Western Cape

For other uses, see West Cape.

The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi), and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020.^[4] About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province. The two largest cities are Cape Town and George.

Western Cape Wes-Kaap (Afrikaans) iNtshona-Koloni (Xhosa)
Province
Coat of arms
Motto:  Spes Bona (Good Hope)
Map showing the location of the Western Cape in the south-western part of South Africa in red
Country	South Africa
Established	27 April 1994 (1994-04-27)
Capital	Cape Town
Municipalities	List City of Cape Town West Coast Cape Winelands Overberg Garden Route Central Karoo
Government
• Type	Parliamentary system
• Premier	Alan Winde (DA)
• Legislature	Western Cape Provincial Parliament
Area ^[1]^: 9
• Total	129,462 km^2 (49,986 sq mi)
• Rank	4th in South Africa
Highest elevation	2,325 m (7,628 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2011)^[1]^: 18^[2]
• Total	5,822,734
• Estimate  (2021)	7,113,776
• Rank	3rd in South Africa
• Density	45/km^2 (120/sq mi)
• Rank	4th in South Africa
Population groups ^[1]^: 21
• Coloured	50%
• Black	32%
• White	17%
• Indian or Asian	1%
Languages ^[1]^: 25
• Afrikaans	49.7%
• Xhosa	24.7%
• English	20.2%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
ISO 3166 code	ZA-WC
HDI (2019)	0.745^[3] high · 1st of 9
Website	www.westerncape.gov.za

Western Cape

Zulu	iNtshonalanga Kapa
Xhosa	iNtshona-Koloni
Afrikaans	Wes-Kaap
Sepedi	Kapa Bodikela
Sesotho	Kapa Bophirimela
Setswana	Kapa Bophirima
Xitsonga	Kapa Bophirima
Venda	Kapa Vhukovhela

Geography

 

Topography of the Western Cape. The Roggeveld and Nuweveld mountains are part of the Great Escarpment (see diagrams below). The other mountain ranges belong to the Cape Fold Belt, also shown in the diagrams below. The Western Cape's inland boundary lies for the most part at the foot of the Great Escarpment.

The Western Cape Province is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, in the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about 400 kilometres (250 mi) northwards along the Atlantic coast and about 500 kilometres (300 mi) eastwards along the South African south coast (Southern Indian Ocean). It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape. The total land area of the province is 129,462 square kilometres (49,986 sq mi),^[1]: 9 about 10.6% of the country's total. It is roughly the size of England or the State of Louisiana. Its capital city and largest city is Cape Town, and some other major cities include Stellenbosch, Worcester, Paarl, and George. The Garden Route and the Overberg are popular coastal tourism areas.

The Western Cape is the southernmost region of the African continent with Cape Agulhas as its southernmost point, only 3800 km from the Antarctic coastline. The coastline varies from sandy between capes, to rocky to steep and mountainous in places. The only natural harbour is Saldanha Bay on the west coast, about 140 km north of Cape Town. However a lack of fresh water in the region meant that it has only recently been used as a harbour.^{[citation needed]} The province's main harbour was built in Table Bay, which in its natural state was fully exposed to the northwesterly storms that bring rain to the province in winter, as well as the almost uninterrupted dry southeasterly winds in summer. But fresh water coming off Table Mountain and Devil's Peak allowed the early European settlers to build Cape Town on the shores of this less than satisfactory anchorage.

Topography

The province is topographically exceptionally diverse. Most of the province falls within the Cape Fold Belt, a set of nearly parallel ranges of sandstone folded mountains of Cambrian-Ordovician age (the age of the rocks is from 510 to about 330 million years ago; their folding into mountains occurred about 350 to about 270 million years ago).^[5][6][7] The height of the mountain peaks in the different ranges varies from 1000 m to 2300 m. The valleys between ranges are generally very fertile, as they contain the weathered loamy soils of the Bokkeveld mudstones (see the diagrams below).^[6]

The far interior forms part of the Karoo. This region of the province is generally arid and hilly, with a prominent escarpment that runs close to the Province's most inland boundary.

•  

  A diagrammatic 400 km north–south crosssection through the Cape at approximately 21° 30' E (i.e. near Calitzdorp in the Little Karoo), showing the relationship between the Cape Fold Mountains (and their geological structure) and the geology of the Little and Great Karoo, as well as the position of the Great Escarpment. The colour code for the geological layers is the same as those used in the diagram above. The heavy black line flanked by opposing arrows is the fault that runs for nearly 300 km along the southern edge of the Swartberg Mountains. The Swartberg Mountain range owes some of its great height to upliftment along this fault line. The subsurface structures are not to scale.

Escarpment

The escarpment marks the southwestern edge of South Africa's central plateau (see the middle and bottom diagrams on the left).^[6][8] It runs parallel to the entire South African coastline, except in the very far northeast, where it is interrupted by the Limpopo River valley, and in the far northwest, where it is interrupted by the Orange River valley. The 1000 km-long northeastern stretch of the escarpment is called the Drakensberg, which is geographically and geologically quite distinct from the Cape Fold Mountains, which originated much earlier and totally independently of the origin of the escarpment.^{[6][7][9][10]}

Rivers

The principal rivers of the province are the Berg and Olifants which drain into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Breede and Gourits which drain into the Indian Ocean.

Flora

 

The Red Disa (disa uniflora) is an orchid endemic to the Western Cape. It is the province's official flower.

 

The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of the world's most diverse, and is found exclusively in the Cape.

The vegetation of the region is also extremely diverse, with one of the world's seven floral kingdoms almost exclusively endemic to the province, namely the Cape Floral Kingdom, most of which is covered by Fynbos (from the Afrikaans meaning "Fine Bush" (Dutch: Fijnbosch), though precisely how it came to be referred to as such, is uncertain.).^[11][12] These evergreen heathlands are extremely rich in species diversity,^[11][12] with at least as many plant species occurring on Table Mountain as in the entire United Kingdom.^[12] It is characterised by various types of shrubs, thousands of herbaceous flowering plant species and some grasses.^[11] With the exception of the Silver tree, Leucadendron argenteum, which only grows on the granite and clay soils of the Cape Peninsula,^[13] open fynbos is generally treeless except in the wetter mountain ravines where patches of Afromontane forest persist.^[11][12]

The arid interior is dominated by Karoo drought-resistant shrubbery.^{[citation needed]} The West Coast and Little Karoo are semi-arid regions and are typified by many species of succulents and drought-resistant shrubs and acacia trees. The Garden Route on the south coast (between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Southern Indian Ocean) is extremely lush, with temperate rainforest (or Afromontane Forest) covering many areas adjacent to the coast, in the deep river valleys and along the southern slopes of the Outeniqua mountain range.^{[citation needed]} Typical species are hardwoods of exceptional height, such as Yellowwood, Stinkwood and Ironwood trees.

Climate

The Western Cape is climatologically diverse, with many distinct micro- and macroclimates created by the varied topography and the influence of the surrounding ocean currents. These are the warm Agulhas Current which flows southwards along South Africa's east coast, and the cold Benguela Current which is an upwelling current from the depths of the South Atlantic Ocean along South Africa's west coast.^[14][15] Thus climatic statistics can vary greatly over short distances. Most of the province is considered to have a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Both the Great Karoo and Little Karoo, in the interior, have an arid to semi-arid climate with cold, frosty winters and hot summers with occasional thunderstorms. The Garden Route and the Overberg on the south coast have a maritime climate with cool, moist winters and mild, moist summers. Mossel Bay in the Garden Route is considered^{[by whom?]} to have the second mildest climate worldwide after Hawaii.^{[citation needed]} The La Niña phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle tends to increase rainfall in this region in the dry season (November to April).^[16]

Thunderstorms are generally rare in the province (except in the Karoo) with most precipitation being of a frontal or orographic nature. Extremes of heat and cold are common inland, but rare near the coast. Snow is a common winter occurrence on the Western Cape Mountains occasionally reaching down into the more inland valleys. Otherwise, frost is relatively rare in coastal areas and many of the heavily cultivated valleys.

Cape Town
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     15     26 16     17     27 16     20     25 14     41     23 12     69     20 9     93     18 8     82     18 7     77     18 8     40     19 9     30     21 11     14     24 13     17     25 15 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: WMO^[17]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.6     79 60     0.7     80 60     0.8     78 58     1.6     73 53     2.7     69 49     3.7     65 46     3.2     64 45     3     64 46     1.6     67 48     1.2     70 51     0.6     74 56     0.7     77 59 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

George, Garden Route
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     55     24 17     48     24 17     60     23 16     60     22 14     48     20 12     43     18 10     43     18 9     56     18 10     48     19 11     67     20 12     75     21 14     54     23 16 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: ^[18]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.2     75 62     1.9     76 63     2.4     74 61     2.4     71 57     1.9     68 54     1.7     65 50     1.7     64 49     2.2     64 49     1.9     65 51     2.6     68 54     3     70 57     2.1     73 60 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Saldanha, West Coast
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     9     21 17     8     21 17     10     20 16     24     19 15     36     17 13     57     16 12     51     16 12     45     16 12     26     17 13     15     18 14     14     19 15     9     20 17 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: ^[19]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.4     69 63     0.3     69 63     0.4     68 61     0.9     65 58     1.4     63 56     2.2     61 54     2     61 53     1.8     60 53     1     62 55     0.6     64 57     0.6     66 59     0.4     68 62 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Political history

Cape Liberal Tradition

The Cape has had a long tradition of holding liberal values.^[20] For example, the Cape Qualified Franchise before the Union of South Africa.

Cape Qualified Franchise

Main article: Cape Qualified Franchise

The Cape Qualified Franchise was the system of non-racial franchise that was adhered to in the Cape Colony, and in the Cape Province in the early years of the Union of South Africa. Qualifications for the right to vote at parliamentary elections were applied equally to all men, regardless of race.

This local system of multi-racial suffrage was later gradually restricted, and eventually abolished, under various National Party and United Party governments. In 1930 white women were enfranchised, and in 1931 property qualifications for white voters were removed. In 1936 black voters were then removed from the common voters' rolls and allowed only to elect separate members in 1936, and subsequently denied all representation in the House of Assembly in 1960. Coloured voters similarly followed in 1958 and 1970, respectively.

Contribution of the Western Cape in the National Youth Uprisings

The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress leadership after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960. The BCM represented a social movement for political consciousness.^[21]

In December 1968, the South African Student Organization (SASO) was formed at a conference held in Marianhill, Natal. The conference was exclusively attended by Black students. After its launch, SASO became the medium through which black consciousness ideology spread to schools and other university campuses across the country.^[22]

In 1974, South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development MC Botha, constituted the imposition of using Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools, effective with students in Grade 7 (Standard 5) upwards.^[23] As early as March 1976, students began passive resistance against Afrikaans, fueling the outbreak of the Soweto Uprising on 16 June 1976. Consequently, the student protests spread to other parts of the country, and Cape Town became a pivotal site for Western Cape student revolt.^[24]

Student leaders at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) organised marches. Poster parades by UWC and Black Power Salute marches by UCT was broken by the police, resulting in 73 students getting arrested and detained at Victor Verster Prison, near Paarl.^{[citation needed]}

On 1 September 1976, the unrest spread to the city of Cape Town itself. Approximately 2000 black students from Western Cape townships, namely Langa, Nyanga and Gugulethu, matched the Cape Town central business district (CBD). Coloured students also contributed to the protests by peacefully marching to the city, but were blockaded by the police in the CBD. The protests turned violent when coloured students started burning schools, libraries and a magistrate's court in support of the student revolt. Thereafter, 200,000 coloured workers partook in a two-day strike staying away from work in the Cape Town area.^{[citation needed]}

According to a report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Western Cape experienced the second highest number of deaths and casualties associated with the 1976 uprising protests.^[25]

1994 and the Western Cape post-apartheid

In 1994, at the introduction of the Interim Constitution and the first non-racial election, South Africa's original provinces and bantustans were abolished and nine new provinces were established. The former Cape Province was divided into the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and part of North West.

In the 1994 election, the Western Cape was one of two provinces that did not elect an African National Congress (ANC) provincial government (the other being KwaZulu-Natal). The National Party (NP) won 53% of the votes and 23 seats in the 42-seat provincial legislature, and Hernus Kriel, a former Minister of Law and Order, was elected Premier. He resigned in 1998 and was replaced by Gerald Morkel.

The 1999 election marked the beginning of a period of great turbulence in Western Cape politics. No party achieved an absolute majority in the provincial parliament, as the ANC won 18 seats while the New National Party (NNP), successor to the NP, won 17. The NNP went into coalition with the Democratic Party (DP), which won 5 seats, to form a government, and Morkel remained Premier. In 2000 the DP and the NNP formalised their coalition by forming the Democratic Alliance (DA).

In 2001, however, the NNP broke with the DA over the removal of Peter Marais from office as Mayor of Cape Town by DA leader Tony Leon. The NNP instead went into coalition with the ANC; Gerald Morkel, who was opposed to the split, resigned as Premier and was replaced by Peter Marais. In 2002 Marais resigned as Premier due to a sexual harassment scandal, and was replaced by NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk. During the 2003 floor-crossing period four members of the provincial parliament crossed to the ANC, giving it an absolute majority of 22 seats in the 42-seat house. However, the ANC remained in coalition with the NNP and van Schalkwyk remained as Premier.

In the 2004 election, there was again no absolute winner in the provincial parliament; this time the ANC won 19 seats, the DA won 12, and the NNP won 5. The ANC-NNP coalition continued in power, but van Schalkwyk took up a ministerial post in the national cabinet and was replaced as Premier by the ANC's Ebrahim Rasool. The NNP was finally dissolved after the 2005 floor-crossing period and its members joined the ANC, again giving that party an absolute majority of 24 seats. In the 2007 floor-crossing period the ANC gained a further three members of the provincial parliament. In 2008 Rasool resigned as Premier due to internal party politics, and was replaced by Lynne Brown.

The 2009 election marked a significant change in Western Cape politics, as the Democratic Alliance won 51% of the votes and an absolute majority of 22 seats in the provincial parliament, while the ANC won 14 seats with 31% of the vote. The DA leader Helen Zille was elected Premier. In 2010 the Independent Democrats, which had won 3 seats with 5% of the vote, merged with the DA. In the 2014 election the DA won 59% of the votes and an absolute majority of 26 seats in the provincial parliament, while the ANC won 14 seats with 32% of the vote. In 2018 King Khoebaha Cornelius III Declared the independence of the "Sovereign State of Good Hope".^[26][27]

In the 2019 election, the DA retained their majority in the province, but with a reduction in support. It had won 24 seats with 55%. Helen Zille was term-limited and the DA premier candidate Alan Winde succeeded her. The ANC also lost support. It had received 12 seats with 28% support, its lowest showing since 1994. Veteran politician Peter Marais returned to the provincial parliament as the sole representative of the Freedom Front Plus. Patricia de Lille formed another party, Good, and it achieved a seat.^[28]

Cape Independence Movement

Main article: Cape Independence

Since the late 2000s there has been growing support for Western Cape, or Greater Cape, independence from South Africa. Political parties such as the Cape Independence Party and organisations such as the Cape Independence Advocacy Group^[29] and CapeXit,^[30] wish to bring forth the constitutional and peaceful secession of the Cape.^[31] The Freedom Front Plus and Cape Coloured Congress have also stated that they support Cape independence.^[32][33]

There is substantial support for the idea with CapeXit garnering over 800,000 signed mandates in May 2021.^[31] A poll conducted in 2020 indicated that 36% of the Western Cape's population would support independence, while 47% would support a referendum on the issue.^[34] In 2021, a new poll indicated that 58% of the population would now support a referendum on independence, and 46% would support outright independence.^[35]

Law and government

Main articles: Government of the Western Cape and Politics of the Western Cape

 

Provincial government headquarters in Cape Town

The provincial government is established under the Constitution of the Western Cape, which was adopted in 1998. The people of the province elect the 42-member Western Cape Provincial Parliament every five years by a system of party-list proportional representation. The fifth provincial parliament was elected in the election of 8 May 2019; 24 seats are held by the Democratic Alliance, 12 by the African National Congress, 2 by the Economic Freedom Fighters, and 1 each by Good, the African Christian Democratic Party, Al Jama-ah, and the Freedom Front Plus. The provincial parliament is responsible for legislating within its responsibilities as set out by the national constitution; these responsibilities include agriculture, education, environment, health services, housing, language policies, tourism, trade, and welfare.

The provincial parliament also elects the Premier of the Western Cape to lead the provincial executive. Since 2019 the Premiership has been held by Alan Winde, former Provincial Minister of Community Safety. The Premier appoints ten members of the provincial legislature to serve as a cabinet of ministers, overseeing the departments of the provincial government. These departments are Agriculture, Community Safety, Cultural Affairs and Sport, Economic Development and Tourism, Education, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Health, Human Settlements, Local Government, Social Development, Transport and Public Works, and the Provincial Treasury.

Municipalities

Main article: List of municipalities in the Western Cape

The Western Cape Province is divided into one metropolitan municipality and five district municipalities. The district municipalities are in turn divided into 24 local municipalities.

In the following interactive map, the district and metropolitan municipalities are labelled in capital letters and shaded in various different colours. Clicking on the district on the map loads the appropriate article:

 

District and metropolitan municipalities

	Name	Code	Seat	Area (km^2)^[36]	Population (2016)^[37]	Pop. density (per km^2)
	Cape Winelands District Municipality	DC2	Worcester	21,473	866,001	40.3
	Central Karoo District Municipality	DC5	Beaufort West	38,854	74,247	1.9
	City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality	CPT	Cape Town	2,446	4,005,016	1,637.6
	Garden Route District Municipality	DC4	George	23,331	611,278	26.2
	Overberg District Municipality	DC3	Bredasdorp	12,239	286,786	23.4
	West Coast District Municipality	DC1	Moorreesburg	31,119	436,403	14.0

Local and metropolitan municipalities

	Name	Code	District	Seat	Area (km^2)^[36]	Population (2016)^[37]	Pop. density (per km^2)
	Beaufort West Local Municipality	WC053	Central Karoo	Beaufort West	21,917	51,080	2.3
	Bergrivier Local Municipality	WC013	West Coast	Piketberg	4,407	67,474	15.3
	Bitou Local Municipality	WC047	Garden Route	Plettenberg Bay	992	59,157	59.6
	Breede Valley Local Municipality	WC025	Cape Winelands	Worcester	3,834	176,578	46.1
	Cape Agulhas Local Municipality	WC033	Overberg	Bredasdorp	3,471	36,000	10.4
	Cederberg Local Municipality	WC012	West Coast	Clanwilliam	8,007	52,949	6.6
	City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality	CPT		Cape Town	2,446	4,005,016	1,637.6
	Drakenstein Local Municipality	WC023	Cape Winelands	Paarl	1,538	280,195	182.2
	George Local Municipality	WC044	Garden Route	George	5,191	208,237	40.1
	Hessequa Local Municipality	WC042	Garden Route	Riversdale	5,733	54,237	9.5
	Kannaland Local Municipality	WC041	Garden Route	Ladismith	4,765	24,168	5.1
	Knysna Local Municipality	WC048	Garden Route	Knysna	1,109	73,835	66.6
	Laingsburg Local Municipality	WC051	Central Karoo	Laingsburg	8,784	8,895	1.0
	Langeberg Local Municipality	WC026	Cape Winelands	Ashton	4,518	105,483	23.3
	Matzikama Local Municipality	WC011	West Coast	Vredendal	12,981	71,045	5.5
	Mossel Bay Local Municipality	WC043	Garden Route	Mossel Bay	2,001	94,135	47.0
	Oudtshoorn Local Municipality	WC045	Garden Route	Oudtshoorn	3,540	97,509	27.5
	Overstrand Local Municipality	WC032	Overberg	Hermanus	1,675	93,407	55.8
	Prince Albert Local Municipality	WC052	Central Karoo	Prince Albert	8,153	14,272	1.8
	Saldanha Bay Local Municipality	WC014	West Coast	Vredenburg	2,015	111,173	55.2
	Stellenbosch Local Municipality	WC024	Cape Winelands	Stellenbosch	831	173,197	208.4
	Swartland Local Municipality	WC015	West Coast	Malmesbury	3,707	133,762	36.1
	Swellendam Local Municipality	WC034	Overberg	Swellendam	3,835	40,211	10.5
	Theewaterskloof Local Municipality	WC031	Overberg	Caledon	3,259	117,167	36.0
	Witzenberg Local Municipality	WC022	Cape Winelands	Ceres	10,753	130,548	12.1

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Western Cape

 

A wheat field near Porterville in the Bergriver Municipality. Wheat is a common agricultural crop in the area.

The Western Cape's total GDP for 2008 was R268bn, 14% of the country's total GDP, and R97,664 per capita.^[38] Provincially, it is the third highest contributor to the country's GDP behind Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. It also has one of the fastest growing economies in the country, growing at 4% in 2008.^[39] At 19.3% the province has a lower unemployment rate than the national average standing at 20% in 2018.^[40] The Western Cape's Human Development Index is the highest in South Africa at 0.741 compared to the South African average of 0.705 in 2018.^[41]

The biggest sector in the Western Cape's economy is the financial, business services and real estate sectors contributing approximately R77 billion in 2008. Manufacturing was the second largest contributor valued at R43.7 billion in 2008 with the agricultural sector being the fastest growing at 10.6% in the same year.^[39] High-tech industries, international call centres, fashion design, advertising and TV production are niche industries rapidly gaining in importance.^[42]

The city of Cape Town accounts for roughly 80% of the Western Cape's GDP.^[43]

95% of wine produced in South Africa is produced in the Western Cape. South Africa is the 7th largest wine producing region in the world.^[44]

Transport

 

The N1 national route atop the Hex River Pass.

 

Railway network in the Western Cape

The Western Cape has an excellent network of highways comparable with any first-world country. The primary highways are the N1 (from Cape Town to Three Sisters, continuing outside the province towards Bloemfontein and Johannesburg), N2 (from Cape Town to Bloukrans River, towards Port Elizabeth), N7 (from Cape Town to Bitterfontein, continuing towards Springbok and Namibia) and N12 (from George to Three Sisters, continuing towards Kimberley and Johannesburg). Other routes are the "R" roads which connect the smaller towns. All major roads are tarred with major rural gravel roads well maintained. Limited access motorways are limited to the Cape Metropolitan Area, Winelands and Garden Route, however due to the low population density of the remainder of the province, the highways remain efficient and high-speed, except during peak holiday travel seasons, when travel can be slow-going in places due to heavy traffic.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

 

Population density in the Western Cape

•   <1 /km²
•   1–3 /km²
•   3–10 /km²
•   10–30 /km²
•   30–100 /km²
•   100–300 /km²
•   300–1000 /km²
•   1000–3000 /km²
•   >3000 /km²

 

Dominant home languages in the Western Cape

•   Afrikaans
•   English
•   Xhosa
•   No language dominant

The 2011 Census recorded the population of the Western Cape as 5,822,734 people living in 1,634,000 households.^{[1]: 8, 63} As the province covers an area of 129,462 square kilometres (49,986 sq mi),^[1]: 9 the population density was 45.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (117/sq mi) and the household density 12.6 per square kilometre (33/sq mi).

The age distribution of the province was as follows: 25.1% were under the age of 15, 18.3% from 15 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who are 65 years of age or older.^[1]: 28 The median age is 28 years.^[45]: 20 For every 100 women there are 96 men.^[45]: 18

49% of the people of the Western Cape described themselves as "Coloured", while 33% described themselves as "Black African", 17% as "White", and 1% as "Indian or Asian".^[1]: 21 Afrikaans is the plurality language, spoken as the first language of 50% of the province's population. IsiXhosa is the first language of 25% of the population, while English is the first language of 20%.^[1]: 25

Roughly 16% (894,289 people) of the Western Cape's population in 2011 were born in the Eastern Cape, 3% (167,524) in Gauteng and 1% (61,945) in KwaZulu-Natal. People born outside of South Africa amounted to 4% of the province's population or 260,952 people.^[46] Between 2001 and 2007 the Western Cape received 41% of all internal migrants within South Africa with a large majority of these new Western Cape residents coming from the former Transkei region of the Eastern Cape; who were drawn by better economic prospects and higher standards of living.^[47]

Economic status

90% of households in the province have a flush toilet^[1]: 84 and 90% have refuse removed by the local council at least once a week.^[1]: 96 75% of households have piped tap water inside the dwelling, while a further 13% have piped water on their property; 11% receive piped water at a community tap, while 1% have no access to piped water.^[1]: 77 One in seven people live in an informal dwelling.^[46] 86.9% of households use electricity for cooking,^[1]: 84 and 93% use it for lighting.^[1]: 93 89% of households have a cellphone and 31% have a landline telephone, while 86% own a television, 81% own a refrigerator, and 34% own a computer.^[1]: 99 44% of households have access to the Internet.^[1]: 101

 

Towns and main roads in the Western Cape

The average annual household income was R143,460, the second-highest in the country after Gauteng.^[45]: 37 As of September 2012^[update], 69% of the population aged 15–64 are economically active, and of these 25% are unemployed. Overall, 52% of the working-age population are employed.^[48] Around 2 million people in the Western Cape labour market (those aged 16 to 64) are employed, 1.3 million are not economically active, 552,733 are unemployed with an additional 122,753 who are discouraged work seekers who want to work but have given up looking for it.^[46]

Education

2.7% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 10.7% have had only some primary, 5.6% have completed primary school but gone no further, 38% have had some secondary education without finishing Grade 12, 28% have finished Grade 12 but gone no further, and 14% have higher education beyond the secondary level. Overall, 43% of residents have completed high school.^[1]: 49

Cities and towns

See also: List of cities and towns in the Western Cape

Largest cities or towns in the Western Cape National Census 2011^[1]
	Rank		Municipality	Pop.	Rank		Municipality	Pop.
Cape Town   Paarl (including Wellington)	1	Cape Town	City of Cape Town	4,005,016	11	Beaufort West	Beaufort West Local Municipality	34,085	Worcester
	2	Paarl (including Wellington)	Drakenstein Local Municipality	179,319	12	Ceres	Witzenberg Local Municipality	33,224
	3	George	George Local Municipality	157,394	13	Plettenberg Bay	Bitou Local Municipality	31,804
	4	Worcester	Breede Valley Local Municipality	127,597	14	Grabouw	Theewaterskloof Local Municipality	30,337
	5	Knysna	Knysna Local Municipality	76,150	15	Saldanha	Saldanha Bay Local Municipality	28,142
	6	Atlantis	City of Cape Town	67,491	16	Stellenbosch	Stellenbosch Local Municipality	21,799
	7	Oudtshoorn	Oudtshoorn Local Municipality	61,507	17	Vredendal	Matzikama Local Municipality	18,170
	8	Mossel Bay	Mossel Bay Local Municipality	59,031	18	Gordon's Bay	City of Cape Town	16,776
	9	Vredenburg	Saldanha Bay Local Municipality	38,382	19	Riversdale	Hessequa Local Municipality	16,176
	10	Malmesbury	Swartland Local Municipality	35,897	20	Montagu	Langeberg Local Municipality	15,176

Education

 

Stellenbosch University

 

The University of Cape Town

The Western Cape province has the most highly educated residents with a very skilled workforce in comparison to any other African region.^[49] The high school graduation rate is consistently around 80%, higher than any other province. The proportion of adults with a degree or higher was 4.8% (2005),^[42] the highest in the country.

The province also boasts four universities:

• Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Stellenbosch University
• University of Cape Town
• University of the Western Cape

The province is also home to the South African Military Academy.

Culture

Cuisine

See also: South African cuisine

Types of cuisine originating from the Western Cape include Dutch and Malay cuisines. Other types of South African cuisine are also found and commonly enjoyed in the province. Over 50% of all cheese in South Africa is produced in the Western Cape.^[50] Four of the top ten entries in Trip Advisor's Best Fine Dining Restaurants – Africa list for 2021 are in the Western Cape.^[51]

Winelands

See also: Western Cape wine

The Western Cape is known for its wine production and vineyards.^[52] The winelands are divided into six main regions: Boberg, Breede River Valley, Cape South Coast, Coastal Region, Klein Karoo and Olifants River. Each has unique climate, topography and fertile soil. Distilled wine or brandy is produced in the Cape Winelands, Overberg, and Garden Route districts of the province.^[53] Brandy from these regions is regarded as amongst the best in the world due to the high, legally-enforced distilling standards in the region, technically making it equivalent to Cognac.^[54][55]

See also

• Cape Colony
• Cape Independence
• Cape Qualified Franchise

References

1. Census 2011: Census in brief (PDF). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 2012. ISBN 9780621413885.
2. Mid-year population estimates, 2021 (PDF) (Report). Statistics South Africa. 19 July 2021. p. 2. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
3. "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
4. Statistics South Africa, 2020. Mid- year population estimates. Available: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022020.pdf
5. Compton, J. S. (2004). The Rocks and Mountains of Cape Town. pp. 24-26, 44–70. Double Storey Books, Cape Town.
6. McCarthy, T., Rubridge, B. (2005). The Story of Earth and Life. pp. 188–195, 262–266. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
7. Truswell, J.F. (1977). The Geological Evolution of South Africa. pp. 93–96, 114–159. Purnell, Cape Town.
8. Atlas of Southern Africa. (1984). p. 13. Reader's Digest Association, Cape Town
9. McCarthy, T.S. (2013) The Okavango delta and its place in the geomorphological evolution of Southern Africa. South African Journal of Geology 116: 1–54.
10. Norman, n. & Whitfield, G. (2006). Geological Journeys. p.290-300. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
11. Manning, John (2007). "The World of Fynbos". Field Guide to Fynbos. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. pp. 8–23. ISBN 9781770072657.
12. Trinder-Smith, Terry (2006). "Introduction". Wild Flowers of the Table Mountain National Park. Cape Town: Botanical Society of South Africa. pp. 19–35. ISBN 1874999600.
13. Manning, John (2007). "Cone Bush, Tolbos". Field Guide to Fynbos. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. p. 258. ISBN 9781770072657.
14. Branch, M & Branch G. (1981). The Living Shores of Southern Africa. pp. 14–18. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
15. Tyson, P.D., Preston-Whyte, R.A. (2000) The Weather and Climate of Southern Africa. pp. 221–223. Oxford University Press, Cape Town
16. Carlowicz, Michael (1 December 2021). "La Niña Returns for a Second Winter". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
17. "Weather Information for Cape Town". World Weather Information Service. from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
18. "Climate George". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 4 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
19. "Climate Saldanha". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 4 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
20. J. Lewis: The Rise and Fall of the South African Peasantry: A Critique and Reassessment. Journal of Southern African Studies, XI, 1. 1984.
21. "The Ideology of the Black Consciousness Movement". South African History Online. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
22. "Black Consciousness and Student Revolt in the Cape". South African History Online. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
23. "The Afrikaans Medium Decree". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
24. "African South Africans' June 16th 1976 Revolt—Sad Times, Bad Times—A Luta Kontinua! AMANDLA! POWER!". owlcation.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
25. "Black consciousness and student revolt in Cape Town". South African History Online. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
26. Cilliers, Charles (17 July 2018). "Khoi-San king declares that the Cape has seceded from SA".
27. "Khoisan Nation serves Cape Town parliament with eviction notice". 18 July 2018.
28. Makinana, Andisiwe (10 May 2019). "It's official: DA has comfortably won the Western CapeIt's official: DA has comfortably won the Western Cape". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
29. Charles, Marvin. "Cape Independence: Lobby group says recent survey 'places intense pressure' on DA to hold referendum". News24. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
30. "The CapeXit mission: Can this be Brexit for the Western Cape?". The South African. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
31. "An independent Western Cape on the cards? Here is what you need to know about the independence bid". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
32. "Freedom Front Plus pushes for independent Western Cape". capetownetc.com. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
33. Shepherd, Ling (4 October 2021). "The Capexit battle royale #LGE2021". The Daily Vox. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
34. "'We want out of SA' – 36% in Western Cape want independence, says poll". BizNews.com. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
35. "58% of people in the Western Cape want a referendum on Cape independence – Phil Craig". BizNews.com. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
36. "2016 Boundaries". Municipal Demarcation Board (Shapefile). 2016.
37. . Statistics South Africa (Data file). 2016. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
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40. "Western Cape unemployment rate drops to below 20% – StatsSA". iol.co.za. Cape Argus. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
41. Adelzadeh, Asghar; et al. (2003). South Africa Human Development Report 2003 (PDF). Cape Town: Oxford University Press. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-19-578418-3.
42. "Fast Facts: April–May 2007, Provincial Profile, Western Cape". South African Institute of Race Relations, pg 20.
43. The Food and Beverage Market Entry Handbook: South Africa (PDF). European Union: European Union. 2020. p. 178. ISBN 978-92-9478-535-0.
44. "The Ultimate Guide to South African Wines". 8 June 2021.
45. (PDF). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 30 October 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
46. Barnes, Clayton (14 February 2013). "Cape's population by the numbers". Cape Argus. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
47. Hamann, Maike; Tuinder, Vanessa (February 2012). "Introducing the Eastern Cape: A quick guide to its history, diversity and future challenges" (PDF). Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society. p. 22. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
48. Quarterly Labour Force Survey: Quarter 3, 2012 (PDF). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 1 November 2012.
49. "Skilled Workforce reference". South African Department of Sport And Recreation.
50. Hurt, J.; Ehlers, S. (2008). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cheeses of the World. THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE. DK Publishing. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-4406-3618-9.
51. "Best Restaurants in Africa – Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards". tripadvisor.co.za. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
52. "Wines of South Africa – Winelands of South Africa". wosa.co.za. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
53. . The South African Brandy Association. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
54. "South Africa wins Best Brandy in the World". International Wine & Spirits Competition 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
55. Charles W. Bamforth, Robert E. Ward, ed. (2014). "5.2. Brandy". The Oxford Handbook of Food Fermentations. pp. 249–252. ISBN 9780199742707.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Western Cape.

 

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Western Cape.

• Provincial Government of the Western Cape
• Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency
• Municipal Demarcation Board
• Western Cape on Wazimap.co.za

Coordinates: 34°S 20°E / 34°S 20°E / -34; 20