Bishopscourt, Cape Town

Bishopscourt
Top, the historic Bishopscourt residence of Anglican archbishop. Bottom left, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is located to the immediate west of Bishopscourt. Bottom right, remaining part of Van Riebeeck's Hedge that used to run through the area.
Coordinates: 33°59′25″S18°26′45″E / 33.99028°S 18.44583°E / -33.99028; 18.44583
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Area [1]
• Total	2.31 km2 (0.89 sq mi)
Elevation	103 m (338 ft)
Population  (2011) [1]
• Total	1,603
• Density	690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
•  Black African	12.7%
•  Coloured	5.2%
•  Indian/Asian	5.5%
•  White	74.0%
• Other	2.6%
First languages (2011) [1]
•  English	85.3%
•  Afrikaans	5.1%
•  Xhosa	3.0%
• Other	6.6%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	7708

Bishopscourt is a small, wealthy, residential suburb in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is part of the Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, created in 2000, which includes the greater Cape Town area. It has approximately 350 houses most of which are on more than 4,000 square metres (1 acre) of land.

The suburb includes the official residence of the Archbishop of Cape Town, which is known as Bishopscourt, ^[2] whence comes the name of the suburb. ^[3] It is also the location of a large number of foreign consulates and embassies. ^{[4] [5]} Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Newlands and Claremont, Bishopscourt is located in an area at the foot of Table Mountain that attractions considerably more rainfall than the rest of the Cape Peninsula. ^[6]

In 2015, it was ranked the sixth richest suburb in South Africa with an average property value of R11 million. ^[7]

History

A cottage in Bishopscourt around the turn of the 20th century taken by Arthur Elliott.

Following the establishment of the Dutch East India Company in 1652, the land that would later become Bishopscourt was originally the site of a farm called Boscheuvel ("Bush Hill"), managed by Jan van Riebeeck, the first colonial governor of the Cape. The farm was known for cultivating a range of imported grapevines, fruit trees, and nut trees. ^[8]

Forced removals

Between 1959 and 1970, 132 families were forcibly removed from the area under the terms of the Group Areas Act, the apartheid legislation which declared the area to be for white residents only. Following the end of apartheid, a land claim was instituted in 1995, and claimants were granted erven in 2006. Construction of homes for the 86 families that opted for the return of rights to their land began in 2025. ^[9]

Nearby places of interest

• Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

References

1. "Sub Place Bishopscourt". Census 2011.
2. "Bishopscourt residence of Anglican archbishop, Cape Town". UCT Libraries Digital Collections. n.d. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
3. "Bishopscourt". Bishopscourt Residents' Association. n.d. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
4. "Bishopscourt, Cape Town". South African History Online. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
5. "Bishopscourt". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
6. Hammer, Joshua (2009-02-20). "Bagging Bargains in Cape Town, South Africa". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-03-07.
7. "South Africa's top 10 richest suburbs". businesstech.co.za. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
8. "Bishopscourt - Bishopscourt is a slice of heaven | History | Attractions | Nelson Mandela | Western Cape | Vibrant culture (UK)". www.southafrica.net. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
9. Simpson, Marvin Charles and Storm. "Land claimants who were forcibly removed from affluent Cape Town suburb finally return home". News24. Retrieved 2025-04-08.