Durbanville

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Durbanville
PO box		7551

Durbanville, previously called Pampoenkraal, is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, part of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area.^[3] It is a semi-rural residential suburb on the north-eastern outskirts of the metropolis surrounded by farms producing wine and wheat.

Durbanville has developed and grown rapidly during the past years into one of the most sought-after

History

Precolonial period (before 1652)

The first modern humans indigenous to the Cape area included the Khoina and the Khoisan tribes. The indigenous people lived in the Cape and its surrounding coastal areas dating as far back as 60 000 years ago.^[5] They migrated from the interior of the country, what is today the Northern Cape province, and from Botswana and Namibia to the Cape.^[6]

Dutch colonial period (1652-1795)

Durbanville's inception can be traced to a fresh water spring located in the town. The spring is currently situated behind the Durbanville Children's Home.^[7] The spring was designated by the VOC (Dutch East India Company, Dutch: Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) in the mid-1600s to be used as a water replenishment station for travelers on their way from Cape Town to the interior of southern Africa. In 1661 rhinoceros and ostrich were known to inhabit the area.^[8] Durbanville was originally known as Pampoenkraal (from the Afrikaans words pampoen meaning pumpkin, and kraal meaning corral - an enclosure for livestock). This name was attributed to the town because of a pumpkin patch which grew alongside a dam located behind the current Town Hall. Due to the natural spring, Pampoenkraal became a preferred resting place for travellers before continuing on their journey into the interior.^[8]

During the late 1600s, the VOC allocated farms to

Some of those farms are still in existence today, many of which are renowned for their wine production. These include Bloemendal, Meerendal, Diemersdal and Altydgedacht.

British colonial period (1795-1902)

The first portions of land were earmarked as residential properties and allocated in 1806, signifying the start and development of Durbanville.[8]

In 1825 a group of local farmers requested permission from

Durbanville had its own court house, jail and magistrate from the 1870s and became a Magisterial District of

]

The village grew rapidly after the turn of the 19th century and a local wagon industry developed. The King Brothers Wagon Works' used to be South Africa's biggest wagon works. At the turn of the century, it employed more than 200 men, which just about accounted for the entire village.

Post-Apartheid (1994-)

In 1996, Durbanville lost its municipal status and was dissolved into the Tygerberg Municipality along with

and is effectively a suburb of the City of Cape Town. Although Durbanville is now part of the City of Cape Town it is still a town in its own right.

Geography

Durbanville is situated in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, approximately 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) north-east of the city, bordered by Bellville to the south, Brackenfell to the south-east and Kraaifontein to the east. It lies at an altitude of between 100 m (328 ft) to 240 m (787 ft), in the vast rolling hills of Tygerberg and Koeberg.^[9][10]

Suburban Areas

• Amanda Glen (Residential)
• Aurora (Residential)
• Avalon Estate (Residential)
• Bergsig (Residential)
• Brentwood Park (Residential)
• Country Places (Residential)
• D'urbanvale (Residential)
• Durbanville Hills (Residential)
• Durbell (Residential)
• Durmonte (Residential)
• Everglen (Residential)
• Eversdal (Residential)
• Eversdal Heights (Residential)
• Goedemoed (Residential)
• Graanendal (Residential)
• Halali (Residential)
• Kenridge (Residential)
• Kenridge Heights (Residential)
• Klein Nederburg (Residential)
• Langeberg Village (Residential)
• Langeberg Glen (Residential)
• Langeberg Heights (Residential)
• Morningstar (Residential)
• Nerina (Residential)
• Pinehurst (Residential)
• Proteaville (Residential)
• Rosedale (Residential)
• Schoongezicht (Residential)
• Sonstraal (Residential)
• Sonstraal Heights (Residential)
• Tara (Residential)
• The Crest (Residential)
• Uitzicht (Residential)
• Valmary Park (Residential)
• Vergesig (Residential)
• Vierlanden (Residential)
• Vygeboom (Residential)
• Welgevonden Estate (Residential)
• Wellway Park (Residential)
• Wellway Park East (Residential)

Economy

Due to its location on the

. The surrounds of the town is mainly farmland dedicated to wine, wheat and dairy.

Agriculture

Viticulture

Durbanville is a wine-producing region forming part of the Durbanville Wine Valley, home to thirteen wine estates set on the Tygerberg Hills with many of the wine estates offering wine tastings and fine dining restaurants.[11]

Durbanville is also well-known as the "Sauvignon Blanc Country" owing to the amount of sauvignon blanc produced in the wine valley which is favoured by winemakers for its cooler climate (by comparison to the Boland wine region) influenced by the winds of Table and False bays resulting in a different style of wine produced within the valley.^[12]

The picturesque hilly landscape of the Durbanville wine valley and its close proximity to Cape Town (roughly a 30 minute-drive) by comparison to the Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek winelands have made it an increasingly popular tourist destination among local residents and visitors.

Dairy

Durbanville is home to the dairy farm ("Welgegund") of Fair Cape, one of the Western Cape's largest dairy producers, situated just north of Durbanville along Malanshoogte Road.^[13]

Retail

Central Business District

The historical Durbanville CBD still remains the traditional commercial centre of the town with shops, bars, cafés, boutiques and restaurants along the main high street of Wellington Road and many more tucked away down the side streets.

Shopping centres

There are three major shopping malls in the Durbanville CBD serving Durbanville including: De Ville Centre, Durbanville Town Centre and The Village Square.^[14][15][16]

A number of smaller suburban shopping centres in Durbanville are also within easy access such as such as Clara Anna Square, Cobble Walk, Graanendal Shopping Centre, Ipic Shopping Centre Aurora, Ipic Shopping Centre Kenridge, Ipic Shopping Centre Sonstraal and Pinehurst Centre.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22]}

Mining and Industries

Durbanville is surrounded by a number of stoning quarries on the Tygerberg range with companies such as Afrimat, Portland and Ciolli Bros operating around the area.^[23][24]

Although mostly a residential area, Durbanville has a small area of light industry located just outside Durbanville named Durbanville Industrial Park.^[25]

Culture

Languages

Afrikaans and English are the main languages spoken in Durbanville.^{[citation needed]} In the past Afrikaans predominated culturally, but this has changed with the rapid development of the town. However the majority (59%) of the town still speaks Afrikaans as a first language. The principal religion of the population is Christianity with a wide variety of churches in the community

Historical attractions

Owing to the rich history and heritage of the town, Durbanville boasts its fair share of historical features and attractions largely situated in the CBD and its immediate surroundings including:^[26]

• Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery on Wellington Road (built in the 1840s and was originally used as a prison and police headquarters, then a magistrate’s court)
• Onze Molen Windmill
• Durbanville Synagogue
• Durbanville Dutch Reformed Church
• Original Cape Dutch houses on historical streets such as Church Street, Gladstone Street, Main Street, Oxford Street, Queen Street and Scher Street

Demographics

According to the

Gender

Gender	Population	%
Female	28 615	52.71%
Male	25 671	47.29%

Racial Makeup

Group	Population	%
White	44 607	82.17%
Coloured	5 491	10.11%
Black African	2 995	5.52%
Indian/Asian	560	1.03%

Home Language

Language	Population	%
Afrikaans	31 346	58.94%
English	19 803	37.24%
Xhosa	491	0.92%
Other African languages	752	1.39%
Other languages	732	1.38%

Education

The town has the following public high schools:

• Durbanville High School (an Afrikaans-medium school)
• Fairmont High School (an English-medium school)
• Stellenberg High School (a dual-medium school) - although it is located in Bellville, it falls under Durbanville’s feeder area.

There are numerous primary schools, including:

• Durbanville Preparatory
• Durbanville Primary
• Eversdal Primary
• Gene Louw Primary
• Kenridge Primary
• The Valley Primary

The area also has a number of private schools:

• Curro Durbanville
• El Shaddai Christian School.
• Meridian Pinehurst
• Reddam House Durbanville

Healthcare

Private healthcare

Mediclinic Durbanville is the only hospital serving the town of Durbanville. Owned by Mediclinic International, it is a private hospital operating 24-hour emergency services. The hospital is located in the heart of the town on Wellington Road.^[27]

Public healthcare

A short distance from Mediclinic Durbanville is the Durbanville Community Day Centre, a government-funded clinic operated by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.^[28]

Transport

Air

Cape Winelands Airport is located approximately 13 km NE of Durbanville.^[29] Located in the Western Cape winelands, Cape Winelands Airport (formerly Fisantekraal Airfield) is an ex–South African Airforce airfield now operating privately as a general flying airfield and used for aviation training. Of the four original runways, two remain operational while the other two are used for film production.^{[citation needed]} It has been in private ownership since 2021. Operators at the airfield are Cape Town Flight Training Centre and Aerosport Training.^[30] The Fighting on Fire organisation also has a summer base at Cape Winelands Airport. The ICAO designator is FAWN. Located on a 150ha site, Cape Winelands Airport has a number of aircraft hangars for the storage and maintenance of private aircraft and helicopters.^{[citation needed]}

However Cape Town International Airport, located 19 kilometres to the south is the only airport within the Greater Cape Town region to offer scheduled international and domestic flights.

Bus and taxi transit

Durbanville is served by Golden Arrow Bus Services which operates commuter bus services from Durbanville to various parts of the Greater Cape Town region as far as the City Centre, Atlantis, Killarney Gardens, Fisantekraal, Kraaifontein and Khayelitsha.^[31]

Minibus taxis are a major form of public transportation in Durbanville with the majority of minibus taxis terminating at the Durbanville Public Transport Interchange in Durbanville Central.

Rail

Durbanville is one of the few areas in the Greater Cape Town region that do not have a railway passing through, however the nearest railway stations are conveniently located within a 10 kilometre radius including Kraaifontein Station, Bellville Station, and Brackenfell Station.

Roads

Freeways

Durbanville is not directly linked to any major

) via the M13 and M48.

Regional routes

The main route through Durbanville is the R302, which is formed by three roads (Durbanville Avenue, Main Street and Wellington Road). It connects the town with Klipheuwel and Malmesbury to the north-east and with Bellville to the south. The R312 starts from the R302 in the north-east of the town, and continues north-east towards Fisantekraal and Wellington as Lichtenburg Road.

Metropolitan routes

Durbanville is situated along a number of

(Okavango Road).

There are also smaller rural metropolitan routes connecting Durbanville to further distant settlements. It is connected to

(Koeberg Road; Adderley Road).

Nature Reserves

The two nature reserves in Durbanville include the

situated in D'Urbanvale, north of Durbanville.

Sports

Golf

Affectionately known as the "Jewel of the North", the Durbanville Golf Club is a large 18-hole

Horse Racing

One of the main attractions which draws visitors to Durbanville is the Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse, established in 1922 and is one of the only two horse

In August 2022, Cape Racing announced Hollywoodbets as the naming rights sponsor for the Durbanville and Kenilworth racecourses, and as a result the Durbanville Racecourse is now known as the Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse.^[34]

Notable people

• space tourist.^{[citation needed}
  ]
• Amore Bekker, radio personality, author, MC and columnist.^{[citation needed]}
• Idols
  season 4
• Daniele Pascal, French Chanteuse, Actor and Playwright, and owner of Villa Pascal Guest House (B+B) and Theatre
• Annelisa Weiland, actress. Played Hilda de Kock on popular South African soapie 7de Laan for almost 20 years.
• Springboks.^{[citation needed}
  ]
• Jack Parow, Afrikaans rapper.
• Zanne Stapelberg, international operatic soprano.

Coat of arms

The Durbanville municipal council assumed a coat of arms, designed by Ivan Mitford-Barberton and H. Ellis Tomlinson, in April 1948,^[35] and registered them at the Bureau of Heraldry in February 1981.The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA)

The arms, derived from those of

, were : Or, on a chevron between in chief two six-pointed stars Sable and in base a bunch of grapes proper, three garbs Or. In layman's term, the shield is gold and depicts, from top to bottom, two black six-pointed stars, a blue chevron bearing three golden sheaves of wheat, and a bunch of grapes.

The crest was a red sphinx charged with three golden rings, and the motto Sit nomine digna.^{[citation needed]}

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Durbanville.