Cape Town is South Africa’s second-largest city and its legislative capital, home to the national Parliament, set on the Cape Peninsula at the southwestern tip of Africa beneath the flat-topped Table Mountain. Founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a supply station for ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope, it is one of the oldest cities built by Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa.

Where Is Cape Town Located?

Cape Town sits on the Cape Peninsula at South Africa’s southwestern tip, between the Atlantic Ocean waters of Table Bay and the slopes of Table Mountain, which rises directly above the city center.

A Brief History of Cape Town

The Dutch East India Company established a station at the Cape in 1652 under Jan van Riebeeck to resupply ships traveling between Europe and Asia around the Cape of Good Hope, making Cape Town one of the oldest continuously settled urban areas founded by Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa.

Colonial Rule and Apartheid

Britain seized control of the Cape Colony from the Dutch in the early nineteenth century, and Cape Town later became a center of South Africa’s apartheid-era segregation, including the forced removal of residents from areas such as District Six. Robben Island, in Table Bay just offshore, held Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners for decades and is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[1]

Cape Town Today: Government and Economy

Cape Town is the capital of South Africa’s Western Cape province and serves as the country’s legislative capital, housing the national Parliament, while Pretoria remains the administrative capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital. The city’s economy rests heavily on tourism, the nearby Cape Winelands, its port, and financial and technology services.

Table Mountain

Cape Town’s single most iconic feature is Table Mountain, a flat-topped sandstone mountain that rises more than 1,000 meters directly above the city and forms the centerpiece of Table Mountain National Park. The mountain supports an exceptionally rich concentration of plant species as part of the Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized as one of the world’s richest and most distinctive floral areas, and its distinctive silhouette is visible from most of the city below.^[2]

What Is Cape Town Known For?

Cape Town is known for Table Mountain, its position near the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at the Cape of Good Hope, its colonial-era Company’s Garden and historic Bo-Kaap neighborhood, and for Robben Island’s role in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.

Why Cape Town Matters

Cape Town matters as one of South Africa’s three capital cities, as a city whose natural setting beneath Table Mountain and at the edge of a globally significant biodiversity hotspot is distinctive, and as a place where the country’s colonial founding and its more recent history of segregation and liberation remain closely intertwined.

Key Takeaways

• Cape Town is South Africa’s legislative capital, home to the national Parliament, and the capital of Western Cape province.
• It was founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a supply station, making it one of the oldest European-founded settlements in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Robben Island, just offshore in Table Bay, held Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Table Mountain, Cape Town’s iconic landmark, rises over 1,000 meters above the city within Table Mountain National Park.
• The mountain lies within the Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional plant diversity.

Sources

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre | “Robben Island” | whc.unesco.org/en/list/916/
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre | “Cape Floral Region Protected Areas” | whc.unesco.org/en/list/1007/
• City of Cape Town | official website | capetown.gov.za

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed October 21, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue