Question: when did the dutch settlers arrived in the western cape
Answer: The area fell out of regular contact with Europeans until 1652 , when Jan van Riebeeck and other employees of the Dutch East India Company ( Dutch : Vereenigde Oost - Indische Compagnie , or simply VOC ) were sent to the Cape to establish a halfway station to provide fresh water , vegetables , and meat for passing ships travelling to and from Asia .