About Durbanville

Durbanville is a rural residential suburb on the northern outskirts of the metropolis, a mere 20 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, and is surrounded by farms producing wheat and award-winning wines.

“There is a distinct difference between the northern and southern suburbs of Cape Town, and, as with many cities divided by a river or other landmark, Cape Town has an imaginary line the locals jokingly refer to as the “Boerewors Curtain” (Boerewors literally translated means Boer / Afrikaans Sausage). Afrikaans and English are the main languages spoken in Durbanville though.

The principal religion of the population is Christianity with a wide variety of churches of all denominations in the community.

Originally called Pampoenkraal (pumpkin fold), Durbanville is one of the oldest municipalities in the Western Cape. Pampoenkraal was founded early in the 1800s around a spring, which served mainly as a watering station for travelers. On 2 September 1836, it was renamed D’Urban in honour of Sir Benjamin D’Urban, Governor of the Cape, and in 1886, the name changed to Durbanville, to avoid confusion with Durban.

Wine farming began in Durbanville as early as the 17th century, when the first farms in the area were allocated and vineyards planted with Cape Madeira, the most popular white grape of the time. A number of these farms now form part of the Durbanville Wine Route, offering award-winning wines. These are cultivated by generations of wine-makers and range across the red and white cultivars to individual cellar blends, which can be sampled during the week. Click on the “Things to Do” drop down menu for wine tasting venues and a list of the all the wine farms in the area.