102-784: Stellenbosch ( / ˈ s t ɛ l ə n b ɒ s / ; Afrikaans: [ˈstælənˌbɔs] ) is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa , situated about 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of Cape Town , along the banks of the Eerste River at the foot of the Stellenbosch Mountain . The town became known as the City of Oaks or Eikestad in Afrikaans and Dutch due to the large number of oak trees that were planted by its founder, Simon van der Stel , to grace
204-537: A fire destroyed most of the town, including the first church, all the Company property and twelve houses. Only two or three houses were left standing. When the church was rebuilt in 1723 it was located on what was then the outskirts of the town, to prevent a similar incident from destroying it again. This church has been enlarged a number of times since 1723 and is currently known as the "Moederkerk" (Mother Church). The first school had been opened in 1683, but education in
306-665: A government, and Morkel remained Premier. In 2000 the DP and the NNP formalised their coalition by forming the Democratic Alliance (DA). In 2001, however, the NNP broke with the DA over the removal of Peter Marais from office as Mayor of Cape Town by DA leader Tony Leon . The NNP instead went into coalition with the ANC; Gerald Morkel, who was opposed to the split, resigned as Premier and
408-775: A long tradition of holding liberal values. For example, the Cape Qualified Franchise before the Union of South Africa. The Cape Qualified Franchise was the system of non-racial franchise that was adhered to in the Cape Colony , and in the Cape Province in the early years of the Union 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
510-525: A means to increase equitable access for all students and staff. Afrikaans, English and Xhosa are used in academic, administrative, professional and social contexts, and classes are offered in Afrikaans and English. At postgraduate level the language of tuition is determined by the composition of the class. Most advanced postgraduate courses are conducted in English. According to the 2016 language profile of
612-412: A north–south direction. The municipality currently uses a badge consisting of a fleur de lis and a cross issuing from a stylised bunch of grapes . In the past, the various local authorities used coats of arms. Western Cape The Western Cape ( Afrikaans : Wes-Kaap [ˈvɛskɑːp] ; Xhosa : iNtshona-Koloni ) is a province of South Africa , situated on the south-western coast of
714-687: A permanent basis, such as the Springbok Sevens and Western Province. It is also the home base of professional football club Stellenbosch FC who compete in the DStv Premiership . The Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek valleys form the Cape Winelands , the larger of the two main wine growing regions in South Africa. The South African wine industry produces about 1,000,000,000 litres of wine annually. Stellenbosch
816-540: A resident head assisted by a House Committee of senior students. The House Committee assists students with security, maintenance, and social programs. Each first year student on campus gets access to a be-well mentor who assist them with their social-emotional transition from school to university. Each residence for undergrads incorporates a laundry room, a common living room and a dining hall where meals are provided for which students book beforehand on their student account. The number of available rooms in university residences
918-621: A social movement for political consciousness. In December 1968, the South 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. In 1974, South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development MC Botha, constituted
1020-625: A system of furrows to direct water from the Eerste River in the vicinity of Thibault Street through the town along van Riebeeck Street to Mill Street where a mill was erected. Early visitors commented on the oak trees and gardens. During 1690 some Huguenot refugees settled in Stellenbosch, grapes were planted in the fertile valleys around Stellenbosch and soon it became the centre of the South African wine industry. In 1710
1122-441: A wide range of soils in the area, from light, sandy soils to decomposed granite. Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon is beginning to get a good reputation as a fine wine. Stellenbosch University is one of South Africa's leading universities . This institution has a rich history dating back to 1863 and has 10 faculties , including Engineering , Commerce , Science and Arts . The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
SECTION 10
#17327721642941224-659: Is 53 km (33 mi) east of Cape Town via National Route N1 . Stellenbosch is in a hilly region of the Cape Winelands , and is sheltered in a valley at an average elevation of 136 m (446 ft), flanked on the west by Papegaaiberg ( Afrikaans : Parrot Mountain ), which is actually a hill. To the south is Stellenbosch Mountain ; to the east and southeast are the Jonkershoek , Drakenstein , and Simonsberg mountains. Die Tweeling Pieke ( Afrikaans : The Twin Peaks ) has an elevation of 1,494 m (4,902 ft);
1326-530: Is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch , a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Saharan Africa, which received full university status in 1918. Stellenbosch University designed and manufactured Africa's first microsatellite, SUNSAT , launched in 1999. Stellenbosch
1428-560: Is dominated by Karoo drought-resistant shrubbery . The West Coast and Little Karoo are semi-arid regions and are typified by many species of succulents and drought-resistant shrubs and acacia trees. The Garden Route on the south coast (between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Southern Indian Ocean ) is extremely lush, with temperate rainforest (or Afromontane Forest ) covering many areas adjacent to
1530-606: Is in the process of introducing more English centered undergraduate courses following mass protest by the student body. The university council with the concurrence of the senate approved a new language policy on 22 June 2016 for implementation from 1 January 2017. Since the campuses are situated in the Western Cape, the university has committed to introducing multilingualism by using the province’s three official languages, namely Afrikaans , English and isiXhosa . Primary Schools Secondary Schools Stellenbosch lies on
1632-583: Is limited, which requires some students to find private boarding. Students in private lodgings are assigned to one of 6 Commuter Student Organisations (CSO), also known as Private Wards. These CSOs give private students exposure to the same campus experience as students residing in residences. The oldest residence is Wilgenhof men's residence , established in 1903. The CSO wards along with the Residence Halls are grouped into six clusters with nearby residences to form student communities (a seventh cluster
1734-506: Is on the Tygerberg campus). For each of these clusters, a hub facility is being built, of which three have already been completed, namely amaMaties, Wimbledon and Victoria. In this way, commuter students can enjoy the same benefits as residence students, such as mentor support, meals and a well-appointed place to go to between classes. The university is one of three public universities in the Western Cape and one of about 20 universities in
1836-466: Is organised in 139 departments across 10 faculties offering bachelor's ( NQF 7 ) to doctoral degrees ( NQF 10 ) in the English and Afrikaans language. Across five campuses in the Western Cape, the university is home to 32,000 students. The students of Stellenbosch University are nicknamed "Maties". The term probably arises from the Afrikaans word "tamatie" (meaning tomato, and referring to the maroon sports uniforms and blazer colour). An alternative theory
1938-481: Is ranked second in Africa by Eduniversal . The University of Stellenbosch Business School is ranked in the top 100 worldwide in executive education by Financial Times. In October 2022, an incident of alleged racism occurred where a white student urinated onto the study material of a black student. In 2023, Vice-Chancellor Wim de Villiers was charged of nepotism . He allegedly used his discretionary right to secure
2040-656: Is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape 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 the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape . The total land area of
2142-561: Is situated on the banks of the Eerste River ("First River"), so named as it was the first new river he reached and followed when he went on an expedition over the Cape Flats to explore the territory towards what is now known as Stellenbosch. The town grew so quickly that it became an independent local authority in 1682 and the seat of a magistrate with jurisdiction over 25,000 square kilometers (9,700 sq mi) in 1685. The Dutch were skilled in hydraulic engineering and they devised
SECTION 20
#17327721642942244-690: Is that the term comes from the Afrikaans colloquialism maat (meaning "buddy" or "mate"), originally used diminutively ("maatjie") by the students of the University of Cape Town 's precursor, the South African College . The origin of the university can be traced back to the Stellenbosch Gymnasium , which was founded in 1864 and opened on 1 March 1866. The first five students matriculated in 1870, but capacity did not initially exist for any tertiary education . However, in
2346-666: Is the home of the internationally acclaimed Stellenbosch University Choir , who, along with being the oldest South African choir have received numerous awards overseas. The university also has a 430-seat theatre, known as the HB Thom Theatre and an open-air amphitheatre . Accompanying these facilities is the university's own Drama Department, under the guidance of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences . The department regularly puts on plays, dramas, productions, cabarets and musicals. The Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
2448-401: Is the name of the official alumni magazine. It is published twice a year and distributed to some 100 000 alumni and friends of the university. Stellenbosch University has historically been a predominantly Afrikaans-medium university. However, as the student body became more diverse, pressure mounted for more classes in English. Today, the university's language policy promotes multilingualism as
2550-554: Is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa. The Langenhoven Students' Centre ( Neelsie ) houses the Student Representative Council , a food court, a cinema, a post office, a shopping centre, an advice office and all the student societies' offices. Student bands and various entertainment and activity promotions usually appear in the main food court during lunch hour. The university has its own radio station known as MFM (Matie FM), situated in
2652-566: Is the only university department in the southern hemisphere which has successfully built a communications satellite Sunsat which was launched in 2000 and orbited the Earth for three years. The University currently has about 29,000 students. White students in 2014, namely 18,636, constitute 63.4% of all students enrolled. Although the official language of the university is Afrikaans , most post-graduate courses are presented in English . The university
2754-467: Is the primary location for viticulture and viticulture research. Professor Perold was the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. The Stellenbosch Wine Route established in 1971 by Frans Malan from Simonsig, Spatz Sperling from Delheim, Neil Joubert from Spier and David van Velden from Overgaauw, known as Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes since 2002, is a world-renowned and popular tourist destination. This route provides visitors
2856-519: Is the southernmost region of the African continent with Cape Agulhas as 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 is Saldanha Bay on the west coast, about 140 kilometres (90 mi) north of Cape Town. However a lack of fresh water in
2958-413: The 2004 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's Ebrahim Rasool . The NNP was finally dissolved after the 2005 floor-crossing period and its members joined
3060-729: The Acheulean type at a site named Bosman's Crossing near the Adam Tas Bridge at the western entrance to Stellenbosch. This indicates that human habitation of the area dates as far back as 1 million years. By 10,000 to 20,000 years ago the population, assumed to have been ancestors of the San people, were established in the area. The town was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Colony , Simon van der Stel , who named it after himself – Stellenbosch means "(van der) Stel's Bush". It
3162-643: The House of Assembly in 1960. Coloured voters similarly followed in 1958 and 1970 , respectively. The Black 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
Stellenbosch - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-627: The Overberg on the south coast have a maritime climate with cool, moist winters and mild, moist summers. Mossel Bay in the Garden Route is considered to have the second mildest climate worldwide after Hawaii. 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). The effects of El Niño on rainfall in southern Africa differ between
3366-823: The Pan-African University is based in South Africa and will concentrate on space sciences . This decision was connected with South Africa's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array of radio telescopes. In September 2009 Jean-Pierre Ezin, African Union commissioner for science, said the node at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa was hoped to open in February 2010. According to University World News , however, The PAU project continues in other regions although Southern Africa has been lagging behind . Stellenbosch University has
3468-655: The Referendum Party , Freedom Front Plus and organisations such as the Cape Independence Advocacy Group and CapeXit, wish to bring forth the constitutional and peaceful secession of the Western Cape. 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
3570-464: The University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the University 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 at Victor Verster Prison , near Paarl. 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
3672-562: The national constitution ; these responsibilities include agriculture, education, environment, health services, housing, language policies, tourism, trade, and welfare. The provincial parliament also elects the Premier of the Western Cape to lead the provincial executive. Alan Winde , a member of the DA and former Provincial Minister of Community Safety, has served as Premier since the 2019 provincial election . The Premier appoints ten members of
3774-563: 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. The 2022 South African census recorded
3876-517: The 1870s, the Cape Colony's first locally elected government took office and prioritised education. In 1873, four of the five 1870 matriculates became the institution's first graduates by attaining the "Second Class Certificate" through distance learning, and the gymnasium's student numbers rose to over a hundred. In 1874, a series of government acts provided for colleges and universities, with generous subsidies and staff. A personal intervention by
3978-520: The 20s. Stellenbosch is home to several corporate headquarters of large and small companies including major South African bank, Capitec Bank , fast-food chain, Hungry Lion, major dairy products group Lactalis South Africa, major private hospital group, Mediclinic International and investment holding company, Remgro . Stellenbosch is a warm-weather training venue for cyclists, track and field squads, and triathletes. The Stellenbosch Sports Academy opened its doors in 2012 and hosts several rugby teams on
4080-508: The ANC, again giving that party an absolute majority of 24 seats. In the 2007 floor-crossing period the ANC gained a further three members of the provincial parliament. In 2008 Rasool resigned as Premier due to internal party politics, and was replaced by Lynne Brown . The 2009 election marked a significant change in Western Cape politics, as the Democratic Alliance won 51% of the votes and an absolute majority of 22 seats in
4182-494: The Afrikaans "Universiteit Stellenbosch" are used. Stellenbosch is located about 50 kilometres from Cape Town and is situated on the banks of the Eersterivier ("First River") in the famous wine-growing region and is encircled by picturesque mountains. Teaching at Stellenbosch University is divided across five campuses. Stellenbosch University consists of 139 departments across 10 faculties. The Southern African node of
Stellenbosch - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-633: The Cape Town area. According to a report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Western Cape experienced the second highest number of deaths and casualties associated with the 1976 uprising protests. In 1994, at the introduction of the Interim Constitution and the first non-racial election , South Africa's original provinces and bantustans were abolished and nine new provinces were established. The former Cape Province
4386-463: 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
4488-595: The Muldersvlei rail branch of the Northern Line operated by Metrorail Western Cape commuter rail system which connects Stellenbosch with Cape Town to the west via Eersterivier , Kuilsrivier and Bellville . Stellenbosch has two railway stations including its main railway station, Stellenbosch Railway Station to the east of the CBD along the R310 Adam Tas Road and Du Toit Railway Station to
4590-467: The Neelsie. It broadcasts a mix of music, news, entertainment and campus news over the entire Stellenbosch area at 92.6 FM. The university also distributes regular publications, Die Matie (appearing every fortnight) for its students and Kampusnuus (appearing monthly) for its staff. An official yearbook, Stellenbosch Student , is published annually and presented to all graduating students. Matieland
4692-561: The Prime Minister in the same year ensured that Stellenbosch qualified, after initially being allocated to be purely a secondary school. Later in 1874, the institution acquired its first Professor and, in the coming few years, its capacity and staff grew rapidly. Its first academic senate was constituted at the beginning of 1876, when several new premises were also acquired. The first MA degree (in Stellenbosch and in South Africa)
4794-637: The Province's most inland boundary. The escarpment marks the southwestern edge of South Africa's central plateau (see the middle and bottom diagrams on the left). It runs parallel to the entire South African coastline, except in the very far northeast, where it is interrupted by the Limpopo River valley, and in the far northwest, where it is interrupted by the Orange River valley. The 1,000-kilometre-long (620 mi) northeastern stretch of
4896-509: The Provincial Treasury. Politically, the Western Cape is a stronghold for the Democratic Alliance (DA). The DA has won an absolute majority of the vote in the province in every national, provincial, and municipal election since 2009 . The Western Cape Province is divided into one metropolitan municipality and five district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into 24 local municipalities . In
4998-630: The University of Cape Town. The University of Stellenbosch Business School's MBA program was ranked 65th out of 100 MBA programmes of the leading business schools in the world the Aspen Institute's 2011-12 edition of its Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey. The USB is also the only business school in South Africa, as well as the rest of the continent , to be included in the Top 100 list. The University of Stellenbosch Business School has triple accreditation ( AMBA , EQUIS and AACSB accreditation) and
5100-803: The Western Cape's GDP. 95% of wine produced in South Africa is produced in the Western Cape. South Africa is the 7th largest wine producing region in the world. The Western Cape has an excellent network of highways comparable with any first-world country. The primary highways are the N1 (from Cape Town to Three Sisters , continuing outside the province towards Bloemfontein and Johannesburg ), N2 (from Cape Town to Bloukrans River, towards Port Elizabeth ), N7 (from Cape Town to Bitterfontein, continuing towards Springbok and Namibia ), N9 (from George to Uniondale, continuing towards Graaff-Reinet and Colesberg ) and N12 (from George to Three Sisters, continuing towards Kimberley and Johannesburg). Other routes are
5202-482: The Western Cape's registered voters would support independence, while 68% would support a referendum on the issue. The provincial government is established under the Constitution of the Western Cape , which was adopted in 1998. The people of the province elect the 42-member Western Cape Provincial Parliament every five years by a system of party-list proportional representation . The sixth provincial parliament
SECTION 50
#17327721642945304-449: 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%. High-tech industries, international call centres, fashion design, advertising and TV production are niche industries rapidly gaining in importance. Cape Town accounts for roughly 73% of
5406-468: The campus outside of the main facility, and all of which are catalogued on a computerized database, using the university's original mainframe, a UNIVAC . There are several other satellite libraries servicing the different faculties, including the Theology Library, Law Library and Tygerberg Medical Library. Stellenbosch University also has a Conservatory, with two concert halls. The Conservatory
5508-541: The coast, in the deep river valleys and along the southern slopes of the Outeniqua mountain range. Typical species are hardwoods of exceptional height, such as Yellowwood , Stinkwood and Ironwood trees. 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 warm Agulhas Current which flows southwards along South Africa's east coast, and
5610-641: The cold Benguela Current which is an upwelling current from the depths of the South Atlantic Ocean along South Africa's west coast. Thus climatic statistics can vary greatly over short distances. Most of the province is considered to have a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Both the Great Karoo and Little Karoo , in the interior, have an arid to semi-arid climate with cold, frosty winters and hot summers with occasional thunderstorms . The Garden Route and
5712-599: The country. In the latest edition of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings , Stellenbosch University was ranked in the 251-275 category in the world and third in Africa. Another reputable ranking system, QS World University Rankings recently ranked the university at 390 in the world and also third in Africa. The Leiden University ranked Stellenbosch 395th out of the top 500 universities worldwide on its CWTS Leiden Ranking list of 2013. This list also ranked
5814-487: The country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi), and the third most populous , with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town , which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province . The two largest cities are Cape Town and George . The Western Cape
5916-539: The entire United Kingdom. It is characterised by various types of shrubs, thousands of herbaceous flowering plant species and some grasses. With the exception of the Silver tree, Leucadendron argenteum , which only grows on the granite and clay soils of the Cape Peninsula , open fynbos is generally treeless except in the wetter mountain ravines where patches of Afromontane forest persist. The arid interior
6018-416: The escarpment is called the Drakensberg , which is geographically and geologically quite distinct from the Cape Fold Mountains , which originated much earlier and totally independently of the origin of the escarpment. The principal rivers of the province are the Berg and Olifants which drain into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Breede and Gourits which drain into the Indian Ocean. The vegetation of
6120-425: The expected changes. Thunderstorms are generally rare in the province (except in the Karoo ) with most precipitation being of a frontal or orographic nature. Extremes of heat and cold are common inland, but rare near the coast. Snow is a common winter occurrence on the Western Cape Mountains occasionally reaching down into the more inland valleys. Otherwise, frost is relatively rare in coastal areas and many of
6222-798: The facilities for the more than 30 competitive and recreational sports that are supported by the university include Danie Craven Stadium , Indoor and Outdoor Swimming Pools, the Coetzenburg Centre, a multi-purpose center for ceremonies and indoor sports, playing fields, including two artificial hockey fields, a gymnasium, and a new football complex. The university offers several sports to its students. Some of them are athletics, bouldering , badminton, basketball, canoeing, cricket, cross country running, cycling, fencing, golf, gymnastics, field hockey, judo, kendo, netball, rowing, rugby union, soccer , squash , surfing, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, underwater hockey , volleyball, water polo, and yachting. The Stellenbosch University Library has collections scattered around
SECTION 60
#17327721642946324-417: 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: As of the third quarter of 2023, the Western Cape's total real GDP was R 656.27 billion, which equaled 14.2% of South Africa's total GDP, and real GDP per capita was R90,571. The Western Cape has
6426-411: The heavily cultivated valleys. The Hon Alan Winde MMP The Seventh Provincial Parliament Speaker Daylin Mitchell MMP Deputy Speaker Reagan Allen MMP Chief Whip of the Majority Party Gillon Bosman MMP Leader of the Opposition Khalid Sayed MMP Chief Whip of the Official Opposition Ayanda Bans MMP Municipal: The Cape has had
6528-423: The highest point is Victoria Peak 1,590 m (5,220 ft). Jonkershoek Nature Reserve lies about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Stellenbosch, and the Helderberg Nature Reserve is about 23 km (14 mi) south via provincial route R44 . Just south of the Helderberg Nature Reserve is Strand , a seaside resort town . The soils of Stellenbosch range from dark alluvium to clay . This, combined with
6630-444: The imposition of using Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools, effective with students in Grade 7 (Standard 5) upwards. As early as March 1976, students began passive resistance against Afrikaans, fueling the outbreak of the Soweto Uprising on 16 June 1976. Consequently, the student protests spread to other parts of the country, and Cape Town became a pivotal site for Western Cape student revolt. Student leaders at
6732-427: The independence of the "Sovereign State of Good Hope". In the 2019 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 candidate Alan Winde succeeded her. The ANC also lost support. It had received 12 seats with 28% support, its lowest showing since 1994. Veteran politician Peter Marais returned to
6834-432: The intersection with the R310 just outside Stellenbosch connects the town with Kuilsrivier and the Cape Town International Airport to the west. The M23 (Bottelary Road) which begins at the intersection with the R304 just outside Stellenbosch connects the town with Kuilsrivier, Brackenfell and Bellville to the north-west. Bird Street is the main street through Stellenbosch Central stretching for about 2 kilometres in
6936-430: The lecturers teach at least half their lectures in Dutch/Afrikaans. By 1930, very little, if any, instruction was delivered in English. In December 2014, specialists at the university performed the first successful penis transplantation on a 21-year-old man. Stellenbosch University was the first African university to sign the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities . Although
7038-421: 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 the Bokkeveld mudstones (see the diagrams below). The far interior forms part of the Karoo . This region of the province is generally arid and hilly, with a prominent escarpment that runs close to
7140-453: The north and Somerset West to the south. The R304 (Bird Street; Koelenhof Road) connects Stellenbosch with Klipheuwel and Atlantis to the north-west. The R310 (Adams Tas Street; Helshoogte Road) connects Stellenbosch with Franschhoek to the east and Muizenberg to the south-west. Stellenbosch is also served by two metropolitan routes linking it to nearby towns in the City of Cape Town . The M12 (Polkadraai Road) which begins at
7242-422: The north of the CBD in Plankenbrug. Stellenbosch is not directly linked to any major freeway or highway, however it is connected to the N1 (to Cape Town and Paarl ) via the R44 and R304, the N2 (to Cape Town and George ) via the R44 and R310 and the R300 (to Bellville and Mitchells Plain ) via the M12. The R44 (Adam Tas Street; Strand Road) connects Stellenbosch with Klapmuts and Wellington to
7344-475: The opportunity to experience a wide range of cultivars and includes farms such as Warwick and JC Le Roux. The region has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Stellenbosch lies at the foot of the Cape Fold mountain range, which provides soil favourable to viticulture . Grapes grown in this area are mainly used for wine production, as opposed to table grapes . The region possesses
7446-460: The population have Afrikaans as home language, and the only one of four universities in the province to offer degree courses in Afrikaans. The university annually hosts the SU Woordfees , a predominantly Afrikaans-language festival of the written and spoken word. Stellenbosch has 34 residence halls in configurations for women only, men only and mixed gender. Each residence is supervised by
7548-481: The population of the Western Cape as 7,433,020 people living in 2,264,032 households. As the province covers an area of 129,462 square kilometres (49,986 sq mi), 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). Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch University (SU) ( Afrikaans : Universiteit Stellenbosch , Xhosa : iYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch )
7650-451: The province is 129,462 square kilometres (49,986 sq mi), about 10.6% of the country's total. It is roughly the size of England or the State of Louisiana . Its capital city and largest city is Cape Town , and some other major cities include Stellenbosch , Worcester , Paarl , and George . The Garden Route and the Overberg are popular coastal tourism areas. The Western Cape
7752-402: The provincial legislature to serve as a cabinet of ministers, overseeing the departments of the provincial 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
7854-531: The provincial parliament as the sole representative of the Freedom Front Plus . Patricia de Lille formed another party, Good , and it achieved a seat. The DA continued to win a majority of the votes in the 2021 municipal elections , receiving 54% of the vote province-wide, with support in Cape Town at 58%. Since the late 2000s there has been growing support for Western Cape, or Greater Cape, independence from South Africa. Political parties such as
7956-508: The provincial parliament, while the ANC won 14 seats with 31% of the vote. The DA leader Helen Zille was elected Premier. In 2010 the Independent Democrats , which had won 3 seats with 5% of the vote, merged with the DA. In the 2014 election the 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
8058-544: The region is also extremely diverse, with one of the world's seven floral kingdoms almost exclusively endemic to the province, namely the Cape Floral Kingdom , most of which is covered by Fynbos (from the Afrikaans meaning "Fine Bush" (Dutch: Fijnbos), though precisely how it came to be referred to as such, is uncertain.). These evergreen heathlands are extremely rich in species diversity, with at least as many plant species occurring on Table Mountain as in
8160-485: The region meant that it has only recently been used as a harbour. The province's main harbour was built in Table 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 off Table Mountain and Devil's Peak allowed the early European settlers to build Cape Town on
8262-502: The shores of this less than satisfactory anchorage. The province is topographically exceptionally diverse. Most of the province falls within the Cape Fold Belt , a set of nearly parallel ranges of sandstone folded mountains of Cambrian - Ordovician age (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). The height of
8364-565: 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 the South 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
8466-506: The streets and homesteads. Stellenbosch is a popular tourist destination due to its history as the second oldest town in South Africa (dating back to 1679), its many historic buildings that are typical of Cape Dutch architecture , its location in the centre of many famous wine farms, as well as its variety of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and art galleries. The town is home to Stellenbosch University , one of South Africa's oldest universities, whose campus and buildings occupies large swathes of
8568-406: 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. Sea surface temperatures off the west and south coasts of South Africa are affected by ENSO via changes in surface wind strength. During El Niño
8670-468: The third largest economy of South Africa's nine provinces, behind Gauteng and KwaZulu-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%. As of 2018, the Western Cape's Human Development Index is the highest in South Africa at 0.741 compared to the South African average of 0.705. As of 2023,
8772-480: The time of the 2011 census , the population of the urban area of Stellenbosch was 77,476, living in 23,730 households, in an area of 20.9 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi). Roughly 63.8% of the residents spoke Afrikaans as their home language , 19.6% spoke isiXhosa , and 6.8% spoke English . 28.1% of the population identified themselves as Black African , 52.2% as Coloured (racially mixed), and 18.5% as White . The Stellenbosch Municipality extends beyond
8874-506: The town began in earnest in 1859 with the opening of a seminary for the Dutch Reformed Church. Rhenish Girls' High School , established in 1860, is the oldest school for girls in South Africa. A gymnasium , known as het Stellenbossche Gymnasium , was established in 1866. In 1874 some higher classes became Victoria College and then in 1918 University of Stellenbosch . The first men's hostel to be established in Stellenbosch
8976-541: The town centre. Stellenbosch also has a modern science park, Technopark , situated on the southern side of the town, which serves as a base for many large companies and startups, including Capitec Bank (South Africa's second largest retail bank). Stellenbosch has its own municipality (incorporating the neighbouring towns of Pniel and Franschhoek ), adjoining the metropolitan area of the City of Cape Town . In 1899 Louis Péringuey discovered Paleolithic stone tools of
9078-454: The town of Stellenbosch itself to include rural areas, villages, and the town of Franschhoek . At the time of the 2011 census, the municipal population was 155,728, while by 2016 it was estimated to be 173,197. In 2017, the municipality estimated that the population in 2018 would increase to 176,523. The 1936 census recorded a total population of 8,782 residents with 3,558 of them recorded as Coloured and 4,995 recorded as White. Stellenbosch
9180-418: The university second in both South Africa and Africa, behind only the University of Cape Town. Stellenbosch University consistently ranks in the top 200 worldwide in law, politics and geography. Stellenbosch University is ranked in the top 100 worldwide in development studies , theology, agriculture and forestry. In 2012, Webometrics ranked Stellenbosch's web footprint 2nd largest in Africa, again behind
9282-422: The university was originally named the University of Stellenbosch (Afrikaans: Universiteit van Stellenbosch), it nowadays uses two forms: the English version Stellenbosch University (abbreviated SU) and the Afrikaans version Universiteit Stellenbosch (abbreviated US). In all its official documents, such as degree certificates, as well as the university coat of arms, both the English "Stellenbosch University" and
9384-431: The university, 40.7% of its students stated Afrikaans as their home language, 46.1% stated English, 0.9% stated English and Afrikaans, and 3.1% of students stated isiXhosa as their home language. The language policy is still an ongoing issue for the university, since it is one of the very few tertiary institutions in South Africa offering instruction in Afrikaans. It is situated in the Western Cape province, where 67% of
9486-467: The well-drained, hilly terrain and Mediterranean climate , prove excellent for viticulture . Summers are dry and warm to hot, with some February and March days rising to over 40 °C (104 °F). Winters are cool, rainy and sometimes quite windy, with daytime temperatures averaging 16 °C (61 °F). Snow is usually seen a couple of times in winter on the surrounding mountains. Spring and autumn are colder seasons, when daytime temperatures hover in
9588-534: Was Wilgenhof, in 1903. In 1905 the first women's hostel to be established in Stellenbosch was Harmonie [1] . Harmonie and Wilgenhof were part of the Victoria College. In 1909 an old boy of the school, Paul Roos , captain of the first national rugby team to be called the Springboks , was invited to become the sixth rector of the school. He remained rector until 1940. On his retirement, the school's name
9690-585: Was changed to Paul Roos Gymnasium . In the early days of the Second Boer War (1899–1902) Stellenbosch was one of the British military bases, and was used as a "remount" camp; and in consequence of officers who had not distinguished themselves at the front being sent back to it, the expression " to be Stellenbosched " came into use; so much so, that in similar cases officers were spoken of as "Stellenbosched" even if they were sent to some other place. At
9792-537: Was completed in 1878, and also in that year, the Gymnasium's first four female students were enrolled. The institution became the Stellenbosch College in 1881, and was located at the current Arts Department. In 1887, this college was renamed Victoria College ; when it acquired university status on 2 April 1918 it was renamed once again, to Stellenbosch University . Initially only one university
9894-424: Was divided into the Western Cape, Northern Cape , Eastern Cape and part of North West . In the 1994 election, the Western Cape was one of two provinces that did not elect an African National Congress (ANC) provincial government (the other being KwaZulu-Natal ). The National Party (NP) won 53% of the votes and 23 seats in the 42-seat provincial legislature, and Hernus Kriel , a former Minister of Law and Order,
9996-611: Was elected Premier . He resigned in 1998 and was replaced by Gerald Morkel . The 1999 election marked 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 the New National Party (NNP), successor to the NP, won 17. The NNP went into coalition with the Democratic Party (DP), which won 5 seats, to form
10098-724: Was elected in 2024 ; 24 seats are held by the Democratic Alliance , 8 by the African National Congress , 3 by the Patriotic Alliance , 2 by the Economic Freedom Fighters , and 1 each by the African Christian Democratic Party , Al Jama-ah , Good , Freedom Front Plus , and National Coloured Congress . The provincial parliament is responsible for legislating within its responsibilities as set out by
10200-405: Was later gradually restricted, and eventually abolished, under various National Party and United Party governments. In 1930 white women were enfranchised , and in 1931 property qualifications for white voters were removed . In 1936 black voters were then removed from the common voters' rolls and allowed only to elect separate members in 1936, and subsequently denied all representation in
10302-531: Was planned for the Cape but after the government was visited by a delegation from the Victoria College , it was decided to allow the college to be a university if it could raise £100,000. Jannie Marais , a wealthy Stellenbosch farmer, bequeathed the money required before his death in 1915. There were certain conditions to his gift which included Dutch / Afrikaans having equal status to English and that
10404-421: Was replaced by Peter Marais. In 2002 Marais resigned as Premier due to a sexual harassment scandal, and was replaced by NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk . During the 2003 floor-crossing period four 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
#293706