Western Cape

File:Western Cape topography labelled (with provincial labels).svg (see diagrams below). The other mountain ranges belong to the Cape Fold Belt, also shown in the diagrams below. The Western Cape's inland boundary lies for the most part at the foot of the Great Escarpment.]]

The Western Cape is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, in the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about {{convert|400|km}} northwards along the Atlantic coast and about {{convert|500|km|-2}} 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 the province is {{convert|129462|km2}},{{rp|9}} 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 is the southernmost region of the African continent with Cape Agulhas as its southernmost point, only {{convert|3800|km}} 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 {{convert|140|km|-1}} north of Cape Town. However a lack of fresh water in the region meant that it has only recently been used as a harbour.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} 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 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).Compton, J. S. (2004). The Rocks and Mountains of Cape Town. pp. 24–26, 44–70. Double Storey Books, Cape Town.McCarthy, T., Rubridge, B. (2005). The Story of Earth and Life. pp. 188–195, 262–266. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.Truswell, J.F. (1977). The Geological Evolution of South Africa. pp. 93–96, 114–159. Purnell, Cape Town. The height of the mountain peaks in the different ranges varies from {{convert|1000|m}} to {{convert|2300|m}}. 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 the Province's most inland boundary.

File:NS cross section Southern Cape.jpg|A diagrammatic 400 km south–north crosssection through the Cape at approximately 21° 30' E (i.e. near Calitzdorp in the Little Karoo), showing the relationship between the Cape Fold Mountains (and their geological structure) and the geology of the Little and Great Karoo, as well as the position of the Great Escarpment. The colour code for the geological layers is the same as those used in the diagram above. The heavy black line flanked by opposing arrows is the fault that runs for nearly 300 km along the southern edge of the Swartberg Mountains. The Swartberg Mountain range owes some of its great height to upliftment along this fault line. The subsurface structures are not to scale.

The escarpment marks the southwestern edge of South Africa's central plateau (see the middle and bottom diagrams on the left).Atlas of Southern Africa. (1984). p. 13. Reader's Digest Association, Cape Town 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 {{convert|1000|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} northeastern stretch of 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.McCarthy, T.S. (2013) The Okavango delta and its place in the geomorphological evolution of Southern Africa. South African Journal of Geology 116: 1–54.Norman, n. & Whitfield, G. (2006). Geological Journeys. p.290-300. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.

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.

{{multiple image

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| caption1 = The Red Disa (disa uniflora) is an orchid endemic to the Western Cape. It is the province's official flower.

| image2 = Cape floral.png

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| caption2 = The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of the world's most diverse, and is found exclusively in the Cape.

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The vegetation of the region is also extremely diverse, with one of the world's six 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.).{{cite book|last1=Manning|first1=John|title=Field Guide to Fynbos|date=2007|publisher=Struik Publishers|location=Cape Town| isbn=9781770072657|pages=8–23|chapter=The World of Fynbos}}{{cite book|last1=Trinder-Smith|first1=Terry|title=Wild Flowers of the Table Mountain National Park|date=2006|publisher=Botanical Society of South Africa|location=Cape Town| isbn=1874999600|pages=19–35|chapter=Introduction}} These evergreen heathlands are extremely rich in species diversity, with at least as many plant species occurring on Table Mountain as in 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,{{cite book|last1=Manning|first1=John|title=Field Guide to Fynbos|date=2007|publisher=Struik Publishers|location=Cape Town| isbn=9781770072657|page=258|chapter=Cone Bush, Tolbos}} open fynbos is generally treeless except in the wetter mountain ravines where patches of Afromontane forest persist.

The arid interior is dominated by Karoo drought-resistant shrubbery.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} 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 the coast, in the deep river valleys and along the southern slopes of the Outeniqua mountain range.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} 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 the cold Benguela Current which is an upwelling current from the depths of the South Atlantic Ocean along South Africa's west coast.Branch, M & Branch G. (1981). The Living Shores of Southern Africa. pp. 14–18. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.Tyson, P.D., Preston-Whyte, R.A. (2000) The Weather and Climate of Southern Africa. pp. 221–223. Oxford University Press, Cape Town 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 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{{By whom|date=May 2021}} to have the second mildest climate worldwide after Hawaii.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} 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).{{cite web |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/149201/la-nina-returns-for-a-second-winter |first=Michael |last=Carlowicz |title=La Niña Returns for a Second Winter |website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov |date=1 December 2021 |access-date=16 December 2021 }}

The effects of El Niño on rainfall in southern Africa differ between 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.{{cite web |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/madagascar/southern-africa-el-nino-positive-indian-ocean-dipole-forecast-and-humanitarian-impact-october-2023 |title=Southern Africa: El Niño, Positive Indian Ocean Dipole Forecast and Humanitarian Impact (October 2023) |date=16 October 2023 |access-date=20 January 2024 |publisher=OCHA |website=reliefweb.int }}{{cite journal |url= |title=South African extreme weather during the 1877–1878 El Niño |first1=Yuri |last1=Brugnara |first2=Stefan |last2=Brönnimann |first3=Stefan |last3=Grab |first4=Jessica |last4=Steinkopf |first5=Angela-Maria |last5=Burgdorf |first6=Clive |last6=Wilkinson |first7=Rob |last7=Allan |journal=Weather |doi=10.1002/wea.4468 |volume=78 |issue=10 |date=October 2023 |pages=286–293 |bibcode=2023Wthr...78..286B }}

Sea surface temperatures off the west and south coasts of South Africa are affected by ENSO via changes in surface wind strength.Nhesvure, B. (2020). Impacts of ENSO on coastal South African sea surface temperatures. Faculty of Science, Department of Oceanography. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32954/ During El Niño 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 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 the heavily cultivated valleys.

{{Weather box

| name =

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| open =

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| trace =

| location = Cape Town International Airport, elevation: 42m, normals for 1991–2020

| temperature colour =

| precipitation colour = green

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| precip days colour =

| Jan high C =27.0

| Feb high C =27.3

| Mar high C =26.0

| Apr high C =23.6

| May high C =20.6

| Jun high C =18.2

| Jul high C =17.9

| Aug high C =18.0

| Sep high C =19.6

| Oct high C =22.2

| Nov high C =23.7

| Dec high C =25.8

| year high C =

| Jan mean C =21.8

| Feb mean C =21.9

| Mar mean C =20.5

| Apr mean C =17.9

| May mean C =15.4

| Jun mean C =13.2

| Jul mean C =12.7

| Aug mean C =13.0

| Sep mean C =14.5

| Oct mean C =15.9

| Nov mean C =18.6

| Dec mean C =20.7

| year mean C =

| Jan low C =16.6

| Feb low C =16.5

| Mar low C =15.0

| Apr low C =12.2

| May low C =10.2

| Jun low C =8.1

| Jul low C =7.4

| Aug low C =7.9

| Sep low C =9.4

| Oct low C =11.5

| Nov low C =13.4

| Dec low C =15.6

| year low C =

| Jan precipitation mm =9.4

| Feb precipitation mm =9.6

| Mar precipitation mm =12.5

| Apr precipitation mm =40.1

| May precipitation mm =61.1

| Jun precipitation mm =92.3

| Jul precipitation mm =84.8

| Aug precipitation mm =72.4

| Sep precipitation mm =44.3

| Oct precipitation mm =28.4

| Nov precipitation mm =24.3

| Dec precipitation mm =12.8

| year precipitation mm =

| Jan precipitation days =1.8

| Feb precipitation days =1.8

| Mar precipitation days =2.5

| Apr precipitation days =5.0

| May precipitation days =7.4

| Jun precipitation days =10.1

| Jul precipitation days =9.1

| Aug precipitation days =9.3

| Sep precipitation days =6.8

| Oct precipitation days =4.2

| Nov precipitation days =4

| Dec precipitation days =2.6

| year precipitation days =

| Jan sun =352.3

| Feb sun =304

| Mar sun =289.7

| Apr sun =240.1

| May sun =196.7

| Jun sun =175.9

| Jul sun =197

| Aug sun =206.2

| Sep sun =228.4

| Oct sun =283.5

| Nov sun =302.8

| Dec sun =338.4

| year sun =

| source = NOAA{{Cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/SouthAfrica/XLS/CapeTown_68816.xls |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Cape Town International Airport-68816 |website=ncei.noaa.gov |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmosoheric Administration |access-date=29 February 2024|no-pp=y |type=Excel |format=XLS }}

}}

{{climate chart

| George, Garden Route

|16.9 |24 |55

|17.2 |24.2 |48

|16.1 |23.3 |60

|14 |21.5 |60

|12.1 |20 |48

|9.8 |18.1 |43

|9.3 |17.6 |43

|9.6 |17.9 |56

|10.6 |18.6 |48

|12.4 |20 |67

|13.7 |21 |75

|15.8 |22.9 |54

|float=left

|clear=none

|caption=George and the Garden Route have mild Oceanic Climates, with mild weather year round.

|source={{cite web |url=https://en.climate-data.org/africa/south-africa/western-cape/george-7176/#temperature-graph |title=Climate George |publisher=Climate-Data.org|access-date=4 November 2021}} }}

{{climate chart

| Saldanha, West Coast

|17.1 |20.7 |9

|17.1 |20.8 |8

|16.1 |20 |10

|14.5 |18.6 |24

|13.4 |17.3 |36

|12.3 |16.2 |57

|11.6 |15.9 |51

|11.9 |15.7 |45

|12.8 |16.7 |26

|14 |18 |15

|15.1 |18.9 |14

|16.5 |20.2 |9

|float=left

|clear=none

|caption=Saldanha and the West Coast have a cold, Semi-Arid climate, characterised by minimal rain and cool temperatures.

|source={{cite web |url=https://en.climate-data.org/africa/south-africa/western-cape/saldanha-9529/ |title=Climate Saldanha |publisher=Climate-Data.org|access-date=4 November 2021}} }}

{{clear}}

{{Politics of Western Cape}}

The Cape has had a long tradition of holding liberal values.J. Lewis: The Rise and Fall of the South African Peasantry: A Critique and Reassessment. Journal of Southern African Studies, XI, 1. 1984. For example, the Cape Qualified Franchise before the Union of South Africa.

{{Main|Cape Qualified Franchise}}

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 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 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 a social movement for political consciousness.{{cite web |title=The Ideology of the Black Consciousness Movement |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/ideology-black-consciousness-movement |website=South African History Online |access-date=6 September 2019}}

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.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sahistory.org.za/cape-town/black-consciousness-and-student-revolt-cape|title = Black Consciousness and Student Revolt in the Cape|access-date = 16 June 2014|website = South African History Online| date=30 June 2011 }}

In 1974, South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development MC Botha, constituted the imposition of using Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools, effective with students in Grade 7 (Standard 5) upwards.{{cite web |title=The Afrikaans Medium Decree |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/the-afrikaans-medium-decree-43416 |website=ThoughtCo |access-date=6 September 2019}} 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.{{cite news |title=African South Africans' June 16th 1976 Revolt—Sad Times, Bad Times—A Luta Kontinua! AMANDLA! POWER! |url=https://owlcation.com/humanities/African-South-Africans-and-June-16th-1976-Sad-Times-Bad-Times-Aluta-Kontinua-AMANDLA |newspaper=Owlcation |access-date=6 September 2019}}

Student leaders at 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

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 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 the Cape Town area.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

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.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sahistory.org.za/cape-town/black-consciousness-and-student-revolt-cape|title = Black consciousness and student revolt in Cape Town|access-date = 14 June 2014|website = South African History Online| date=30 June 2011 }}

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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 the independence of the "Sovereign State of Good Hope".{{cite web|url=https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1982550/khoi-san-king-declares-that-the-cape-has-seceded-from-sa/|title=Khoi-San king declares that the Cape has seceded from SA|first=Charles|last=Cilliers|date=17 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/khoisan-nation-serves-cape-town-parliament-with-eviction-notice/|title=Khoisan Nation serves Cape Town parliament with eviction notice|date=18 July 2018}}

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 the provincial parliament as the sole representative of the Freedom Front Plus. Patricia de Lille formed another party, Good, and it achieved a seat.{{cite news |last1=Makinana |first1=Andisiwe |title=It's official: DA has comfortably won the Western CapeIt's official: DA has comfortably won the Western Cape |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2019-05-10-democratic-alliance-officially-wins-the-western-cape-vote/ |access-date=1 April 2020 |newspaper=TimesLIVE |date=10 May 2019}}

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%.{{Cite web|url=https://results.elections.org.za/dashboards/lge/|title=IEC Results Dashboard|website=results.elections.org.za}}

{{Main|Cape independence}}

Since the late 2000s there has been growing support for Western Cape, or Greater Cape, independence from South Africa.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} Political parties such as the Referendum Party, Freedom Front Plus and organisations such as the Cape Independence Advocacy Group{{Cite web|last=Charles|first=Marvin|title=Cape Independence: Lobby group says recent survey 'places intense pressure' on DA to hold referendum|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/cape-independence-lobby-group-says-recent-survey-places-intense-pressure-on-da-to-hold-referendum-20210813|access-date=2021-10-20|website=News24|language=en-US}} and CapeXit,{{Cite web|date=2021-05-31|title=The CapeXit mission: Can this be Brexit for the Western Cape?|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/capexit-independent-country-western-cape/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=The South African|language=en-ZA}} wish to bring forth the constitutional and peaceful secession of the Western Cape.{{Cite web|title=An independent Western Cape on the cards? Here is what you need to know about the independence bid|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2021-06-01-an-independent-western-cape-on-the-cards-here-is-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-independence-bid/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=TimesLIVE|language=en-ZA}}{{Cite web|title=Freedom Front Plus pushes for independent Western Cape|url=https://www.capetownetc.com/news/freedom-front-plus-pushes-for-independent-western-cape/|access-date=2021-05-15|website=capetownetc.com|date=11 November 2020 }}{{Cite web|last=Shepherd|first=Ling|date=2021-10-04|title=The Capexit battle royale #LGE2021|url=https://www.thedailyvox.co.za/the-capexit-battle-royale-lge2021/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=The Daily Vox|language=en-US}}

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 the Western Cape's registered voters would support independence, while 68% would support a referendum on the issue.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-11|title=Cape Independence Polling Results for 2023|url=https://www.capeindependence.org/post/ciag-poll-aug-2023}}

{{main|Government of the Western Cape|Politics of the Western Cape}}

File:Western Cape provincial building.jpg

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 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 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 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 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.

{{main|List of municipalities in the Western Cape}}

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 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:

Image:Map of the Western Cape with municipalities named and districts shaded (2016).svg|border|500px|alt=Western Cape Municipalities – Clickable Image|Western Cape districts and local municipalities. Clicking on the district on the map loads the appropriate article.

poly 38 136 122 70 178 212 100 226 64 170 w:Matzikama Local Municipality

poly 108 260 212 256 230 314 190 326 116 298 w:Cederberg Local Municipality

poly 116 328 176 348 194 392 138 366 98 368 w:Bergrivier Local Municipality

poly 62 366 114 402 84 432 50 398 w:Saldanha Bay Local Municipality

poly 100 446 140 424 140 396 176 448 160 470 110 456 w:Swartland Local Municipality

poly 124 482 152 496 130 576 w:City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality

poly 222 342 320 330 338 402 288 426 240 422 206 454 w:Witzenberg Local Municipality

poly 184 502 212 506 196 440 w:Drakenstein Local Municipality

poly 176 512 218 516 172 536 w:Stellenbosch Local Municipality

poly 204 544 254 534 306 546 276 576 226 570 w:Theewaterskloof Local Municipality

poly 184 580 230 586 276 602 284 638 w:Overstrand Local Municipality

poly 292 588 326 564 354 600 398 588 316 644 w:Cape Agulhas Local Municipality

poly 322 552 366 578 390 554 394 512 424 508 398 478 376 522 352 550 w:Swellendam Local Municipality

poly 216 480 242 520 272 482 256 458 w:Breede Valley Local Municipality

poly 280 468 366 470 310 534 w:Langeberg Local Municipality

poly 352 420 380 374 438 358 462 326 494 408 408 444 w:Laingsburg Local Municipality

poly 400 460 530 434 540 472 444 494 w:Kannaland Local Municipality

poly 526 504 542 570 590 568 578 508 w:Mossel Bay Local Municipality

poly 428 526 510 506 524 578 434 578 w:Hessequa Local Municipality

poly 550 436 638 440 640 466 554 482 w:Oudtshoorn Local Municipality

poly 598 526 610 490 652 484 632 530 w:George Local Municipality

poly 656 502 660 534 692 534 690 500 w:Knysna Local Municipality

poly 710 532 752 532 732 494 w:Bitou Local Municipality

poly 508 350 522 420 636 426 650 380 562 352 w:Prince Albert Local Municipality

poly 474 300 502 316 696 336 794 240 732 200 588 210 w:Beaufort West Local Municipality

poly 656 446 668 480 746 464 w:George Local Municipality

{{main|Economy of the Western Cape}}

File:Wheat panorama.jpg field near Porterville in the Bergriver Municipality. Wheat is a common agricultural crop in the area.]]

As of the third quarter of 2023, the Western Cape's total real GDP was R656.27 billion, which equaled 14.2% of South Africa's total GDP, and real GDP per capita was R90,571.{{cite web | title=An Economic Overview of the Western Cape, 2023 Quarter 3 | url=https://www.wesgro.co.za/uploads/files/Wesgro-Research_Economic-Overview-of-the-Western-Cape-Q3-2023_2023.12.pdf | ref=Wesgro Research | date=2023-12-22 | access-date=2024-08-08}} The Western Cape has 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.{{cite book |author=Adelzadeh, Asghar|title=South Africa Human Development Report 2003 |year=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Cape Town |isbn=978-0-19-578418-3 |page=282 |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/africa/southafrica/south_africa_2003_en.pdf|display-authors=etal}}

As of 2023, 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.{{cite news |title=Fast Facts: April–May 2007, Provincial Profile, Western Cape |publisher=South African Institute of Race Relations, pg 20 }}

Cape Town accounts for roughly 73% of 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.{{cite web | url=https://www.wtso.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-south-african-wines/ | title=The Ultimate Guide to South African Wines | date=8 June 2021 }}

{{multiple image

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| image1 = N1-HexRiverPass.jpg

| alt1 =

| caption1 = The N1 national route atop the Hex River Pass.

| image2 = Western Cape rail network map.svg

| width2 = 188

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| caption2 = Railway network in the Western Cape

}}

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 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. {{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}

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| image1 = Western Cape population density map.svg

| alt1 =

| caption1 = Population density in the Western Cape

{{legend-col

|{{legend|#ffffcc|<1 /km²}}

|{{legend|#ffeda0|1–3 /km²}}

|{{legend|#fed976|3–10 /km²}}

|{{legend|#feb24c|10–30 /km²}}

|{{legend|#fd8d3c|30–100 /km²}}

|{{legend|#fc4e2a|100–300 /km²}}

|{{legend|#e31a1c|300–1000 /km²}}

|{{legend|#bc0026|1000–3000 /km²}}

|{{legend|#800026|>3000 /km²}}

}}

| image2 = Western Cape 2001 dominant language map.svg

| alt2 =

| caption2 = Dominant home languages in the Western Cape

{{legend-col

|{{legend|#8dd3c7|Afrikaans}}

|{{legend|#ffffb3|English}}

|{{legend|#fb8072|Xhosa}}

|{{legend|#d0d0d0|No language dominant}}

}}

}}

The 2022 South African census recorded the population of the Western Cape as 7,433,020 people living in 2,264,032 households.{{Cite web|url=https://census.statssa.gov.za/#/province/1/2|title=Statistics South Africa | Census Dissemination|website=census.statssa.gov.za}} As the province covers an area of {{convert|129462|km2}},{{rp|9}} the population density was {{convert|45.0|PD/km2}} and the household density {{convert|12.6|/km2}}.

{{Pie chart

|caption = Racial groups of the Western Cape (2022 census){{Cite web |date=10 October 2023 |title=Census 2022: Statistical Release |url=https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/P03014_Census_2022_Statistical_Release.pdf |access-date=12 October 2023 |website=statssa.gov.za |page=6}}

|thumb = left

|label1 = Coloured

|value1 = 42.07

|color1 = Grey

|label2 = African

|value2 = 38.84

|color2 = #2ca02c

|label3 = White

|value3 = 16.40

|color3 = #1f77b4

|label4 = Indian

|value4 = 1.14

|color4 = #F79F00

|label5 = Other

|value5 = 1.55

|color5 = Black

}}

The age distribution of the province was as follows: 25.1% were under the age of 15, 18.3% from 15 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who are 65 years of age or older.{{rp|28}} The median age is 28 years.{{cite book |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/Publications/P03014/P030142011.pdf |title=Census 2011: Statistical release |date=30 October 2012 |publisher=Statistics South Africa |location=Pretoria |access-date=24 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113203528/http://www.statssa.gov.za/Publications/P03014/P030142011.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2015 |url-status=dead}}{{rp|20}} For every 100 women there are 96 men.{{rp|18}}

In the 2022 Census, 42% of the people of the Western Cape described themselves as "Coloured", while 39% described themselves as "Black African", 16% as "White", and 1% as "Indian or Asian{{Cite web |title=Statistics South Africa {{!}} Census Dissemination |url=https://census.statssa.gov.za/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=census.statssa.gov.za}}".{{rp|21}} Afrikaans is the first language of 41% of the province's population, IsiXhosa of 31%, and English of 22%.{{rp|25}}

There were 260,952 people in the province who had been born outside of South Africa, comprising 4% of the population. In 2011, 894,289 residents of the Western Cape had been born in the Eastern Cape (16% of the population), 167,524 in Gauteng (3%) and 61,945 (1%) in KwaZulu-Natal.{{cite web | url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/cape-s-population-by-the-numbers-1.1470153#.USXRsKUzjSg | title=Cape's population by the numbers | publisher=Cape Argus | date=14 February 2013 | access-date=21 February 2013 | author=Barnes, Clayton}} Between 2001 and 2007 the Western Cape received the second-most internal migration within South Africa after Gauteng, with a large majority of these new Western Cape residents coming from the former Transkei region of the Eastern Cape, which served as the historic native reserve of the Cape Colony and the political banishment site for native "troublemakers".{{Cite web |last1=Hamann |first1=Maike |last2=Tuinder |first2=Vanessa |date=February 2012 |title=Introducing the Eastern Cape: A quick guide to its history, diversity and future challenges |url=https://sapecs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Eastern-Cape-Background-Report.pdf |access-date=17 June 2022 |website=Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society |page=22}}

90% of households in the province have a flush toilet{{rp|84}} and 90% have refuse removed by the local council at least once a week.{{rp|96}} 75% of households have piped tap water inside the dwelling, while a further 13% have piped water on their property; 11% receive piped water at a community tap, while 1% have no access to piped water.{{rp|77}} One in seven people live in an informal dwelling. 86.9% of households use electricity for cooking,{{rp|84}} and 93% use it for lighting.{{rp|93}} 89% of households have a cellphone and 31% have a landline telephone, while 86% own a television, 81% own a refrigerator, and 34% own a computer.{{rp|99}} 44% of households have access to the Internet.{{rp|101}}

File:Road map of the Western Cape with towns.svg

The average annual household income was R143,460, the second-highest in the country after Gauteng.{{rp|37}} {{Asof|2012|9}}, 69% of the population aged 15–64 are economically active, and of these 25% are unemployed. Overall, 52% of the working-age population are employed.{{cite book |title=Quarterly Labour Force Survey: Quarter 3, 2012 |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/P02113rdQuarter2012.pdf |publisher=Statistics South Africa |location=Pretoria |date=1 November 2012}} Around 2 million people in the Western Cape labour market (those aged 16 to 64) are employed, 1.3 million are not economically active, 552,733 are unemployed with an additional 122,753 who are discouraged work seekers who want to work but have given up looking for it.

2.7% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 10.7% have had only some primary, 5.6% have completed primary school but gone no further, 38% have had some secondary education without finishing Grade 12, 28% have finished Grade 12 but gone no further, and 14% have higher education beyond the secondary level. Overall, 43% of residents have completed high school.{{rp|49}}

According to the 2022 census, a majority of the population of the Western Cape is Christian. At 5.2% of the population, the Western Cape's Muslim minority is the largest among South Africa's provinces.{{cite web |title=Statistical Release - Census 2022 |url=https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/P03014_Census_2022_Statistical_Release.pdf |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=statssa.gov.za}}

{{see also|List of cities and towns in the Western Cape}}

{{Largest cities

| country = the Western Cape

| stat_ref = National Census 2011

| div_name = Local municipality

| div_link = List of municipalities in the Western Cape{{!}}Municipality

| city_1 = Cape Town | div_1 = City of Cape Town | pop_1 = 4,005,016 | img_1 = Table Mountain DanieVDM.jpg

| city_2 = Paarl{{!}}Paarl (including Wellington)| div_2 = Drakenstein Local Municipality | pop_2 = 179,319 | img_2 = WellingtonCBD.jpg

| city_3 = George, Western Cape{{!}}George| div_3 = George Local Municipality | pop_3 = 157,394 | img_3 =

| city_4 = Worcester, Western Cape{{!}}Worcester| div_4 = Breede Valley Local Municipality | pop_4 = 127,597| img_4 = WorcesterWC-HighStreet.jpg

| city_5 = Knysna | div_5 = Knysna Local Municipality | pop_5 = 76,150

| city_6 = Atlantis, South Africa{{!}}Atlantis | div_6 = City of Cape Town | pop_6 = 67,491

| city_7 = Oudtshoorn | div_7 = Oudtshoorn Local Municipality | pop_7 = 61,507

| city_8 = Mossel Bay | div_8 = Mossel Bay Local Municipality| pop_8 = 59,031

| city_9 = Vredenburg | div_9 = Saldanha Bay Local Municipality | pop_9 = 38,382

| city_10 = Malmesbury, South Africa{{!}}Malmesbury | div_10 = Swartland Local Municipality | pop_10 = 35,897

| city_11 = Beaufort West | div_11 = Beaufort West Local Municipality | pop_11 = 34,085

| city_12 = Ceres, Western Cape{{!}}Ceres| div_12 = Witzenberg Local Municipality | pop_12 = 33,224

| city_13 = Plettenberg Bay | div_13 = Bitou Local Municipality | pop_13 = 31,804

| city_14 = Grabouw | div_14 = Theewaterskloof Local Municipality | pop_14 = 30,337

| city_15 = Saldanha, Western Cape{{!}}Saldanha| div_15 = Saldanha Bay Local Municipality | pop_15 = 28,142

| city_16 = Stellenbosch | div_16 = Stellenbosch Local Municipality | pop_16 = 21,799

| city_17 = Vredendal | div_17 = Matzikama Local Municipality | pop_17 = 18,170

| city_18 = Gordon's Bay| div_18 = City of Cape Town | pop_18 = 16,776

| city_19 = Riversdale, Western Cape{{!}}Riversdale| div_19 = Hessequa Local Municipality | pop_19 = 16,176

| city_20 = Montagu, Western Cape{{!}}Montagu| div_20 = Langeberg Local Municipality | pop_20 = 15,176

}}

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| caption2 = The University of Cape Town

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The Western Cape province has the most highly educated residents with a very skilled workforce in comparison to any other African region.{{cite web |url=http://www.za-ydf.org/displaysection.php?czacc=&zSelectedSectionID=sec1246950242 |title=Skilled Workforce reference |publisher=South African Department of Sport And Recreation}} The high school graduation rate is consistently around 80%, higher than any other province. The proportion of adults with a degree or higher was 4.8% (2005), the highest in the country.

The province also boasts four universities:

• Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Stellenbosch University
• University of Cape Town
• University of the Western Cape

The province is also home to the South African Military Academy.

{{multiple image

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| caption1 = Cape Malay banana fritters, typically eaten during festivities such as marriages or "Labarang" (the Cape Malay word for Eid al-Fitr)

| image2 =

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| caption2 = A vineyard in the Cape, with typical Cape Dutch style architecture

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{{see also|South African cuisine}}

Types of cuisine originating from the Western Cape include Dutch and Malay cuisines. Other types of South African cuisine are also found and commonly enjoyed in the province. Over 50% of all cheese in South Africa is produced in the Western Cape.{{cite book | last1=Hurt | first1=J. | last2=Ehlers | first2=S. | title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cheeses of the World | publisher=DK Publishing | year=2008 | isbn=978-1-4406-3618-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1WuifJuVavEC&pg=PA204 | page=204}} Four of the top ten entries in Trip Advisor's Best Fine Dining Restaurants – Africa list for 2021 are in the Western Cape.{{Cite web|title=Best Restaurants in Africa – Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards|url=https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/TravelersChoice-Restaurants-cFineDining-g6|access-date=2021-08-06|website=tripadvisor.co.za|language=en}}

{{See also|Western Cape wine}}

The Western Cape is known for its wine production and vineyards.{{Cite web|title=Wines of South Africa – Winelands of South Africa|url=https://www.wosa.co.za/The-Industry/Winegrowing-Areas/Winelands-of-South-Africa/|access-date=2020-07-09|website=wosa.co.za}} The winelands are divided into six main regions: Boberg, Breede River Valley, Cape South Coast, Coastal Region, Klein Karoo and Olifants River. Each has unique climate, topography and fertile soil. Distilled wine or brandy is produced in the Cape Winelands, Overberg, and Garden Route districts of the province.{{cite web|title=The Western Cape Brandy Rout|url=http://www.brandyroutes.co.za/routes-wc.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911041014/http://www.brandyroutes.co.za/routes-wc.html|archive-date=11 September 2011|access-date=26 February 2011|work=The South African Brandy Association}} Brandy from these regions is regarded as amongst the best in the world due to the high, legally-enforced distilling standards in the region, technically making it equivalent to Cognac.{{cite web|title=South Africa wins Best Brandy in the World|url=http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/us/full-article?oid=115453&sn=Detail&pid=121|access-date=26 February 2011|work=International Wine & Spirits Competition 2010}}{{cite book|title=The Oxford Handbook of Food Fermentations|year=2014|isbn=9780199742707|editor=Charles W. Bamforth, Robert E. Ward|pages=249–252|chapter=5.2. Brandy|publisher=Oxford University Press |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oKDNAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA250}}

• Cape Colony
• Cape independence
• Cape Qualified Franchise
• List of Western Cape Municipalities by Human Development Index

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Western Cape}}

{{wikivoyage|Western Cape}}

• [http://www.westerncape.gov.za/ Provincial Government of the Western Cape]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071126003322/http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za/ Western Cape Tourism]
• [https://www.wesgro.co.za/ Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency]
• [http://www.demarcation.org.za/ Municipal Demarcation Board]
• [http://wazimap.co.za/profiles/province-WC/ Western Cape on Wazimap.co.za]

{{Western Cape Province}}

{{Provinces of South Africa}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Provinces of South Africa

Category:States and territories established in 1994

Category:1994 establishments in South Africa