Towns and suburbs

Muizenberg

Muizenberg is one of Cape Town’s most accessible swimming beaches and the centre of local surfing culture. The warm False Bay water, gentle waves and long promenade make it popular with families, surfers and day visitors throughout the year.

Muizenberg is a coastal suburb on the False Bay shoreline in Cape Town’s southern suburbs. It lies between Lakeside and St James, about 25 km south-east of the Cape Town city centre. The area stretches along a long sandy beach at the edge of the Cape Flats and sits just below the Muizenberg mountain, with the M4 coastal road and railway line linking it directly to Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and the city.

History of Muizenberg

This village has been a holiday destination since the late 1880s

Muizenberg is a suburb at the 20-kilometre-long beach on the False Bay coast. The name literally means mice mountain” in Afrikaans; however, the name goes back to the time of Willem Adriaan van der Stel, when a German soldier named Sergeant Wynand Muys  (sometimes spelt Muijs or Muys) manned a military post in the area during the late 1600s, when the route between Cape Town and the False Bay coast was guarded. The place became known as “Muys se Berg”, essentially Muys’s hill. Over time, the spelling changed to Muizenberg. The name is recorded on a 1782 map.

Moetjesons, a Khoi group, lived in the area in the late 18th century; however, Muizenberg developed into a popular holiday destination since about 1886, when holiday homes were built there by the rich who visited after the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand. 

The railway station is by far the most splendid on the southern line. It was built in 1913 to replace
the original simple structure of 1882. The station building is a proclaimed national monument. Find out more about the railways in the Western Cape

The British and the Battle of Muizenberg

The Battle of Muizenberg was a small but significant military affair that began in 1795 and ended three months later with the (first) British occupation of the Cape.
This began the period (briefly interrupted from 1804 to 1806) of British control of the Cape, and subsequently much of Southern Africa. Cannons from this time can be seen at “Het Posthuis” and on the station platform.
In 1882, the railway, which up to that point only reached Wynberg, was extended to Muizenberg. Many of the buildings in the area are in the Art Deco style of the town’s heyday. The pavilion was built of wood in 1905 and was replaced with the present structure in 1928, which harks back to this elegant era. This village is considered the birthplace of surfing in Cape Town.

‍The Battle of Muizenberg Fort above Bailey’s cottage is an open stretch of lawn where the Dutch made a stand against the invading British forces in 1795. The battle lasted only 30 minutes, but the Dutch lost a key replenishment station on the sea route to the East.

Read more on the history of the suburb here

The postal codes for Muizenberg are 7945 (streets) and 7950 (boxes)

Transport

Muizenberg is served by Metrorail, Golden Arrow Bus Services, and minibus taxis. See linked pages for details. Other options for getting around the Western Cape.

Things to see and do in Muizenberg

Resources

Practical information for the Western Cape: regulations, permits, and helpful tips. See the Colourdots coastal and nature use guide

LOCAL WEATHER TODAY

see all listings in Muizenberg

 

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Useful Numbers

Residents and visitors can find important local contact numbers below, including police, medical services, utilities, and community facilities

  • Emergency Services

  • Police: 021 787 9000
  • Fire: Lakeside 021 480 7700
  • Ambulance: 10177

  • Medical

  • Closest hospital / Clinic 021 444 3914
  • Pharmacy; Rustenberg pharmacy 021 788 1278

  • Municipal & Utilities

  • Water: 0860 103089
  • Electricity: 0860 125002  Beach Road

  • Transport & Roads

  • Traffic department: Fishhoek: 021 784 2160

  • Community & Safety

  • NSRI 087 094 9774
  • SPCA: 021 700 4140

  • Local Contacts and Community Resources 

  • Tourism 021 787 9140
  • Post office; 021 788 2675
  • Museums  SAPS museum;    : Rhodes Cottage,      Het Posthuys

  • Schools in Muizenberg

  • Junior school  021 788 4118
  •  High school  021 788 1424
  • Find a comprehensive list of Cape Town Emergency numbers HERE
  • The City of Cape Town Public Emergency Communication Centre is available 24/7 For all life or property-threatening emergencies. Call 021 480 7700 from any phone or 107 from a landline or report online at https://bit.ly/3o4Ji3K

  • Own a local business? Add your free listing now  HERE

  • Adjacent suburbs are  Marina da Gama,St. James, and Strandfontein

 

  • Colourdots is an independent regional information resource for the Western Cape.
    Learn more about the project HERE

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