Stellenbosch: 15 Interesting Facts You Might Not Have Known

Stellenbosch is town situated 50 km from the city of Cape Town in the Western Cape in South Africa. The last time I visited this town was back in early 2015. I’m sure that this place has changed a lot over the years.

Here are 15 Interesting facts you might not know about Stellenbosch

1. The town is the 2nd oldest settlement in the Western Cape province (behind Cape Town). The town of was founded in 1679.

2. The town is named after its founder, Simon van der Stel (former governor of the Cape Colony).

3. 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 for British soldiers.

4. The town has a population of about 175,000 (according to the 2022 Sensus). These official figures often fluctuate depending on how students are counted. Stellenbosch University has over 30,000 students, a large portion of whom live in the town during the term, significantly inflating the “functional” population compared to permanent census residents.

5. Maties Rugby club is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world.

6. Omar Henry (South African cricketer), Charl Langeveldt (South African cricketer), Roger Telemachus (South African cricketer), Paul Roos (Springbok Rugby player), JP Pietersen (Springbok rugby player) and Giniel de Villiers (Rally Driver) were all born in Stellies.

7. Stellenbosch University was founded in 1866 as Stellenbosch Gymnasium, renamed in 1881 to Stellenbosch College, renamed in 1887 to Victoria College and finally renamed to its current name in 1918 (when the institution acquired university status).

8. One of the first schools in South Africa opened in the town in 1683.

9. The early settlers to this fertile region were encouraged to plant oak trees and the town’s oak lanes streets bear testimony today in the town being know as “Eikestad” (meaning village of oaks). It’s also referred to as “Stellies” by many South Africans.

10. South Africa currently has 101 957 hectares under vines, of which approximately 18 %is planted in the wine of origin Stellenbosch region.

11. One of the most unique sights in the Stellenbosch winelands is at Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate. They use a flock of over 1,000 Indian Runner ducks as natural pest control. Every day, the ducks are “paraded” into the vineyards to eat snails and bugs, reducing the need for harmful pesticides.

12. South Africa’s signature grape variety, Pinotage, was created in Stellenbosch. In 1925, Professor Abraham Perold at Stellenbosch University successfully crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsaut (then known as Hermitage) to create a grape that could thrive in the local climate.

13. During the Second Boer War, British officers who were incompetent or failed in their duties were removed from the front lines and sent to the Remount Camp in Stellenbosch to look after horses. This led to a new verb in the English language: “to be Stellenbosched,” meaning to be relegated to a position of little importance as a punishment for incompetence.

14. Dorp Street is an old wagon road that connected Stellenbosch to Cape Town. It boasts one of the longest rows of surviving historic buildings in any major South African town, featuring a mix of Cape Dutch, Georgian, and Victorian architecture.

15. The Dutch Reformed Church (Moederkerk) at the top of Church Street is an iconic landmark. Built in the neo-Gothic style, its stark white exterior is unique for this architectural style, which usually features grey stone. It was designed by Carl Otto Hager, a portrait painter and architect.

Well, there you have it, 15 facts you might not have known about Stellenbosch. If I left anything out, feel free to comment below.

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