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Cape Town's 2024 population is now estimated at 4,977,830. In 1950 , the population of Cape Town was 618,051 . Cape Town has grown by 87,550 in the last year, which represents a 1.79% annual change.
- Overview
- The character of the city
Cape Town, city and seaport, legislative capital of South Africa and capital of Western Cape province. The city lies at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula some 30 miles (50 kilometres), at its southernmost boundary, north of the Cape of Good Hope. Because it was the site of the first European settlement in South Africa, Cape Town is known as the country’s “mother city.”
Cape Town has a beautiful setting: parts of the city and its suburbs wind about the steep slopes of Table Mountain (3,563 feet [1,086 metres] high) and neighbouring peaks and rim the shores of Table Bay; other parts lie on the flats below the slopes or stretch southward across the flats to False Bay. The city covers an area of 116 square miles (300 square kilometres). Pop. (2005 est.) urban agglom., 3,103,000.
The city of Cape Town had its origin in 1652, when the Dutch East India Company established a refreshment station for its ships on the shores of Table Bay. The location was magnificent, on well-watered, fertile soil, beneath the precipitous walls of Table Mountain. The indigenous inhabitants provided cattle but not labour, and the company imported slaves, mainly from East Africa, Madagascar, and the Bay of Bengal area. The slaves brought with them something of their culture and—especially in the case of the Muslims from the East Indies—their religion. Mixed-race unions took place, but strong racial and ethnic characteristics remained. In 1781 the French established a garrison to help the Dutch defend the city against British attack, and the French presence influenced local architecture and culture. British occupation in the 19th century brought new parliamentary and judicial concepts and freedom for the slaves. Cape Town was the gateway to Europe’s penetration of the South African interior, and close ties with continental Europe were maintained.
Today Cape Town is a modern city with high-rise office buildings and pedestrian malls. Although it is a major political and economic centre, its reputation still rests on its beautiful situation between mountain and sea, its cosmopolitan population, and the liberal outlook of many of its citizens.
Britannica Quiz
World Cities
- Eric Axelson
Cape Town[a] is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. [12] It is the country's second-largest city, after Johannesburg, and the largest in the Western Cape. [13] The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.
Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Cape Town, South Africa metro area from 1950 to 2024. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035. The current metro area population of Cape Town in 2024 is 4,978,000, a 1.8% increase from 2023.
Located in: Cape Town (Main Place, City of Cape Town, South Africa) with population statistics, charts, map and location.
The City of Cape Town (Afrikaans: Stad Kaapstad; Xhosa: IsiXeko saseKapa) is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of Cape Town and surrounding areas. As of 2022 it has a population of 4,772,846.
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The population of Cape Town has been growing but at a slowing rate. Currently, Cape Town is home to an estimated 4 678 900 people, nearly 62% more than in 2001. The average life expectancy at birth in the Western Cape has been increasing steadily for both females and males.
