About Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is the second-oldest town in South Africa, founded in 1679 on the banks of the Eerste River and named after Dutch governor Simon van der Stel. Its oak-lined Dorp Street and Cape Dutch architecture make it one of the country's best-preserved historic town centres, and it is the undisputed heart of the Cape Winelands, ringed by estates such as Spier, Delheim and Muratie that draw visitors year-round. The town is also a major university centre, with Stellenbosch University giving it a young, academic energy that sits alongside its wine-farming economy. Surrounded by the Jonkershoek and Simonsberg mountains, it functions as both a working agricultural district and one of the Cape's most visited tourist towns.

Stellenbosch stays busy across markets, comedy, academia and sport this stretch. Weekend browsers gather at the Bottelary Craft Market and Outdoor Village for local makers and food stalls, and comedy lovers can catch ANKLE MARC - Marc Lottering Comedy Show In Aid of the Carmen Stevens Foundation for a cause-driven night of laughs. Academics converge on campus for the 7th International Social Justice Conference, while couples planning a wedding might browse the Winelands Bridal Fair 2026 at Klein Joostenberg. Closing out September, runners take to the streets for the Heritage Day Colour Run.