Discover the Magic: 13 Amazing Fun Facts About Cape Town You Need to Know

1. Penguin Party Crashers

If waddling tuxedoed waiters melted your heart, prepare to squee: Cape Town hosts an entire convention of dapper African penguins at Boulders Beach. The serious reveal: These fashionably feathery party crashers migrated from Dyer Island and now boast a guest list of over 3,000 – but mind your fingers, as they tend to peck at limbs when feeling less than sociable!
Source => travelawaits.com

2. Table Mountain 90's Style

If the flat-tops of 90's boy bands floated your boat, then this mountain will, too: Cape Town is home to Table Mountain, a New 7 Wonder of Nature, boasting panoramic city views, wheelchair-accessible cable cars, and plenty of serene trails to escape the urban jungle below.
Source => fodors.com

Did you know that South Africa's Little Karoo was once the kingdom of ostriches, boasting the largest population in the world? Discover how these flightless wonders brought wealth and fashion to the town of Oudtshoorn in the early 20th century! 🇿🇦🦩💰

=> Fun Facts about South-Africa

3. Mountain-made Moisture

Table Mountain: nature's very own Brita water filter! This Cape Town landmark not only dazzles its visitors with breathtaking views but also doubles as a moisture factory: the tablecloth cloud formation ensures ample water supply as it creates nearly double the moisture through cloud precipitation than rainfall, providing uniquely adapted plants with a vital lifeline to thrive.
Source => hiketablemountain.co.za

4. Oldest Pub Bounces Back

They tried to "bar" the way, but perseverance prevailed: Cape Town's oldest pub, the Perseverance Tavern - established in 1808 - triumphantly reopened in 2021 under new ownership after a temporary closure due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Originally owned by Ohlsson's Breweries, this spirited establishment served as a cornerstone for the city's bustling port and sea trade, earning Cape Town the nickname "The Tavern of the Seas."
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Touching Clouds at Portside Tower

If you think your high-rise apartment is the closest you'll get to touching the clouds, then Cape Town is ready to tickle your skyline fantasies: The Portside Tower, standing at a lofty 139 meters, is the tallest commercial building on the whole African continent, providing breathtaking views of the cityscape and the Atlantic Ocean to make you feel on top of the world – literally!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Table Mountain in Top Rankings

Move over, Everest and Kilimanjaro: Table Mountain is stepping up to the plate to claim its spot amongst nature's finest! As it turns out, this flat-topped giant has been lifting its rocky weight to leave the ranks of legendary peaks in the dust, giving it a rocky chance at stardom: Table Mountain in Cape Town has skyrocketed to fifth place out of 36 nominees in the mountains and volcanoes category for the New 7 Wonders of Nature global rankings—surpassing even the likes of Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro.
Source => cometocapetown.com

7. Busting Scurvy with Wine

Before Tom Hanks made a bittersweet acquaintance with a volleyball named Wilson, Cape Town was busy busting scurvy with its grape juices: In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established South Africa's wine industry at the Cape of Good Hope, entrusting Jan van Riebeeck with planting vineyards to supply sailors with wine and grapes, combating scurvy on their spice route voyages. Despite challenges like phylloxera outbreaks and wine surpluses, the industry persevered and is now experiencing a quality-driven renaissance.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Aquarium Adventures

Swimming with the fishes just got a whole lot cooler: Cape Town's Two Oceans Aquarium houses an astounding 1.6 million-liter I&J Ocean Exhibit, where visitors can mingle with sharks, northern rockhopper penguins, rays, green sea turtles, and a myriad of indigenous fish, all living in a harmonious, underwater world. It's also home to a captivating Kelp Forest Exhibit and a Microscope Exhibit showcasing some unique marine life behavior, making even the goose barnacles and sea cucumbers the envy of your next dinner party. Not to mention, it’s all in the name of inspiring ocean conservation efforts!
Source => aquarium.co.za

9. Feathered Friends at Strandfontein

Who said sewage had to stink? Strandfontein is flushing with excitement, as it's not just a wastewater wonderland but also a feathery fiesta for binocular-toting bird buffs: This Cape Town gem is home to over 72 avian species, including eye-catching flamingos, herons, pelicans, ducks, and terns, earning itself international and national importance among birdwatchers worldwide.
Source => birds4africa.org

10. The Cape Doctor's Tablescape

If Table Mountain’s majestic presence wasn't cap-tivating enough: Wait till you witness its stunning table cloth! The Cape Doctor, a South Easter wind, cooks up a weather phenomenon known as "the Table Cloth," creating an immense cloud from the False Bay waters that wistfully blankets the mountain's slopes. Catch a glimpse of this atmospheric marvel above Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where the cloudy recipe brings an extra drizzle of rain and lush greens during Cape Town's summer season.
Source => capetownmagazine.com

11. Traffic Robots Unleashed

It seems the robot uprising has already begun, but fear not: they're only in charge of traffic control! In Cape Town and across South Africa, locals charmingly refer to traffic lights as "robots," transforming mundane street intersections into scenes from a sci-fi adventure. But rest assured, these linguistic quirks aren't a sign of artificial intelligence taking over the roads – it's simply a delightful twist of language that makes exploring new places a true joy.
Source => travelbutlers.com

12. Locals Only: Plant Edition

If a plant walks into the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, they'll ask, "Do you even grow here, bro?": Cape Town's famed Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, established in 1913, was the world's first garden to prioritize indigenous plant cultivation – which today spreads over 528 hectares (1,300 acres) and focuses on conservation of winter rainfall flora like proteas, heaths, amaryllis, and orchids, making it part of South Africa's 10 National Botanical Gardens managed by SANBI.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

13. Adrenaline-fueled Lemonade Stand

If adventure had lemonade stands, Cape Town would be the ultimate supplier of adrenaline-fueled refreshment: Home to incredible activities like tackling the Atlantis Dunes, plunging into the waves at Three Anchor Bay, coasteering around Windmill Beach, paragliding from Lion's Head or Signal Hill, ziplining through the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, and rafting down the Breede River, it's where thrill-seekers go to quench their thirst for excitement!
Source => matadornetwork.com