While working for the Dutch East India Company (VOC), Jan van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape of Storms in 1652 to set up a halfway station for travellers from the Netherlands to the East. Now, let’s explore the 15 oldest towns in South Africa! The Oldest Town in South Africa: Cape Town (1652)Ĭape Town is South Africa’s oldest city and hosts many of the country’s oldest buildings and places. Number City or Town Date of establishment 1 Cape Town 1652 2 Stellenbosch 1679 3 Simon’s Town 1680 4 Paarl 1687 5 Swellendam 1746 6 Graaff Reinet 1786 7 Tulbagh 1795 8 Uitenhage 1804 9 George 1811 10 Caledon 1811 11 Griquatown 1812 12 Grahamstown 1812 13 Cradock 1816 14 Port Elizabeth 1820 15 Fort Beaufort 1822 List of the 15 oldest towns in South Africa Here is an ordered list of the 15 oldest towns in South Africa with their date of establishment, starting with the oldest town. You can find most of these towns in the coastal provinces of South Africa, especially in the Western Cape Province and the Eastern Cape Province. Fort Beaufort (1822) Map of The Oldest Towns in South AfricaĬlick on the map to zoom in and see more detail.The second-oldest town in South Africa: Stellenbosch (1679).The Oldest Town in South Africa: Cape Town (1652).

List of The Oldest Towns in South Africa.Map of The Oldest Towns in South Africa.

Township (in South Africa