History of Mitchell’s Plain

• Province: Western Cape
• Coordinates: 34°3′2″S “18°37′5″E
• Area: 43.76 km2
• Municipality; City of Cape Town

Planned and developed by the Apartheid government, Mitchells Plain was laid out with wide streets, public facilities, and arterial routes, and was once presented as a model of organised urban design. The exact origin of its name remains uncertain. Some sources link it to Mitchell Baker, while others suggest it honours Major Charles Michell, an early Surveyor-General at the Cape.

Established in the 1970s as a designated “coloured” residential area, Mitchells Plain became home to many families forcibly removed after District Six was declared a “whites only” area in 1966. The suburb was designed with large open spaces and community amenities, and today has a population of around half a million people.

Over time, the area expanded to include a range of housing types, from maisonettes to semi-detached homes. Like many large urban areas shaped by apartheid-era planning, parts of Mitchells Plain faced serious social and economic challenges in later decades. During the late 1980s and 1990s in particular, some neighbourhoods struggled with gang activity, substance abuse, and the growth of informal settlements.

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Planned and developed by the Apartheid government, Mitchells Plain was laid out with wide streets and essential local amenities, and was once presented as a model of organised urban design. The exact origin of its name remains uncertain. Some sources link it to Mitchell Baker, while others suggest it honours Major Charles Michell, an early Surveyor-General at the Cape.

Today, Mitchells Plain is home to a vibrant and resilient community, with active local organisations, schools, businesses, sports clubs, and cultural initiatives that continue to shape the area’s identity and future.

The postal codes for Mitchells Plain are  7785 (Streets) and  7789 (Boxes)

Things to see and do in Mitchell’s Plain

• Bond Street Park Outdoor Gym, Bond Street, London Village
• Bonfoi Park Outdoor Gym  Bonfoi Way, Westridge
• Drakensberg Park Outdoor Gym, Kilimanjaro Street, Tafelsig
• Galaxy Gym Park Outdoor Gym  Galaxy Street, Rocklands
• Westridge Gardens
• Mnandi Beach
• Mitchells Plain Festival 021 439 8000
• Wolfgat Nature Reserve

Getting around:

there are three Metrorail stations in the suburb: Kapteinsklip, Mitchells Plain, and Lentegeur. Buses and taxis aso operate in the area.

WEATHER IN MITCHELL’S PLAIN TODAY

Browse businesses and places to visit in Mitchell’s plain

Useful Numbers in Mitchell’s Plain

• Police: 021 370 1706
• Traffic department:021 378 1140
• Home Affairs: 021 370 3100 / 3102 / 3103 / 3109
• Fire: 021 444 3085
• Water: 0860 103 089
• Electricity:0860 103 089
• Ambulance:0860 103 089
• Post office;Lentegeur Post Office-021 371 1324
• Closest hospital;Mitchells Plain Day Hospital-021 392 5162
  Lentegeur Clinic-021 444 1428
• Library:021 391 4787
• Pharmacy;
• Beacon Valley Community Centre 021 444 5584
• Portlands Indoor Sports Centre: 021 391 0783
• Swartklip Indoor Sports Centre: 021 444 5584/021 444 5586
• Weltevreden recreation centre: 021 392 5132
• Tafelsig Community Centre: 021 444 5586
• Mandalay community hall:021 444 5584
• SPCA: The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals – P D S A-021 371 2440
• Schools:
• Mitchells Plain No 1 Primary School-021 371 0800
  Mitchell’s Plain Primary School-021 371 0800
  Mitchell’s Plain School of Skill-021 392 1213
  Meadowridge Primary School-021 376 1145
  Harvester Primary School-021 371 9402
  Mitchells Plain High School-073 835 5348
  Springdale Primary School-021 371 6910
  Mondale High School-021 392 7031
  Northwood Primary School-021 371 7510
  Lentegeur Secondary School-021 371 4161
  Oval North High School-021 376 1067
  Darul Arqam Islamic High School-021 391 5730
  Westport Primary School-021 392 6604
  Parkhurst Primary-021 371 8910
  Cedar High School-021 392 5737
  Rocklands Primary School-021 392 2010
  Portland High School-021 374 4141
  Yellowwood Primary School-021 392 0882
  Caradale Primary School- 0213912079