Cape Fusion Travel Info for South Africa

What's the weather like?

Being on a peninsula the weather is notoriously changeable in Cape Town. Always be prepared for the unexpected especially if walking on the mountain where bright sunny days can quickly turn into cold windy white outs! The main cause of these sudden changes is the southeaster, known locally as the 'Cape Doctor'. This prevailing wind can be a relief on hot dry summers days but can prove chilling in winter, and is also responsible for laying down the famous 'table cloth' on top of the mountain.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Temp F Max - Min	79-60	80-60	78-58	73-53	69-49	65-46	65-45	67-48	70-51	67-48	74-56	77-59
Temp C Max - Min	26-16	27-16	25-14	23-12	20-9	18-8	18-7	18-8	19-9	21-11	24-13	25-15
Rain In-mm	0.6-15	0.7-17	0.8-20	1.6-40	2.7-69	3.7-93	3.2-82	3.0-77	1.6-40	1.2-30	0.6-15	0.7-17

For the latest Cape Town weather click here

Is it safe?

There is no doubt that poverty among the previously disadvantaged groups in South Africa has led to high levels of crime in the region. However, by using a little common sense and vigilance, and sticking to the well travelled tourist destinations it is unlikely that you will encounter any problems in Cape Town or the Peninsula. In recent years special tourist police have dramatically reduced crime in the popular destinations and the majority of serious crime is now located in the townships of the Cape Flats, but as when travelling to any third world country it is advised to take certain precautions:

Keep all valuables either locked away or at least out of sight - take with you only what you need.
At all times be aware of other people and what is going on around you.
Stick to Tourist areas, especially in the evenings or take reliable guided tours.
Use known reliable taxi services rather than public transport.
Keep car doors locked while travelling.
Make sure all doors and windows are locked at night.
a mobile phone with emergency service numbers programmed in - please ask and we can supply.

A Brief History of the Western Cape

Evidence of human settlement in the Western Cape goes back nearly 30,000 years. The earliest rock art found to date is thought to be from the native, hunter-gatherer, 'San' bushmen, who inhabited the cape until roughly 2000 years ago. It was at this time that some tribes, now known as the 'KhoiKhoi', embraced the ability to herd cattle and sheep, bringing the introduction of more sophisticated societies based on wealth and ownership.

The Portuguese were the next to encounter the Cape peninsula. In the 1480's, Bartholomeu Dias, on rounding Cape Point named it the 'Cape of Good Hope' and still has 'Dias Point' in the reserve named after him.

But probably the most noted founder of the Cape colony was a Station Commander with the Dutch East Indies company, Jan van Riebeck, who in 1652, (Hang on, wasn't that the score England beat the Springboks by a few years ago!), set up a refreshment stop for ships trading between Europe and the Far East. In 1657, some of the settlers were granted land rights to become farmers...... unfortunately the land they were granted didn't actually belong to the company in the first place, an act which preceded the onset of a series of Dutch-KhoiKhoi wars. Inevitably the richer and more resourceful Dutch overwhelmed the native Africans and claimed much of the cape for themselves enslaving what remained of the Khoikhoi.

In 1795, in an effort to maintain trade links through to the east, a more liberal British force took control of the cape from the by now waning influence of the Dutch. This led to more freedom of trade, freedom of religion and the abolition of the slave trade in 1808.

With the discovery of diamonds and gold in South Africa in the 19th century, Cape Town now became the gateway to some of the richest mineral deposits in the world, which in turn led to an influx of fortune hunters from Europe. The new found wealth also encouraged a more civilised society where the landed gentry used the cheap local workforce to amass their fortunes. This period introduced the start of segregation of the native Africans from their wealthy European counterparts who no longer wished to mix with the poor, unsophisticated locals.

In 1899, as instigated by Cecil Rhodes, and to maintain British influence in the region, Britain marched on the northern Boer republic, in what became known as the Anglo-Boer wars. After 3 years of fighting, and after much prevarication, in 1910, Cape Town became the legislative capital of the newly unified South Africa.

With the onset of WW2, the South African government voted narrowly to side with Britain, but this opened deep wounds for the Nazi sympathisers within the government. Increased industrialisation had drawn many poor Africans to the rich urban areas, compelling the right to establish the segregated 'locations' of Ndabeni, Nyanga and Gugultehu to home the growing numbers of needy.

Post war, the national party, mainly consisting of the ethnic white population, came to power, and began the process of creating laws to protect their wealth from the local Africans, structures that eventually led to apartheid. Such laws included the 'Group Areas Act', dividing South Africa into ethnically distinct areas; making opposition to apartheid a criminal offence; and requiring black Africans to carry 'passes' at all times, one of the most hated symbols of apartheid.

In 1952, the African National Party (ANC), led by Nelson Mandela, responded with a defiance campaign aimed at gaining full civil rights for blacks. Nelson Mandela was eventually arrested in 1962 and imprisoned on Robben Island along with most of the ANC leadership and their political sympathisers. He was to spend 18 of his 27 years of incarceration on this tiny island in Table Bay.

The last political prisoners were released from Robben Island in 1991, and since this time it has come to "symbolise the triumph of human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity, and offers a still troubled world hope for the future".

This very brief history does not do justice to the suffering and sacrifice endured by the native Africans of the region. Those interested in finding out more are recommended to take the Robben Island and township tours.