Much of Cape Town as we know it today is built on the legacies of slavery and early colonial history and there are tons of fascinating sights for travelers and locals alike to take in the city’s heritage and learn about its early history.
This week, Julie, CTGM’s virtual intern, is taking a closer look at the early colonial and slavery history of Cape Town to give you some of the best suggestions to experience sustainable heritage tourism in the city.
Last week, I started my ‘walk back in time’ to discover the best and most interesting spots in Cape Town to learn about the city’s past. I found so many fascinating sights for learning more about the apartheid period, so check this out if you haven’t done so yet! This week I’m moving further back in time to Cape Town’s early colonial history – marked by the history of intense slavery and settler colonialism. There are loads of sights all over Cape Town where you can trace this history, so I would highly recommend a stroll through the center of town or a drive out to Groot Constantia or the Rhodes Memorial.
Cape Town’s Early Colonial History
The Dutch first arrived in this part of the world in 1652 and established the Cape Colony, but the colonialists met significant resistance from the indigenous Khoi san population who rightfully opposed working for the Dutch arrivals. The settlers were in desperate need of a workforce so, in 1658, the first slaves were shipped to the Colony, mostly from modern-day Angola. The slave population increased rapidly as new slaves had to continuously be imported for work in the colony. Slaves were subjected to horrific working conditions and brutality and had extremely short life expectancies due to this treatment. By 1710, there were three times as many adult enslaved people as members of the colonial population. The Cape Colony became a major center for trade in slavery as ships from around the world docked here. The arrival of the British brought some improvements to the working conditions of enslaved people, but slavery continued until 1838. Slavery was crucial to the workings of the colonial economy, which is why it continued for so long. The remnants of the Dutch and British colonial past are still clearly visible in today’s Cape Town, making it the ultimate travel destination for history nerds (like me!).
So, follow me along as I show you eight historical sites in Cape Town to find out more about slavery and the early colonial period.
Slave Lodge Museum
Corner Adderley and Wale Streets, Cape Town, 8000, www.iziko.org.za/museums/slave-lodge
As the second oldest building in all of Cape Town – built in 1679 –, the Slave Lodge Museum has quite a long, varied, and dark history. Originally meant to house the thousands of slaves that arrived in the Cape Colony, the building has also served as government offices, the South Africa Cultural History Museum, and even the supreme court. Today it is a museum that explores the history of slavery in South Africa, so there couldn’t be a better start to this historical tour of Cape Town. The Slave Lodge also closes quite early so definitely do this one in the morning! Its location is really central, so you can go on and visit most of the other stops from there as well.
INFO: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-14.30. Prices are at R30 for adults, R15 for 6-17 years old, and R5 for 5 and under. South African pensioners and students pay R15 or are free if visiting on a Friday. Bookings can be made under +27 (0) 21 467 7229.
The Company’s Garden
Adderley Street corner Wale St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001
The Company’s Garden, located in the city center, was established to provide fresh vegetables to the seafarers who would land in the Cape Colony. Simon van der Stel, first Governer of the Dutch Cape Colony, transformed it into an aesthetic garden. A Slave Bell is located in the Company Gardens – the bell was manufactured in London in 1855 (18 years after the abolition of slavery). Today, it is a stunning garden to relax and unwind, eat at the nearby restaurant, and take some respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Castle of Good Hope
Darling St & Buitenkant St, Cape Town, 8001; www.castleofgoodhope.co.za/index.php
Contrary to people’s perception, the Castle of Good Hope was not built by Jan van Riebeeck, first Commander of the Cape, but he actually designed and built an earlier version that was deemed too insecure. The construction of the Castle of Good Hope started in 1666 and was completed shortly after with the intention of serving as protection against invading British ships. For this purpose, it was built in an imposing, pentagonal shape. Over the next few centuries, the Castle was used for various purposes including serving as the Seat of Government under the British and being the home to the Governor of the Cape. Nowadays, the Castle is host to the Military Museum and constitutes an important part of Cape Town’s historical heritage, as it is the oldest remaining structure in all of South Africa! Visitors can apparently witness the Guard Change every weekday at noon, as well as the Key Ceremony at 10:00 and 12:00, but I haven’t been able to find out whether this is still happening due to Covid-19 restrictions, so if you do know – let me know!
INFO: Open Tuesday-Sunday from 9:00-17:00. Adults pay R50 and children, as well as South African pensioners, pay R25.
Bo Kaap Museum
71 Wale St, Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town, 8001; www.iziko.org.za/museums/bo-kaap-museum
Bo-Kaap is a super cool and picturesque area of Cape Town, so any kind of visit seems absolutely worth it! With its pretty little cobbled streets and colourful houses, it has solidly made all of the top things-to-do list over the past years, but if you want to learn more about the area’s rich and multicultural history, a visit to the Bo Kaap Museum should be at the top of your list. The Bo Kaap district is one of the oldest surviving districts of Cape Town. In the 18th century, many freed slaves lived in this area creating a mix of cultures and a rich Islamic heritage – one of the aspects that are showcased in the museum. The building housing this museum is the oldest still-standing house, dating back to the 1760s. This museum is particularly fascinating for learning about the daily life of people living in Bo Kaap back then.
INFO: Open Tuesday-Saturdays from 10:00-14:30. Adults pay R20, 6-17 years old pay R10 and children, aged 5 years and under, pay R5 for entry. South African pensioners and students pay R10 and get free entry on Fridays.
Prestwich Memorial
Buitengracht St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001
This memorial resulted from a local planning accident: when developers started digging on the site they found the graves of thousands of slaves who were buried or killed here in the 1600s and 1700s. They were buried without any reference to their names, so we know very little of them, but the memorial attempts to give those slaves back some of their dignity. The Memorial Centre has some great exhibitions, so there is lots to see and learn!
INFO: Open Monday to Friday from 8:00-18:00 and 8:00-14:00 on weekends. Entry is free.
Groot Constantia Estate
Groot Constantia Rd, Constantia, Cape Town, 7806; www.grootconstantia.co.za/
This wine estate is one of the oldest vineyards in the county, dating back to 1685! It was owned by Simon van der Stel, the first Governor of the Cape Colony so it has had quite the history, which luckily for us Groot Constantia has put on show for visitors. The exhibition focuses on rural slavery and how that supported the entire wine industry here, as well as information on the Khoi-San people. Overall, this site has so much history, it is incredible! It’s also just very pretty and there is wine – what more would you want?
INFO: Open 9:00-17:00 all week. Tickets are R115 per person which includes various tours, entrance to all the museums and houses as well as the tasting of five wines. For an additional R50, you can also pair chocolates with your wines.
Rhodes Memorial
Rhodes Ave, Devil’s Peak, Cape Town, 7700
This memorial was built in 1912, designed by renowned artists Herbert Baker and Francis May, only a few years after Cecil Rhodes, a British imperialist, politician and business man died. The positioning of the memorial is based on Rhodes’ favourite spot on his vast estate that nowadays forms a national park. Often used as a picnic spot, this monument has gotten considerable criticism over the last few years as part of the #RhodesMustFall movement and thus is an important place in Cape Town to think about the way we remember history and people. The views are also stunning and there are great hikes all around the area so why not combine discussing problematic memorialization with a stroll in nature? There is also a restaurant close-by if you get hungry!
There are so many other places in Cape Town that are just great for discovering this city’s history that I was honestly really struggling to fit them all on here. Check out this cool heritage tour if you still want to see more!
Until next week,
Julie
CTGM Virtual Intern
See also the Cape Town City Heritage Walk and Cape Town Green Map
