Where to live in Cape Town

Just remember to check that you really are walking distance - the city’s hills are steeper than they look on the map!

We assume you’re on this page because you want to come and spend a few weeks or months exploring the awesome lifestyle that Cape Town offers, but if you need a bit more convincing, scroll down further to see “Why Cape Town”. Right, let’s talk ‘hood.

Where to work in Cape Town

Sea Point, Green Point, Bantry Bay, Camps Bay. Beach vibes, cafés and busy streets, outdoorsy people.

Stretching from the V&A Waterfront, which offers everything from fairly priced groceries to some of the finest dining experiences in the city, all the way along the coast to Hout Bay (via Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno), this strip of coastline is incredibly popular with visitors, and for good reason. Almost every block has a view of something, be it Table Mountain, Lions Head, the Twelve Apostles, or the Atlantic Ocean.

The newly constructed, and very good, MyCiti bus route runs through this entire strip, making transport a breeze. The coastline is also delightful for walking and cycling along, and there is always something going on. The Sea Point promenade is especially lively, with fun runs, informal soccer (football, yes yes) games, yoga, an outdoor gym, and a public pool.

The Atlantic Seaboard runs into the city centre, where all the financial and tech hubbub goes on, with a lot of coworking spaces and high rise offices.

Town, Gardens, Bo-Kaap, Foreshore, Woodstock. Urban jungle - lots of buzz and business, niche shops, bars and club vibes.

If you’re more work than play, the City Bowl is a great space to be in. Compactly cupped by the shape of the surrounding mountain, and squeezed in by the sea, the City Bowl is small enough to walk across (although you’ll get a bit sweaty heading uphill in summer), and there are little pockets of historic architecture, and the accompanying stories, tucked into every sidestreet. A wide mix of cultures make the area very interesting, and it is no surprise that a lot of coworking spaces have chosen to locate here.

Long Street and Bree Street are filled with little eateries and drinkeries, and will likely feature strongly in your social life while you are in Cape Town (many events also choose venues along these roads, and the area features in First Thursdays).

Rondebosch, Claremont, Newlands, Observatory, Kenilworth. Tranquil, forested suburbs in the shade of the mountain, with lots of schools and student life.

Nestled along what we consider to be the back of Table Mountain, lie the tranquil leafy suburbs of Rondebosch, Claremont, Newlands, Bishopscourt, Constantia and the surrounds. If you drive through these suburbs you can head out along the Cape Peninsula and eventually meet up with the Atlantic Seaboard again, but this journey is not a quick one because you’d have to stop and admire the penguins, enjoy some coastal delicacies in a harbour restaurant, walk to Cape Point, and take photos halfway along Chapmans Peak Drive.

Typically chosen by students and family-makers, these suburbs offer convenient access to great schools and the University of Cape Town, and there are a few significant office buildings around the Cavendish Square shopping precinct. In and among the hubbub of family life, a few coworking spaces also sustain the creative needs of the ‘other side of the mountain’.

Milnerton, Century City, Bloubergstrand. Surfers paradise, wetlands, views of Table Mountain. Quieter suburbs with a longer commute into town, but great for an outdoors lifestyle.

A cursory Google search of the West Coast will bring up forlorn images of little houses, wide empty spaces, hardy shrubbery and rugged mountains. This region stretches all the way up to Namibia, and is an outdoor explorer’s paradise, but when we refer to Cape Town specifically, the region stretches from Milnerton to Melkbosstrand, and offers convenient access to empty beaches that delight surfers, and magnificent views of Table Mountain across the Bay.

The West Coast is a very pretty region, but it is somewhat isolated from the buzz of the city itself, more suited to a laidback beach lifestyle.

Durbanville, Tygervalley, Belville and beyond. A mix of urban and farming land on the outer fringes of Cape Town. A long commute to town but a short one to the mountains.

Caught in the ceaseless battle between expanding suburbia and encroaching farmland, the Northern Suburbs offers an incredible diversity of scenery and experiences, and is almost a city unto itself to explore. Much less explored than the Stellenbosch winelands, there are some excellent wine farms here that offer fishing, mountain biking, hiking, outdoor cinema, and, of course, wine tasting.

The typical exploration of the Northern Suburbs happens as an easily accessible “break from the city” destination, rather than a place to stay on your first trip to Cape Town. The distance between the two regions would, in many places, lead to them being seen as separate cities entirely.

Cape Town is undoubtedly one of the most popular places on the African continent. Our safari partners include it on pretty much every trip they book, and it is the second most visited city on the continent. But why?

Wedged between the sharply rising Table Mountain, and the stormy Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town presents a visual feast that offers photographers a treasure chest of opportunities. For divers, the hundreds of ship wrecks along the coast might still hold actual treasure chests. For the explorers, nearly half of South Africa’s tourist attractions are in the Western Cape, and thus within road tripping range of Cape Town.

The city is a cultural cauldron, drawing a interesting people from all over South Africa, and indeed the world, and it is not uncommon to hear foreign tongues being spoken on the street. Such a vibrant mix of people ignites a passionate arts community, as well as a tantalising smorgasbord of culinary experiences.

So, it’s a fun place to be... But wait, there’s more!

Filled with creative minds, Cape Town is pulsating with startup activity, and is often seen as one of the most exciting places on the continent for entrepreneurs to try and make their mark. With the recent rollout of good fibre infrastructure and LTE networks, connectivity is starting to catch up with more traditional hubs such as London and San Francisco, and there are a variety of coworking spaces available

Where to live in Cape Town
  1. Best neighbourhoods
  2. Where to work in Cape Town
  3. 1. The Atlantic Seaboard
  4. 2. The City Bowl
  5. 3. The Southern Suburbs
  6. 4. The West Coast
  7. 5. The Northern Suburbs
  8. Why Cape Town?
  9. Back