Durbanville

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

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. They migrated from the interior of the country, what is today the Northern Cape province, and from Botswana and Namibia to the Cape.

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. 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. 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.

During the late 1600s, the VOC allocated farms to free burghers situated around the town. 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.

In 1825 a group of local farmers requested permission from Lord Charles Somerset (governor of the Cape Colony at that time) to build their own church. The Dutch Reformed Church was commenced in 1825 and inaugurated a year later on 6 August 1826. A small village grew between the church and the outspan (overnight stop). During 1836 the inhabitants of Pampoenkraal petitioned the Governor of the Cape Colony, Sir Benjamin d'Urban, for permission to rename the village D'Urban in his honour. Permission was duly granted and the new name persisted until 1886 when it was renamed to Durbanville in order to avoid confusion with Durban - a major port city in the east of South Africa.

Durbanville had its own court house, jail and magistrate from the 1870s and became a Magisterial District of Bellville. The court house complex still exists in altered form within the Rust-en-Vrede complex, originally erected in 1850. A village management board was established in 1897 and a municipality in 1901. The first mayor elected was John King.

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 Bellville, Parow and Goodwood as part of the transition in local government. As of 2000, Durbanville was amalgamated into the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality 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

Durbanville today 
Over the past years, Durbanville has seen considerable development in the greater area which has seen the town evolve from a rural area into a large middle-income residential area with a strong suburban character evident in its leafy neighbourhoods, parks, greenbelts and sophisticated infrastructure. 

Due to its location on edge of the metropolis, Durbanville has experienced a growing demand for secure country living, resulting in the development of a number of gated communities, the most prominent being Pinehurst Garden City, Graanendal and Clara Anna Fontein, which have caused much of the surrounding farmland to be absorbed into the town. As a result, Durbanville is now considered as one of the most sought-after addresses in the northern suburbs of Cape Town.

In spite of the influx of infrastructure and residential development in the area, Durbanville has consistently remained a residential area (compared to its neighbouring suburbs) and still strongly preserves its distinctly "semi-rural" and scenic feel, with a number of its suburbs still backing on vineyards, wheat farms and smallholdings.

Geography

Durbanville lies nestled between the Tygerberg Hills and the Koeberg Hills in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, approximately 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) from the city. The town has Bellville to the south, Brackenfell to the south-east and Kraaifontein to the east as its neighbours which have expanded to such an extent there is barely any green space left between these towns, while to the north and west of the town, the suburban area dissolves into the wine and wheat farms. The elevations of the area range from 100 m (328 ft) to 240 m (787 ft) in the south-western neighbourhood of Durbanville Hills.

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)
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
With Durbanville as a peri-urban town, the urban economy largely based on retail, hospitality and real estate co-exists with the traditional rural economy largely based on agriculture and rural tourism. The rural economy continues to be a central part of the local economy with the main farming categories including viticulture, dairy and wheat. 

Durbanville also functions as a service hub to the surrounding rural and peri-urban population in Fisantekraal, Philadelphia and Klipheuwel which have close economic ties with the town.

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. Many of the wine estates offer wine tastings and fine dining restaurants too.

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.

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.

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. 

A number of smaller suburban shopping centres in Durbanville are also within easy access such as such as Cobble Walk, Graanendal Shopping Centre, Ipic Shopping Centre Aurora, Ipic Shopping Centre Kenridge, Ipic Shopping Centre Sonstraal and Pinehurst Centre.

Markets 
Durbanville maintains a country and agricultural community with many fresh produce and weekend markets in and around the town such as the Durbanville Market, Market at the Barn and Anna Beulah Farm.

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.

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

Culture

Languages 
Afrikaans and English are the main languages spoken in Durbanville. 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:

 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 2011 Census, the population of Durbanville was 54,286. The following tables show various demographic data about Durbanville from that census.

Gender

Racial Makeup

Home Language

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 
Durbanville is served by Mediclinic Durbanville, a private hospital owned by one of South Africa's largest private healthcare groups, Mediclinic International. 

Durbanville is also served by the Durbanville Community Day Centre (also known as Durbanville Clinic) operated by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness. For public hospitals, residents of Durbanville normally use the Karl Bremer Hospital in Bellville or Tygerberg Hospital in Parow.

Transport

Air
Cape Winelands Airport is located approximately 13 km NE of Durbanville. 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. It has been in private ownership since 2021. Operators at the airfield are Cape Town Flight Training Centre and Aerosport Training. 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.

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.

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 transportation
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.

Road transportation

Freeways 
Durbanville is not directly linked to any major freeway but is connected to the N1 freeway (to Cape Town and Paarl) via the R302, M16, M31, M100 and M137 and the N7 freeway (to Cape Town and Malmesbury) via the M13 and M48.

Regional routes  
The main route through Durbanville is the R302 regional route leading south to Bellville as Main Street and Durbanville Avenue and north to Klipheuwel and Malmesbury as Wellington Road and Klipheuwel Road. The R312 regional route begins just outside Durbanville leading to Fisantekraal and Wellington as Lichtenburg Road.

Metropolitan routes  
Durbanville is situated along a number of metropolitan routes connecting to neighbouring towns including: Bellville via Jip de Jager Drive (M16), Tygerberg Valley Road (M31) and Eversdal Road (M124), Brackenfell via De Bron Road (M73), Brackenfell Boulevard (M100) and Okavango Road (M137) and Kraaifontein via Langeberg Road (M15) and Okavango Road (M137).   

There are also smaller rural metropolitan routes connecting Durbanville to further distant settlements including: Milnerton via Tygerberg Valley Road (M13), Vissershok via Vissershok Road (M48) and Philadelphia via Adderley Road (M58).

Nature Reserves
The two nature reserves in Durbanville include the Durbanville Nature Reserve situated adjacent the racecourse along Race Course Road and the Uitkamp Wetland Nature Reserve situated in D'Urbanvale, north of Durbanville.

Recreation 
Affectionately known as the "Jewel of the North", the Durbanville Golf Club is a large 18-hole golf course that was opened in 1967 and is located south of the Durbanville CBD.

Notable people
 Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Thawte and second self-funded space tourist.
 Amore Bekker, radio personality, author, MC and columnist.
 Jody Williams, winner of 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.
Duane Vermeulen, rugby union player for Western Province, Stormers and the Springboks.
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, 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 Sir Benjamin d'Urban, 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.

References

Suburbs of Cape Town
Populated places established in 1825