Apart from Cape Town, where are the oldest towns in South Africa?

Excluding pre-colonial African settlements, here is a chronological exploration of the oldest towns in South Africa following Cape Town. Each of them, with its unique heritage, offers a glimpse into the country’s past.

Oldest towns in the Cape Winelands District

Stellenbosch, second oldest town in South Africa

Simon van der Stel discovered the valley in 1679. The town of Stellenbosch, about a 50-minute drive from Cape Town, was founded in 1685. It is one of the oldest towns in South Africa. He described the valley as

“a clear river … adorned with fine and lofty trees”.

Stellenbosch Heritage

Consequently Van der Stel named the place Stellenbosch, commemorating his own name and the abundance of natural vegetation growing there (bosch which is Dutch for wood). With his discovery, he immediately decided that this beautiful valley called for settlement. Within a year there were already a number of farmers in the Colony of Stellenbosch.

Paarl

Another town in the Cape Winelands District, not far from Stellenbosch, is Paarl. People often refer to it as “the pearl of the Western Cape”. Today, Paarl is the third oldest European settlement in the country, with a culturally diverse community. In 1687, Governor Simon van der Stel granted the first farms to Dutch settlers on the banks of the Berg River.

Oldest towns in South Africa: 1743

Markedly, three towns were founded in 1743 – Malmesbury, Simon’s Town, and Swellendam.

Firstly, Malmesbury started as a settlement in the expansive Diep River Valley near a mineral spring and fountains. The town is in the West Coast District of the Western Cape. The official date of the establishment is 21 May 1827. Malmesbury obtained municipal status in 1860. Its name comes from the Governor of the Cape, Sir Lowry Cole’s father-in-law, the first Earl of Malmesbury in the UK, as reported by Municipalities of South Africa. Malmesbury in the UK is the oldest borough – a town that has its own government – in England.

Secondly, Simon’s Town, also spelled Simonstown, is located 35 km outside of Cape Town and is the country’s largest naval base. The Dutch East India Company first established a small dockyard facility in Simon’s Town in 1743.

Lastly, Swellendam, situated in the Breede River Valley, lies east of Cape Town at the base of the Langeberg Mountains. Its name comes from the Cape Governor Hendrik Swellengrebe’s name combined with his wife’s maiden name, Damme. Visitors to the town can still see many old Cape Dutch buildings built by the Dutch East India Company in 1747.

Additionally, the oldest towns in the country include (in chronological order): Tulbagh, Graaff-Reinet, Genadendal, Uitenhage, and Wynberg.