People & Places
Stellenbosch and Cape Dutch
Afrikaans may be the first language in many towns with a Cape Dutch heritage, but the historic buildings and oak-lined streets of Stellenbosch could make Brits feel right at home
A few years ago, I was sat in the quiet courtyard of Oom Samie se Winkel, an old-time Cape Dutch store in the historic town of Stellenbosch. Sunlight filtered through a canopy of leaves and fell in dapples on the dusty ground. Jazz music wafted softly out of speakers while a red-faced rooster moved to its own beat, patrolling the courtyard like an old army sergeant, its jowls wobbling beneath an outrageous ginger wig of top feathers. As I basked in the tranquillity of it all, I thought to myself: "Cape Town is laid-back compared to the UK, granted, but compared to Cape Town, Stellenbosch is lazing in a hammock and barely seems to have moved for centuries".
The sleepy town is undeniably picturesque with its mountain backdrop, vine-braided surrounds, stout oaks lining broad streets, whitewashed buildings, and smattering of easy-on-the-eye architectural styles. Indeed, Stellenbosch is something of an architectural compilation, a 'best of' album in bricks and mortar. Georgian stands eave to eave with Regency, which rubs shoulders with Victorian, which cozily neighbours Cape Dutch. Of the four, the uniquely South African one is, of course, Cape Dutch. But what is this, exactly?
Property and relocation agent Leana Nel explains as follows: "Diverse influences brought to South Africa contributed to unique style known as 'Cape Dutch' architecture, which originated over 300 years ago. "The style was very unique to a small area of the world, concentrated around the Western Cape province. The earliest houses built in the Cape Dutch style were built very symmetrically with single-storied dwellings and were purely utilitarian. They usually consisted of three rooms in a row and had steeply pitched reed-thatched roofs supported by rafters. "At the beginning of the 18th century, with increasing prosperity in the towns and the development of wine farms, houses began to expand. It was at this stage that the famous front gable began to make its appearance. By the mid-18th century, homeowners had begun to add on wings on either end of the basic structures, resulting in U-plan and H-plan properties."
It is Stellenbosch, however, which boasts the best concentration of these distinctive properties, although it should be pointed out that many look in such good condition because they aren't original but reconstructions following fires. In fact, many are part of the Village Museum, a two-block period reconstruction complete with suitably costumed staff.
But Stellenbosch is more than just a period piece. It lives and breathes as a 21st-century town with a population of 90,000 including a sizeable concentration of university students.
One such student is 39-year-old Bertie Barnard, who's studying Chemistry at the University of Stellenbosch. The town's peaceful atmosphere suits Bertie as he grew up on a farm in the Western Cape and does not like "the rush of the city" he experienced when living in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Now, having settled in Stellenbosch, Bertie appreciates the fact that "there's enough going on but in the evening things quieten down. Cape Town's only 50 minutes away so if you do want a big town with everything you need, it's there," he says.
After completing his degree, Bertie has his heart set on buying an old Cape Dutch property. "I'd love to," he enthuses. "They are fairly big with huge rooms, great fireplaces and are very friendly houses
I'm going to have one. I don't know when, but I'm going to have one."
Bertie's got a challenge on his hands, though, for there aren't too many Cape Dutch homes on the market at any one time. Says Leana, "Only a few Cape Dutch-style houses are available for sale in any given year. This is mainly due to the limited number of these properties. The majority of them are wine farms and wine estates, such as Klein Constantia, Buitenverwagting or Steenberg Estate, while others were turned into hotels and luxury spas such as Alphen Hotel in Constantia or Stillness Spa in Tokai."
But should you be lucky enough to find such a property, how much can you expect to pay? "Anything between ZAR3 million and ZAR12 million for a residential property, depending on the condition, size and most importantly location," Leana answers. Of course, towns like Stellenbosch have a deeper heritage than just their foundations. Such towns were also crucibles of Afrikaner culture.
Although the Portuguese were the first Europeans to land in Southern Africa, the Dutch were the first to settle the area, commencing in 1652 with the establishment of a refreshment station for the Dutch East India Company in what is now Table Bay, a broad arc of coastline just north of Cape Town city centre. In the following decades the Dutch slowly spread out across the Cape, largely at the behest of station commander Jan van Riebeeck, who struggled to bend the indigenous Khoi to his will. Indeed, the Dutch resorted to armed conflict with the Khoi that rumbled on into the 1670s.
The land that Stellenbosch is built on was discovered in 1679 by Simon van der Stel, the then Commander of the Cape of Good Hope, and his men when they found a verdant river valley and a Bosch (wood in Dutch). By 1680 the land was settled and became the first inland settlement established by Europeans in Southern Africa. Ever since, Stellenbosch has had a strong sense of Afrikaner identity.
Although Dutch control of South Africa ended in the late 18th century 'courtesy' of the British, the Afrikaans culture and language has continued to prosper. The Afrikaans language has its roots in Dutch but has since absorbed aspects of other languages, and is now one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. "About 7075 per cent of Stellenbosch's population speak Afrikaans, so there is a certain culture in place here," Bertie explains. "It's a little more conservative than the English tend to be but there's a real sense of community with people stopping in the streets to talk and inviting friends and sometimes brand new acquaintances round for a big meal in the afternoon. We're a really jolly bunch!" For this reason Bertie doesn't foresee any problems with a Brit settling into the community. "It would be no problem at all for the British," he answers. "An English friend of mine, Eric, moved here 15 years ago and he's still here. He visited and knew instantly that this is where he wanted to settle. He still doesn't speak a word of Afrikaans."
But Eric is not a lone English voice in an Afrikaans-speaking wilderness. Other Brits have gone Cape Dutch, too. Anthony and Janet Metcalfe from Yorkshire, both 62, emigrated to South Africa in March this year on a temporary retirement permit; their permanent residence application is currently being processed. In search of the quiet life, the Metcalfes choose to settle in Greyton, which lies halfway between Stellenbosch and Swellendam on the N2 corridor.
Greyton boasts its share of old buildings on oak-lined streets, all overlooked by mountain peaks. But it wasn't the landscape that first attracted the couple to the village. Instead, after having "picked up a brochure by chance at a travel show in London," Anthony recalls that he and Janet were attracted to Greyton Lodge, "a prison converted into a hotel". As a result, they visited the village in 1997 and had been regular visitors until their emigration earlier this year.
Now, the couple are just waiting for their property to be completed, and will be moving from their temporary accommodation to their permanent abode sometime in August. However, the latter is not just your typical modern property, as Anthony explains. "There's an unwritten law here that the residents like newly built properties to be similar to the village's historic character. So, our property has a gable and a thatched roof, and exposed roof beams inside." The property also has a garden blooming with indigenous flora, but neither Anthony nor Janet need to water it. "Greyton is famous for its leivater," says Anthony. "A network of sluices run around the village and water arrives in the garden twice a week. It's a big asset and keeps the gardens pretty throughout the year." (Stellenbosch, too, has such a network of open irrigation channels.)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Greyton is a well-presented village and kept so by its 2,000 or so residents who are mindful of its 150-year-old heritage. But despite its small size and history, Anthony feels that the village has everything one needs, from shops to plumbers and builders. These locals are, says Anthony, "extremely friendly and open and there are umpteen organisations to get involved with". Of course, Greyton and Stellenbosch are by no means the only options for those thinking of going Cape Dutch, with Paarl, Swellendam, Tulbagh, Franschhoek and even suburbs of Cape Town (such as Upper Constantia) among the places boasting the requisite built heritage.
Paarl, for example, is a town of 108,000 people, many of whom have Cape Dutch roots. The town boasts a unique cultural attraction: it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language were laid by the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners. For those who are fans of fine wines, Paarl also shares a lifestyle luxury with Stellenbosch and Franschhoek: the valleys that the towns are situated in form the famous South African winelands.
Another key heritage town is Swellendam, approximately 100 miles east of Paarl. It is the third-oldest town in the Cape, and has a fine collection of white-washed homesteads as well as early examples of double-storey townhouses. Its modern-day population is 30,000.
Although the Western Cape has the highest concentration of Cape Dutch heritage, there are other examples dotted around South Africa, such as Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape.
Established in 1786, Graaff-Reinet is the oldest town in the province and gained its prosperity through farming, even though its setting is the edge of the Karoo, a region of semi-desert. No less than 220 of the town's buildings have been declared national monuments, making it a popular tourist destination. But, of course, Graaff-Reinent also appeals to those who'd like to stick around. Moreover, for those born there the strong sense of rootedness is difficult to sever. Take Sandi Will, who was born in Graaff-Reinet and left after she'd completed her schooling to work in visual merchandising in Johannesburg and Cape Town. But after a personal tragedy she moved back to Graaff-Reinet and has "never regretted it". She now works at the town's publicity office.
Sandi explains the appeal of the town as follows: "My family here is quite extensive so it made sense to return. My son has thrived as the children have a lot of freedom here in that they are able to ride their bikes and play in safety. This is so unlike the cities. It is a wonderful place to live in, summers are hot but winters and lovely and mild. The sunsets are legendary. "We have the most marvellous scenery here, dusty plains to majestic mountains. The Camdeboo National Park practically surrounds the town. Real estate is affordable and the locals are very friendly, helpful folk." These folk are descended from a variety of sources, as Sandi explains: "Many families are descendants from English and French settlers. The main languages spoken here are Afrikaans, English and Xhosa." But who would be suited to a live in Graaff-Reinet? "There's not much for the younger people in regards to employment and entertainment," Sandi confesses, "but it's great for those looking to retire to the quiet life".
So, if you're looking to put your feet up and are happy to share in the heritage of another culture, why not go Cape Dutch?
For further information:
Leana Nel Relocations
The Metcalfes were helped to emigrate by Intergate Immigration
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