Golden Grove Primary School•South African College Junior School•Grove Primary School•Greenfield Girls’ Primary School•Herschel Girls Preparatory School•Wynberg Boys’ Junior School•Wynberg Girls’ Junior School•Constantia Primary School
One of the most well-known roads in the Southern Suburbs is the historicMain Road, which starts in theCity Bowl and goes through Observatory, Mowbray, Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont, Kenilworth, Wynberg, Plumstead, Diep River, Bergvliet, Tokai, Retreat,Muizenberg, Lakeside, and then onwards to theFalse Bay region.
The bulk of the Southern Suburbs are connected toCape Town CBD in the north and Muizenberg in the south by theM3 andM5 freeways. These roads also provide connections to theN1, for travel towardsPaarl, and theN2 for travel towardsStrand.
As per metro designations, the Southern Suburbs use the older "CA" and newer "CAA" type vehiclelicense plates.[11]
Communities ofCity of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality,Western Cape | |||||
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Seat:Cape Town | |||||
| Atlantic Seaboard | .svg) | ||||
| Blaauwberg | |||||
| Cape Flats |
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| City Bowl | |||||
| Helderberg | |||||
| Islands | |||||
| Northern Suburbs | |||||
| Southern Suburbs | |||||
| South Peninsula | |||||