Wikipedia

Western Cape

(Redirected fromWestern Cape Province)

For other uses, seeWest Cape.

TheWestern Cape(Afrikaans:Wes-Kaap[ˈvɛskɑːp];Xhosa:iNtshona-Koloni) is aprovinceofSouth Africa,situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is thefourth largest of the nine provinceswith an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi), andthe third most populous,with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020.[8]About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area ofCape Town,which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the formerCape Province.The two largest cities areCape TownandGeorge.

Western Cape
Province
Coat of arms of Western Cape
Coat of arms
Motto:
Spes Bona(Latin:Good Hope)
Map showing the location of the Western Cape in the south-western part of South Africa
Map showing the location of the Western Cape in the south-western part of South Africa in red
Coordinates:34°S20°E/ 34°S 20°E/-34; 20
CountrySouth Africa
Established27 April 1994(1994-04-27)
CapitalCape Town
Municipalities
List
Government
• TypeParliamentary system
•PremierAlan Winde(DA)
• LegislatureWestern Cape Provincial Parliament
Area
[1]: 9 
• Total129,462 km2(49,986 sq mi)
• Rank4th in South Africa
Highest elevation
2,325 m (7,628 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
(2022)
• Total7,433,020
• Rank3rd in South Africa
• Density57/km2(150/sq mi)
• Rank4th in South Africa
Population groups (2022)
[2]
•Coloured42.1%
•Black38.8%
•White16.4%
•IndianorAsian1.1%
Languages (2022)
[3]
•Afrikaans41.2%
•Xhosa31.4%
•English22.0%
Time zoneUTC+2(SAST)
ISO 3166 codeZA-WC
GDP(2023)IncreaseR656.27 billion[4](US$56.3 billion[5])
HDI(2021)0.751[6]
high·1st of 9
Gini(2010)Positive decrease0.58[7]
high
Websitewww.westerncape.gov.za
Western Cape
XhosaiNtshona-Koloni
AfrikaansWes-Kaap
SepediKapa Bodikela
SesothoKapa Bophirimela
SetswanaKapa Bophirima
XitsongaKapa Vupela-dyambu
VendaKapa Vhukovhela

Geography

edit
Topography of the Western Cape. The Roggeveld and Nuweveld mountains are part of theGreat Escarpment(see diagrams below). The other mountain ranges belong to theCape 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 is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from theCape 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 theNorthern Capeand on the east by theEastern 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 ofEnglandor theState of Louisiana.Its capital city and largest city isCape Town,and some other major cities includeStellenbosch,Worcester,Paarl,andGeorge.TheGarden Routeand theOverbergare popular coastal tourism areas.

The Western Cape is the southernmost region of the African continent withCape Agulhasas its southernmost point, only 3,800 kilometres (2,400 mi) from the Antarctic coastline. The coastline varies from sandy between capes, to rocky to steep and mountainous in places. The only natural harbour isSaldanha Bayon the west coast, about 140 kilometres (90 mi) 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 inTable 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 offTable MountainandDevil's Peakallowed the early European settlers to build Cape Town on the shores of this less than satisfactory anchorage.


Topography

edit

The province is topographically exceptionally diverse. Most of the province falls within theCape Fold Belt,a set of nearly parallel ranges ofsandstone folded mountainsofCambrian-Ordovicianage (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).[9][10][11]The height of the mountain peaks in the different ranges varies from 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) to 2,300 metres (7,500 ft). The valleys between ranges are generally very fertile, as they contain the weathered loamy soils of theBokkeveld mudstones(see the diagrams below).[10]

The far interior forms part of theKaroo.This region of the province is generally arid and hilly, with aprominent escarpmentthat runs close to the Province's most inland boundary.

  • A diagrammatic 400 km south–north crosssection through the Cape at approximately 21° 30' E (i.e. nearCalitzdorpin the Little Karoo), showing the relationship between theCape Fold Mountains(and their geological structure) and thegeology of the Little and Great Karoo,as well as the position of theGreat 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 theSwartbergMountains. The Swartberg Mountain range owes some of its great height to upliftment along this fault line. The subsurface structures are not to scale.

Escarpment

edit

Theescarpmentmarks the southwestern edge ofSouth Africa's central plateau(see the middle and bottom diagrams on the left).[10][12]It runs parallel to the entire South African coastline, except in the very far northeast, where it is interrupted by theLimpopo Rivervalley, and in the far northwest, where it is interrupted by theOrange Rivervalley. The 1,000-kilometre-long (620 mi) northeastern stretch of the escarpment is called theDrakensberg,which is geographically and geologically quite distinct from theCape Fold Mountains,which originated much earlier and totally independently of the origin of the escarpment.[10][11][13][14]

Rivers

edit

The principal rivers of the province are theBergandOlifantswhich drain into the Atlantic Ocean, and theBreedeandGouritswhich drain into the Indian Ocean.

Flora

edit
The Red Disa (disa uniflora) is an orchid endemic to the Western Cape. It is the province's official flower.
TheCape Floral Kingdomis 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 sevenfloral kingdomsalmost exclusively endemic to the province, namely theCape Floral Kingdom,most of which is covered byFynbos(from the Afrikaans meaning "Fine Bush" (Dutch: Fijnbos), though precisely how it came to be referred to as such, is uncertain.).[15][16]These evergreen heathlands are extremely rich in species diversity,[15][16]with at least as many plant species occurring onTable Mountainas in the entire United Kingdom.[16]It is characterised by various types of shrubs, thousands of herbaceous flowering plant species and some grasses.[15]With the exception of the Silver tree,Leucadendron argenteum,which only grows on the granite and clay soils of theCape Peninsula,[17]open fynbos is generally treeless except in the wetter mountain ravines where patches ofAfromontane forestpersist.[15][16]

The arid interior is dominated byKaroo drought-resistant shrubbery.[citation needed]TheWest CoastandLittle Karooaresemi-aridregions and are typified by many species of succulents and drought-resistant shrubs andacaciatrees. TheGarden Routeon the south coast (between theOuteniqua Mountainsand theSouthern Indian Ocean) is extremely lush, with temperate rainforest (orAfromontane 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 asYellowwood,StinkwoodandIronwoodtrees.

Climate

edit

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 warmAgulhas Currentwhich flows southwards along South Africa's east coast, and the coldBenguela Currentwhich is an upwelling current from the depths of theSouth Atlantic Oceanalong South Africa's west coast.[18][19]Thus climatic statistics can vary greatly over short distances. Most of the province is considered to have aMediterranean climatewith cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Both theGreat Karoo and Little Karoo,in the interior, have anaridtosemi-aridclimate with cold, frosty winters and hot summers with occasionalthunderstorms.TheGarden Routeand theOverbergon the south coast have a maritime climate with cool, moist winters and mild, moist summers.Mossel Bayin 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).[20]

The effects of El Niño on rainfall in southern Africa differ between the summer and winter rainfall areas. Winter rainfall areas tend to get higher rainfall than normal and summer rainfall areas tend to get less rain. The effect on the summer rainfall areas is stronger and has led to severe drought in strong El Niño events.[21][22]

Sea surface temperatures off the west and south coasts of South Africa are affected by ENSO via changes in surface wind strength.[23]During El Niño the south-easterly winds driving upwelling are weaker which results in warmer coastal waters than normal, while during La Niña the same winds are stronger and cause colder coastal waters. These effects on the winds are part of large scale influences on the tropical Atlantic and theSouth Atlantic High-pressure system, and changes to the pattern of westerly winds further south. There are other influences not known to be related to ENSO of similar importance. Some ENSO events do not lead to the expected changes.[23]

Thunderstorms are generally rare in the province (except in theKaroo) with most precipitation being of afrontalororographicnature. Extremes of heat and cold are common inland, but rare near the coast. Snow is a common winter occurrence on theWestern Cape Mountainsoccasionally reaching down into the more inland valleys. Otherwise, frost is relatively rare in coastal areas and many of the heavily cultivated valleys.

Climate data forCape Town International Airport,elevation: 42m, normals for 1991-2020
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 27.0
(80.6) 		27.3
(81.1) 		26.0
(78.8) 		23.6
(74.5) 		20.6
(69.1) 		18.2
(64.8) 		17.9
(64.2) 		18.0
(64.4) 		19.6
(67.3) 		22.2
(72.0) 		23.7
(74.7) 		25.8
(78.4) 		22.5
(72.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 21.8
(71.2) 		21.9
(71.4) 		20.5
(68.9) 		17.9
(64.2) 		15.4
(59.7) 		13.2
(55.8) 		12.7
(54.9) 		13.0
(55.4) 		14.5
(58.1) 		15.9
(60.6) 		18.6
(65.5) 		20.7
(69.3) 		17.2
(62.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 16.6
(61.9) 		16.5
(61.7) 		15.0
(59.0) 		12.2
(54.0) 		10.2
(50.4) 		8.1
(46.6) 		7.4
(45.3) 		7.9
(46.2) 		9.4
(48.9) 		11.5
(52.7) 		13.4
(56.1) 		15.6
(60.1) 		12.0
(53.6)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 9.4
(0.37) 		9.6
(0.38) 		12.5
(0.49) 		40.1
(1.58) 		61.1
(2.41) 		92.3
(3.63) 		84.8
(3.34) 		72.4
(2.85) 		44.3
(1.74) 		28.4
(1.12) 		24.3
(0.96) 		12.8
(0.50) 		492
(19.37)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) 1.8 1.8 2.5 5.0 7.4 10.1 9.1 9.3 6.8 4.2 4 2.6 64.6
Mean monthlysunshine hours 352.3 304 289.7 240.1 196.7 175.9 197 206.2 228.4 283.5 302.8 338.4 3,115
Source:NOAA[24]
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:[25]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
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:[26]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
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

edit

Cape Liberal Tradition

edit

The Cape has had a long tradition of holding liberal values.[27]For example, the Cape Qualified Franchise before the Union of South Africa.

Cape Qualified Franchise

edit
Main article:Cape Qualified Franchise

The Cape Qualified Franchise was the system of non-racialfranchisethat was adhered to in theCape Colony,and in theCape Provincein the early years of theUnion 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 variousNational PartyandUnited Partygovernments. In 1930whitewomen were enfranchised,and in 1931property qualifications for white voters were removed.In 1936blackvoters were then removed from the common voters' rolls andallowed only to elect separate membersin 1936, and subsequentlydenied all representationin theHouse of Assemblyin 1960.Colouredvoterssimilarly followedin1958and1970,respectively.

Contribution of the Western Cape in the National Youth Uprisings

edit

TheBlack 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.[28]

In December 1968, theSouth 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.[29]

In 1974, South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development MC Botha, constituted the imposition of usingAfrikaansas a medium of instruction in black schools, effective with students in Grade 7 (Standard 5) upwards.[30]As early as March 1976, students began passive resistance against Afrikaans, fueling the outbreak of theSoweto Uprisingon 16 June 1976. Consequently, the student protests spread to other parts of the country, andCape Townbecame a pivotal site for Western Cape student revolt.[31]

Student leaders at theUniversity of the Western Cape(UWC) and theUniversity 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 atVictor 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 theTruth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC), the Western Cape experienced the second highest number of deaths and casualties associated with the 1976 uprising protests.[32]

1994 and the Western Cape post-apartheid

edit

In 1994, at the introduction of theInterim Constitutionand thefirst non-racial election,South Africa's original provinces andbantustanswere abolished andnine new provinceswere established. The formerCape Provincewas divided into the Western Cape,Northern Cape,Eastern Cape and part ofNorth West.

In the 1994 election, the Western Cape was one of two provinces that did not elect anAfrican National Congress(ANC) provincial government (the other beingKwaZulu-Natal). TheNational Party(NP) won 53% of the votes and 23 seats in the 42-seat provincial legislature, andHernus Kriel,a former Minister of Law and Order, was electedPremier.He resigned in 1998 and was replaced byGerald Morkel.

The1999 electionmarked 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 theNew National Party(NNP), successor to the NP, won 17. The NNP went into coalition with theDemocratic 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 theDemocratic Alliance(DA).

In 2001, however, the NNP broke with the DA over the removal ofPeter Maraisfrom office asMayor of Cape Townby DA leaderTony 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 leaderMarthinus van Schalkwyk.During the2003 floor-crossing periodfour 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 the2004 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'sEbrahim Rasool.The NNP was finally dissolved after the2005 floor-crossing periodand its members joined the ANC, again giving that party an absolute majority of 24 seats. In the2007 floor-crossing periodthe ANC gained a further three members of the provincial parliament. In 2008 Rasool resigned as Premier due to internal party politics, and was replaced byLynne Brown.

The2009 electionmarked 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 leaderHelen Zillewas elected Premier. In 2010 theIndependent Democrats,which had won 3 seats with 5% of the vote, merged with the DA. In the2014 electionthe 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".[33][34]

In the2019 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 candidateAlan Windesucceeded her. The ANC also lost support. It had received 12 seats with 28% support, its lowest showing since 1994. Veteran politicianPeter Maraisreturned to the provincial parliament as the sole representative of theFreedom Front Plus.Patricia de Lille formed another party,Good,and it achieved a seat.[35]

The DA continued to win a majority of the votes in the2021 municipal elections,receiving 54% of the vote province-wide, with support in Cape Town at 58%.[36]

Cape Independence Movement

edit
Main article:Cape independence

Since the late 2000s there has been growing support for Western Cape, or Greater Cape, independence from South Africa.[citation needed]Political parties such as theReferendum Party,Freedom Front Plusand organisations such as the Cape Independence Advocacy Group[37]and CapeXit,[38]wish to bring forth the constitutional and peaceful secession of the Western Cape.[39][40][41]

Proponents claim substantial support for the idea, with CapeXit having over 800,000 signed mandates in May 2021. Additionally, a poll conducted in 2023 by Victory Research on behalf of the Cape Independence Advocacy Group claimed that 58% of the Western Cape's registered voters would support independence, while 68% would support a referendum on the issue.[42]

Law and government

edit
Main articles:Government of the Western CapeandPolitics of the Western Cape
Provincial government headquarters in Cape Town

The provincial government is established under theConstitution of the Western Cape,which was adopted in 1998. The people of the province elect the 42-memberWestern Cape Provincial Parliamentevery five years by a system ofparty-list proportional representation.The sixth provincial parliament was elected in2024;24 seats are held by theDemocratic Alliance,8 by theAfrican National Congress,3 by thePatriotic Alliance,2 by theEconomic Freedom Fighters,and 1 each by theAfrican Christian Democratic Party,Al Jama-ah,Good,Freedom Front Plus,andNational Coloured Congress.The provincial parliament is responsible for legislating within its responsibilities as set out by thenational constitution;these responsibilities include agriculture, education, environment, health services, housing, language policies, tourism, trade, and welfare.

The provincial parliament also elects thePremier of the Western Capeto lead the provincial executive.Alan Winde,a member of theDAand former Provincial Minister of Community Safety, has served as Premier since the2019 provincial election.The Premier appoints ten members of the provincial legislature to serve as acabinetof ministers, overseeing the departments of theprovincial 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.

Politically, the Western Cape is a stronghold for theDemocratic Alliance(DA). The DA has won an absolute majority of the vote in the province in every national, provincial, and municipal election since2009.

Municipalities

edit
Main article:List of municipalities in the Western Cape

The Western Cape Province is divided into onemetropolitan municipalityand fivedistrict municipalities.The district municipalities are in turn divided into 24local 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:

Matzikama Local MunicipalityCederberg Local MunicipalityBergrivier Local MunicipalitySaldanha Bay Local MunicipalitySwartland Local MunicipalityCity of Cape Town Metropolitan MunicipalityWitzenberg Local MunicipalityDrakenstein Local MunicipalityStellenbosch Local MunicipalityTheewaterskloof Local MunicipalityOverstrand Local MunicipalityCape Agulhas Local MunicipalitySwellendam Local MunicipalityBreede Valley Local MunicipalityLangeberg Local MunicipalityLaingsburg Local MunicipalityKannaland Local MunicipalityMossel Bay Local MunicipalityHessequa Local MunicipalityOudtshoorn Local MunicipalityGeorge Local MunicipalityKnysna Local MunicipalityBitou Local MunicipalityPrince Albert Local MunicipalityBeaufort West Local MunicipalityGeorge Local Municipality
Western Cape districts and local municipalities. Clicking on the district on the map loads the appropriate article.

District and metropolitan municipalities

edit
Name Code Seat Area
(km2)[43] 		Population
(2016)[44] 		Pop. density
(per km2) 		Mayor Mayor Party
Cape Winelands District Municipality DC2 Worcester 21,473 866,001 40.3 Helena von Schlicht DA
Central Karoo District Municipality DC5 Beaufort West 38,854 74,247 1.9 J. Botha ANC
City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality CPT Cape Town 2,446 4,005,016 1,637.6 Geordin Hill-Lewis DA
Garden Route District Municipality DC4 George 23,331 611,278 26.2 Andrew Stroebel DA
Overberg District Municipality DC3 Bredasdorp 12,239 286,786 23.4 Andries Franken DA
West Coast District Municipality DC1 Moorreesburg 31,119 436,403 14.0 Roelof Strydom DA

Local and metropolitan municipalities

edit
Name Code District Seat Area
(km2)[43] 		Population
(2016)[44] 		Pop. density
(per km2) 		Mayor Mayor Party
Beaufort West Local Municipality WC053 Central Karoo Beaufort West 21,917 51,080 2.3 Josias De Kock Reynolds DA
Bergrivier Local Municipality WC013 West Coast Piketberg 4,407 67,474 15.3 Ray van Rooy DA
Bitou Local Municipality WC047 Garden Route Plettenberg Bay 992 59,157 59.6 Claude Terblanche PDC
Breede Valley Local Municipality WC025 Cape Winelands Worcester 3,834 176,578 46.1 Antoinette Steyn DA
Cape Agulhas Local Municipality WC033 Overberg Bredasdorp 3,471 36,000 10.4 Raymond Ross DA
Cederberg Local Municipality WC012 West Coast Clanwilliam 8,007 52,949 6.6 Ruben Richards CFRA
City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality CPT Cape Town 2,446 4,005,016 1,637.6 Geordin Hill-Lewis DA
Drakenstein Local Municipality WC023 Cape Winelands Paarl 1,538 280,195 182.2 Stephen Korabie DA
George Local Municipality WC044 Garden Route George 5,191 208,237 40.1 Jackie von Brandis DA
Hessequa Local Municipality WC042 Garden Route Riversdale 5,733 54,237 9.5 Grant Riddles DA
Kannaland Local Municipality WC041 Garden Route Ladismith 4,765 24,168 5.1 Jeffrey Donson ICOSA
Knysna Local Municipality WC048 Garden Route Knysna 1,109 73,835 66.6 Aubrey Tsengwa ANC
Laingsburg Local Municipality WC051 Central Karoo Laingsburg 8,784 8,895 1.0 Mitchell Smith PA
Langeberg Local Municipality WC026 Cape Winelands Ashton 4,518 105,483 23.3 SW van Eede DA
Matzikama Local Municipality WC011 West Coast Vredendal 12,981 71,045 5.5 Johan Van Der Hoven DA
Mossel Bay Local Municipality WC043 Garden Route Mossel Bay 2,001 94,135 47.0 Dirk Kotzé DA
Oudtshoorn Local Municipality WC045 Garden Route Oudtshoorn 3,540 97,509 27.5 Johannes Allers FF+
Overstrand Local Municipality WC032 Overberg Hermanus 1,675 93,407 55.8 Annelie Rabie DA
Prince Albert Local Municipality WC052 Central Karoo Prince Albert 8,153 14,272 1.8 Linda Jaquet DA
Saldanha Bay Local Municipality WC014 West Coast Vredenburg 2,015 111,173 55.2 Andre Truter DA
Stellenbosch Local Municipality WC024 Cape Winelands Stellenbosch 831 173,197 208.4 Gesie van Deventer DA
Swartland Local Municipality WC015 West Coast Malmesbury 3,707 133,762 36.1 Harold Cleophas DA
Swellendam Local Municipality WC034 Overberg Swellendam 3,835 40,211 10.5 Francois du Rand DA
Theewaterskloof Local Municipality WC031 Overberg Caledon 3,259 117,167 36.0 Kallie Papier PA
Witzenberg Local Municipality WC022 Cape Winelands Ceres 10,753 130,548 12.1 Trevor Abrahams DA

Economy

edit
Main article:Economy of the Western Cape
Awheatfield nearPortervillein theBergriver Municipality.Wheat is a common agricultural crop in the area.

As of the third quarter of 2023, the Western Cape's total real GDP wasR656.27 billion, which equaled 14.2% of South Africa's total GDP, and real GDP per capita was R90,571.[4]The Western Cape has the third largest economy of South Africa's nine provinces, behindGautengandKwaZulu-Natal.The province's unemployment rate was 20.2%, which is the lowest in South Africa and considerably below the national unemployment rate of 31.9%.[4]As of 2018, the Western Cape'sHuman Development Indexis the highest in South Africa at 0.741 compared to theSouth African averageof 0.705.[45]

As of 2023, the biggest sector in the Western Cape's economy is the financial, business services and real estate sector, which constitutes 33.55% of gross value added, followed by manufacturing at 14.26% and wholesale and retail trade, hotels, and restaurants at 13.67%.[4]High-tech industries, international call centres, fashion design, advertising and TV production are niche industries rapidly gaining in importance.[46]

Cape Town accounts for roughly 73% of the Western Cape's GDP.[4]

95% ofwine produced in South Africais produced in the Western Cape. South Africa is the 7th largest wine producing region in the world.[47]

Transport

edit
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 theN1(from Cape Town toThree Sisters,continuing outside the province towardsBloemfonteinandJohannesburg),N2(from Cape Town to Bloukrans River, towardsPort Elizabeth),N7(from Cape Town to Bitterfontein, continuing towardsSpringbokandNamibia),N9(from George to Uniondale, continuing towardsGraaff-ReinetandColesberg) andN12(from George to Three Sisters, continuing towardsKimberleyand 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

edit
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

The2022 South African censusrecorded the population of the Western Cape as 7,433,020 people living in 2,264,032 households.[48]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).

Racial groups of the Western Cape (2022 census)[49]

Coloured(42.07%)
African(38.84%)
White(16.40%)
Indian(1.14%)
Other (1.55%)

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.[50]: 20 For every 100 women there are 96 men.[50]: 18 

In the 2022 Census, 42% of the people of the Western Cape described themselves as "Coloured",while 39% described themselves as"Black African",16% as"White",and 1% as"IndianorAsian[51]".[1]: 21 Afrikaansis thefirst languageof 41% of the province's population,IsiXhosaof 31%, andEnglishof 22%.[1]: 25 

There were 260,952 people in the province who had been born outside of South Africa, comprising 4% of the population. In 2011, 894,289 residents of the Western Cape had been born in theEastern Cape(16% of the population), 167,524 inGauteng(3%) and 61,945 (1%) inKwaZulu-Natal.[52]Between 2001 and 2007 the Western Cape received the second-most internal migration within South Africa after Gauteng, with a large majority of these new Western Cape residents coming from the formerTranskeiregion of the Eastern Cape, which served as the historic native reserve of the Cape Colony and the political banishment site for native "troublemakers".[53]

Economic status

edit

90% of households in the province have aflush 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.[52]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 wasR143,460, the second-highest in the country afterGauteng.[50]: 37 As of September 2012,69% of the population aged 15–64 are economically active, and of these 25% are unemployed. Overall, 52% of the working-age population are employed.[54]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.[52]

Education

edit

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 

Religion

edit

According to the 2022 census, a majority of the population of the Western Cape isChristian.At 5.2% of the population, the Western Cape'sMuslim minorityis the largest among South Africa's provinces.[55]

Religious Affiliation (2022)
Christianity 85.6%
Traditional African 5.3%
Islam 5.2%
Judaism 0.2%
Hinduism 0.2%
Buddhism 0.1%
Atheism 0.3%
Agnosticism 0.3%
No religious affiliation 2.0%
Other 0.8%

Cities and towns

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

edit
Stellenbosch University
TheUniversity 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.[56]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),[46]the highest in the country.

The province also boasts four universities:

The province is also home to theSouth African Military Academy.

Culture

edit

Cuisine

edit
See also:South African cuisine

Types of cuisine originating from the Western Cape includeDutchandMalaycuisines. Other types ofSouth African cuisineare also found and commonly enjoyed in the province. Over 50% of all cheese in South Africa is produced in the Western Cape.[57]Four of the top ten entries in Trip Advisor's BestFine DiningRestaurants – Africa list for 2021 are in the Western Cape.[58]

Winelands

edit
See also:Western Cape wine

The Western Cape is known for its wine production and vineyards.[59]The winelands are divided intosix main regions:Boberg,Breede River Valley,Cape South Coast, Coastal Region,Klein KarooandOlifants River.Each has unique climate, topography and fertile soil. Distilled wine orbrandyis produced in the Cape Winelands, Overberg, and Garden Route districts of the province.[60]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 toCognac.[61][62]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abcdefghijklmnoCensus 2011: Census in brief(PDF).Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 2012.ISBN9780621413885.
  2. ^Census 2022:Statistical Release.Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 2022.
  3. ^"Census 2022: Statistical Release"(PDF).statssa.gov.za.10 October 2023. p. 6.Retrieved12 October2023.
  4. ^abcde"An Economic Overview of the Western Cape, 2023 Quarter 3"(PDF).22 December 2023.Retrieved8 August2024.
  5. ^"Provincial gross domestic product:experimental estimates, 2013–2022"(PDF),statssa.gov.za
  6. ^"Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab".hdi.globaldatalab.org.Retrieved15 May2024.
  7. ^"Regional Development Profile City of Cape Town"(PDF).Western Cape Government. 2011.Retrieved18 September2015.
  8. ^Statistics South Africa, 2020. Mid- year population estimates. Available:http:// statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022020.pdf
  9. ^Compton, J. S. (2004).The Rocks and Mountains of Cape Town.pp. 24-26, 44–70. Double Storey Books, Cape Town.
  10. ^abcdMcCarthy, T., Rubridge, B. (2005).The Story of Earth and Life.pp. 188–195, 262–266. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
  11. ^abTruswell, J.F. (1977).The Geological Evolution of South Africa.pp. 93–96, 114–159. Purnell, Cape Town.
  12. ^Atlas of Southern Africa.(1984). p. 13. Reader's Digest Association, Cape Town
  13. ^McCarthy, T.S. (2013) The Okavango delta and its place in the geomorphological evolution of Southern Africa.South African Journal of Geology116: 1–54.
  14. ^Norman, n. & Whitfield, G. (2006).Geological Journeys.p.290-300. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
  15. ^abcdManning, John (2007). "The World of Fynbos".Field Guide to Fynbos.Cape Town: Struik Publishers. pp. 8–23.ISBN9781770072657.
  16. ^abcdTrinder-Smith, Terry (2006). "Introduction".Wild Flowers of the Table Mountain National Park.Cape Town: Botanical Society of South Africa. pp. 19–35.ISBN1874999600.
  17. ^Manning, John (2007). "Cone Bush, Tolbos".Field Guide to Fynbos.Cape Town: Struik Publishers. p. 258.ISBN9781770072657.
  18. ^Branch, M & Branch G. (1981).The Living Shores of Southern Africa.pp. 14–18. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
  19. ^Tyson, P.D., Preston-Whyte, R.A. (2000)The Weather and Climate of Southern Africa.pp. 221–223. Oxford University Press, Cape Town
  20. ^Carlowicz, Michael (1 December 2021)."La Niña Returns for a Second Winter".earthobservatory.nasa.gov.Retrieved16 December2021.
  21. ^"Southern Africa: El Niño, Positive Indian Ocean Dipole Forecast and Humanitarian Impact (October 2023)".reliefweb.int.OCHA. 16 October 2023.Retrieved20 January2024.
  22. ^Brugnara, Yuri; Brönnimann, Stefan; Grab, Stefan; Steinkopf, Jessica; Burgdorf, Angela-Maria; Wilkinson, Clive; Allan, Rob (October 2023). "South African extreme weather during the 1877–1878 El Niño".Weather.78(10): 286–293.Bibcode:2023Wthr...78..286B.doi:10.1002/wea.4468.
  23. ^abNhesvure, B. (2020). Impacts of ENSO on coastal South African sea surface temperatures. Faculty of Science, Department of Oceanography. Retrieved fromhttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/32954/
  24. ^"World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Cape Town International Airport-68816"(XLS).ncei.noaa.gov(Excel).National Oceanic and Atmosoheric Administration.Retrieved29 February2024.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  25. ^"Climate George".Climate-Data.org.Retrieved4 November2021.
  26. ^"Climate Saldanha".Climate-Data.org.Retrieved4 November2021.
  27. ^J. Lewis:The Rise and Fall of the South African Peasantry: A Critique and Reassessment.Journal of Southern African Studies, XI, 1. 1984.
  28. ^"The Ideology of the Black Consciousness Movement".South African History Online.Retrieved6 September2019.
  29. ^"Black Consciousness and Student Revolt in the Cape".South African History Online.Retrieved16 June2014.
  30. ^"The Afrikaans Medium Decree".ThoughtCo.Retrieved6 September2019.
  31. ^"African South Africans' June 16th 1976 Revolt—Sad Times, Bad Times—A Luta Kontinua! AMANDLA! POWER!".Owlcation.Retrieved6 September2019.
  32. ^"Black consciousness and student revolt in Cape Town".South African History Online.Retrieved14 June2014.
  33. ^Cilliers, Charles (17 July 2018)."Khoi-San king declares that the Cape has seceded from SA".
  34. ^"Khoisan Nation serves Cape Town parliament with eviction notice".18 July 2018.
  35. ^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.Retrieved1 April2020.
  36. ^"IEC Results Dashboard".results.elections.org.za.
  37. ^Charles, Marvin."Cape Independence: Lobby group says recent survey 'places intense pressure' on DA to hold referendum".News24.Retrieved20 October2021.
  38. ^"The CapeXit mission: Can this be Brexit for the Western Cape?".The South African.31 May 2021.Retrieved20 October2021.
  39. ^"An independent Western Cape on the cards? Here is what you need to know about the independence bid".TimesLIVE.Retrieved20 October2021.
  40. ^"Freedom Front Plus pushes for independent Western Cape".capetownetc.Retrieved15 May2021.
  41. ^Shepherd, Ling (4 October 2021)."The Capexit battle royale #LGE2021".The Daily Vox.Retrieved20 October2021.
  42. ^"Cape Independence Polling Results for 2023".11 September 2020.
  43. ^ab"2016 Boundaries".Municipal Demarcation Board(Shapefile). 2016.
  44. ^ab"Community Survey 2016".Statistics South Africa(Data file). 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 20 September 2018.Retrieved4 February2017.
  45. ^Adelzadeh, Asghar; et al. (2003).South Africa Human Development Report 2003(PDF).Cape Town: Oxford University Press. p. 282.ISBN978-0-19-578418-3.
  46. ^ab"Fast Facts: April–May 2007, Provincial Profile, Western Cape". South African Institute of Race Relations, pg 20.
  47. ^"The Ultimate Guide to South African Wines".8 June 2021.
  48. ^"Statistics South Africa | Census Dissemination".census.statssa.gov.za.
  49. ^"Census 2022: Statistical Release"(PDF).statssa.gov.za.10 October 2023. p. 6.Retrieved12 October2023.
  50. ^abcCensus 2011: Statistical release(PDF).Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 30 October 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 November 2015.Retrieved24 November2015.
  51. ^"Statistics South Africa | Census Dissemination".census.statssa.gov.za.Retrieved23 October2023.
  52. ^abcBarnes, Clayton (14 February 2013)."Cape's population by the numbers".Cape Argus.Retrieved21 February2013.
  53. ^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.Retrieved17 June2022.
  54. ^Quarterly Labour Force Survey: Quarter 3, 2012(PDF).Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 1 November 2012.
  55. ^"Statistical Release - Census 2022"(PDF).statssa.gov.za.Retrieved22 August2024.
  56. ^"Skilled Workforce reference".South African Department of Sport And Recreation.
  57. ^Hurt, J.; Ehlers, S. (2008).The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cheeses of the World.DK Publishing. p. 204.ISBN978-1-4406-3618-9.
  58. ^"Best Restaurants in Africa – Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards".tripadvisor.co.za.Retrieved6 August2021.
  59. ^"Wines of South Africa – Winelands of South Africa".wosa.co.za.Retrieved9 July2020.
  60. ^"The Western Cape Brandy Rout".The South African Brandy Association.Archived fromthe originalon 11 September 2011.Retrieved26 February2011.
  61. ^"South Africa wins Best Brandy in the World".International Wine & Spirits Competition 2010.Retrieved26 February2011.
  62. ^Charles W. Bamforth, Robert E. Ward, ed. (2014)."5.2. Brandy".The Oxford Handbook of Food Fermentations.Oxford University Press. pp. 249–252.ISBN9780199742707.
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related toWestern Cape.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forWestern Cape.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_Cape&oldid=1256311344"