Kraaifontein

Last updated
Kraaifontein
Cry-phontain in English orthography
Town
South Africa Western Cape location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kraaifontein
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kraaifontein
Coordinates: 33°50′39″S18°41′55″E / 33.84417°S 18.69861°E / -33.84417; 18.69861
Country South Africa
Province Western Cape
Municipality City of Cape Town
Established1869-Subdividing farms, 1876- Railway station, 1877-Town development
Area
[1]
 • Total30.82 km2 (11.90 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
 • Total154,615
 • Density5,000/km2 (13,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
 •  Black African 43.3%
 •  Coloured 40.2%
 •  Indian/Asian 0.4%
 •  White 14.4%
 • Other1.7%
First languages (2011)
[1]
 •  Afrikaans 45.4%
 •  Xhosa 33.4%
 •  English 14.0%
 •  Sotho 2.5%
 • Other4.7%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
7570
PO box
7569
Area code +27 (0)21

Kraaifontein is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa and is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.

Contents

The name originated from large number of crows (Kraai in Afrikaans) that nest in the region. [2]

Beginnings

In 1869 sub-division of farm land started in the area. A railway station was formed in 1876 called "Kraaifontein Junction", followed by formal town development in 1877. The first school was established on 20 January 1908. The Dutch Reformed Church was founded in 1948. In the same year Kraaifontein got its own local authority. In 1954 the "Volkskerk van Afrika (Translated- The nation's church of Africa)" was founded with BJE Appollis being the first preacher. On 16 September 1957, it became a municipality under the first mayor, JP Rossouw. [3] [4] [5]

Today

Today Kraaifontein has been incorporated into the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area and is located in Cape Town's northern suburbs flanking the N1 towards Paarl and Worcester to the east. Although being part of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, Kraaifontein is still considered a town with its own central business district.

It comprises several residential areas, namely Windsor Park, Scottsville, Peerless Park, Eikendal, Scottsdene, Bloekombos, Wallacedene, Belmont Park, Bonny Brook, and Uitzicht. Libraries are funded and owned by the City of Cape Town. These libraries are Kraaifontein Public Library, Scottsdene Public Library, and Eikendal Public Library. High Schools in the area are Monument Park, Eben Dönges, Bloekombos, Masibambane Secondary School, Simonsberg Primary School [6] Scottsdene High School, Scottsville High School and Bernadino Heights High School.

Geography

Strategically located at the gateway to the Cape Winelands, Kraaifontein is exactly halfway between Cape Town (31 km) and Paarl (29 km) along the N1 highway and is flanked by Durbanville to the north-west and Brackenfell to the west. [7] [8]

Kraaifontein, encompassing the areas of Bernardino Heights, Scottsdene, Scottsville, Wallacedene, Eikendal and Bloekombos, was once a separate municipality before the restructuring of all South African municipalities during the late 90s. These areas, however, are listed as separate suburbs by the City of Cape Town for planning and statistical purposes. [9] Forming part of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, it is located in its Subcouncil 2 Area, Bergdal. [10]

Suburban Areas

Transport

Rail

Kraaifontein lies at a railway junction (historically known as "Kraaifontein Junction"), situated on the main commuter line between Cape Town and Wellington (Northern Line) and the branch line to Malmesbury, both operated by Metrorail. Metrorail currently operates commuter railway services in Kraaifontein from the Kraaifontein Railway Station (north of the town centre) to Cape Town, Bellville, Brackenfell, Paarl and Wellington on the Northern Line and to Fisantekraal, Klipheuwel and Malmesbury on the Malmesbury branch line.

Road

The N1 is the major freeway that runs through Kraaifontein, routing traffic heading north-west from Cape Town towards Paarl. It enters the town from Brackenfell, bisecting the town and passing through the M15 and M167 before heading towards the Cape Winelands.

The R101 is the original N1, and served the same function before the construction of the freeway. It enters Kraaifontein from Brackenfell as Old Paarl Road, runs through the central business district as Voortrekker Road and leaves Kraaifontein towards Klapmuts and Paarl as Old Paarl Road again.

Kraaifontein is also served by many metropolitan routes. The M15 connects to Durbanville and Stellenbosch (via the M23). The M23 connects to Bellville and Stellenbosch, and barely by-passes Kraaifontein to the south. The M25 connects to Brackenfell and Bellville. The M73 connects to Brackenfell and Durbanville. The M137 runs north–south from Brackenfell to Durbanville and by-passes Kraaifontein to the west.

Kraaifontein is also served internally by the M167 which links the eastern suburbs, namely Joostenberg Vlakte, Kraaifontein Industria and Bloekombos.

Coat of arms

The Kraaifontein municipal council assumed a coat of arms, registered it with the Cape Provincial Administration in June 1964, [11] had it granted by the provincial administrator in March 1967, [12] and registered it at the Bureau of Heraldry in September 1969. [13] The arms, designed by Schalk Pienaar, were: Argent, a chevron Gules between in chief two heraldic fountains and in base a bunch of grapes leaved proper (in layman's terms: a silver shield displaying, from top to bottom, two discs divided into wavy white and blue stripes, a red chevron, and a bunch of grapes). The crest was a parson-crow, and the motto Non auro sed virtute. Together the crow (kraai) and the fountains (fonteine) were a pun on the name of the town.

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paarl</span> Town in Western Cape, South Africa

Paarl is a town with 285,574 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington. It is situated about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is known for its scenic environment and viticulture and fruit-growing heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellville, South Africa</span> Town in Western Cape, South Africa.

Bellville is a town and former independent city that is now incorporated into the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The town is an industrial and commercial node, a university town, and a major transportation hub within the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R300 (South Africa)</span> Road in South Africa

.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuils River</span> Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Kuils River is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, 25 km east of Cape Town CBD at the gateway of the Cape Winelands. It is also the name of the main tributary of the Eerste River, and forms part of the Eastern Suburbs of the City of Cape Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Cape Town</span> Metropolitan municipality in Western Cape, South Africa

The City of Cape Town is the local government of Cape Town and surrounding areas. As of the 2016 community survey, it had a population of 4,005,016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brackenfell</span> Town in the Western Cape, South Africa

Brackenfell is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa and a northern suburb of Cape Town, situated about 30 km north-east of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durbanville</span> Town in Western Cape, South Africa

Durbanville, previously called Pampoenkraal, is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, part of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area. Durbanville is a semi-rural residential suburb on the north-eastern outskirts of the metropolis surrounded by farms producing wine and wheat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milnerton</span> Seaside town in the Western Cape, South Africa

Milnerton is a seaside town on Table Bay and is located north of Cape Town in South Africa. It is located 11 kilometres to the north of the city's centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malmesbury, South Africa</span> Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Malmesbury is a town of approximately 36,000 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 65 km north of Cape Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrorail Western Cape</span> Commuter rail system in the Greater Cape Town area

Metrorail Western Cape is a network of commuter and suburban rail services in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality and in the surrounding towns of Malmesbury, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Wellington in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

The Northern Line is a commuter rail service in South Africa that in the Cape Town metropolitan area and its surroundings and is operated by Metrorail Western Cape. Northern Line services operate from central Cape Town to Bellville, and then from Bellville along three different routes. The first route runs along the main Cape Town–De Aar railway line to Paarl and Wellington. The second route passes through Stellenbosch to terminate at Muldersvlei station on the main line, while the third also passes through Somerset West to terminate in Strand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klapmuts</span> Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Klapmuts is the name of both a hill, and a town which formed at its foot. They are located in Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

The R101 is a Regional Route in South Africa that is the designation for some of the old sections of roads that were previously the N1, prior to upgrading. It only has 2 sections, from Bellville to Worcester and from Johannesburg to Polokwane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boland, Western Cape</span> Region of the Western Cape, South Africa

The Boland is a region of the Western Cape province of South Africa, situated to the northeast of Cape Town in the middle and upper courses of the Berg and Breede Rivers, around the Boland Mountains of the central Cape Fold Belt. It is sometimes also referred to as the Cape Winelands because it is the primary region for the making of Western Cape wine.

Brooklyn is a suburb of Cape Town, Western Cape with a population of 10,941 people. It lies to the north of Maitland, east of the Atlantic Ocean and Paarden Eiland, and west of Air Force Base Ysterplaat. The Black River flows through a section of Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stellenberg, Bellville</span> Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Stellenberg is a suburb in Bellville, Western Cape South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Suburbs, Cape Town</span> Sub-region of the City of Cape Town, South Africa

The Northern Suburbs is a major urban and rural region located in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the urban north-eastern part of the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area that is functionally merged with Cape Town.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Kraaifontein". Census 2011.
  2. ↑ "Area information". Archived from the original on 2019-01-19. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Geskiedenis van die Nederduitste Gereformeerde Kerk Kraaifontein (Translated -History of the Dutch Reformed Church Kraaifontein)" . Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Kraaifontein Geskiedenis (Translated- Kraaifontein history)" . Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Kraaifontein treinstasie (Translated – Kraaifontein railway station)" . Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Masibambane Secondary School – Just another WordPress site" . Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  7. ↑ "Kraaifontein to Cape Town". Kraaifontein to Cape Town. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  8. ↑ "Kraaifontein to Paarl". Kraaifontein to Paarl. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  9. ↑ Strategic Development, GIS. "City of Cape Town Suburb Index". City of Cape Town. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  10. ↑ GIS, Strategic Development. "Cape Town Subcouncil Profile". City of Cape Town. Archived from the original on 2012-08-06. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  11. ↑ Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette 3245 (26 June 1964).
  12. ↑ Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette 3391 (3 March 1967).
  13. ↑ http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za%5B%5D
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.