The V&A Waterfront, short for Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, is a vibrant mixed-use suburb in Cape Town, South Africa. It is often referred to as The Waterfront and The V&A.
Named after Prince Alfred and Queen Victoria, members of the Royal Family of Britain during the time when Cape Town was part of the Cape Colony, the Waterfront is a major attraction featuring upmarket residential apartments, a major shopping mall, a marina, and multiple large hotels.
The Waterfront sits on the site of the oldest working harbor in the Southern Hemisphere. With Table Mountain as its backdrop, the 123-hectare neighbourhood sees millions of people visiting each year.
The V&A Waterfront is one of Africa’s most visited destinations with more than 24 million visitors annually.
V&A Waterfront with Table Mountain in the background.
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A Glimpse into History
The V&A Waterfront is a central part of the very beginning of the settlement of the city of Cape Town. In 1654, two years after his arrival in this relatively safe bay at the foot of Table Mountain, Jan van Riebeeck built a small jetty as part of his task to establish a refreshment station at the Cape.
Fresh water and fresh produce were provided to the ships of the Dutch East India Company on their arduous and lengthy journey to their outposts in Java and Batavia. In June 1858, serious winter storms, which were a common occurrence, wrecked over 30 vessels.
Prince Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria, began construction of the harbour in 1860.
In 1938 work was started to reclaim land between the city centre and the harbour, most notably the new Duncan Dock. The Foreshore (230 hectares) made city expansion possible.
In 1984, Sol Kreiner, Mayor of Cape Town, advanced what would become the V&A Waterfront by forming a steering committee to consider a waterfront scheme: "As Johannesburg has gold, we have a beautiful city as a tourist attraction and we must all work together for a better Cape Town.
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Shopping and Retail Therapy
The mall is one of Cape Town's largest, and the Waterfront features numerous other retail spaces, including the Watershed, and Alfred Mall.
Selling everything from fashion, homeware and curios to jewellery, leather goods and tech, the V&A Waterfront is Cape Town’s most popular shopping destination for a reason. As the locals like to say when discussing where to shop, ‘the Waterfront probably has it’.
Cape Town has plenty of powerful design stories to tell - and the Watershed is where over 150 makers bring them to life. Stocking more than 300 local brands, this large market - separate to the main shopping centre - is a craft and design space bursting with fresh fashion, art and flavour.
Looking for the perfect gift? Stores at the V&A Waterfront are open till 9pm. Stores are open 7 days a week for your convenience and shopping pleasure.
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Attractions and Activities
The V&A Waterfront offers a wide variety of attractions and activities for all ages:
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- Two Oceans Aquarium: With over 3000 creatures - from rays and penguins to yellowfin tuna and sharks - the Two Oceans Aquarium lets you delve below the surface of the oceans that surround the South African coastline. Be sure to check the schedule of animal feeding times, and don’t skip the predator exhibit, the astonishing kelp forest and the penguin area.
- The Cape Wheel: Since it opened in 2008 the Cape Wheel has become one of the most popular attractions in the V&A Waterfront. It recently moved to the V&A’s Breakwater Boulevard, and from your capsule 40 metres in the air you’ll enjoy views to Granger Bay, Robben Island Table Mountain and the city.
- Robben Island: A prison for over 300 years, Robben Island is Cape Town’s version of Alcatraz: except it's 50 times bigger and has also served as a leper colony, a mental hospital and a military base. The V&A Waterfront also houses the Nelson Mandela Gateway that offers trips over to Robben Island.
- Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa): The transformation of a decommissioned grain silo, which lay empty for more than a decade, into a world-class art museum has been widely lauded. The Zeitz MOCAA houses an outstanding collection of art from across the continent - in fact, it’s the world’s largest museum of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. The top floors of the building are occupied by the Silo Hotel.
- Waterfront Duck Co.: Africa’s first amphibious bus-and-boat tour has set sail in Cape Town, with the launch in August 2024 of The Waterfront Duck Co. Based in the Silo District of the V&A Waterfront, The Waterfront Duck Co. offers nine tours per day, each lasting an hour.
Inside the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Other Activities:
- Harbour/Canal Cruise: You could also opt for the Waterfront Harbour Cruise, which departs from the jetty outside the Two Oceans Aquarium. On this 30-minute excursion you’ll get up close to the ships and trawlers in the harbour, learn about the city’s maritime history and be delighted by the antics of the harbour’s resident Cape Fur Seals.
- Bike Rides: Hire a bike from Up Cycles and set off to explore. Up Cycles is the city’s only drop-and-go bicycle rental company, offering cruiser-style Dutch bicycle (helmets and locks included) for all ages and sizes.
- Scenic Runs: The V&A Waterfront offers a pair of scenic running routes that dish up memorable views of the ocean and city.
- Chopper Tours: Turn the adrenaline dial right up on a scenic flight around the peninsula, taking in scenic panoramas and ocean vistas from above. Chopper tours take off regularly from the V&A Waterfront, soaring through the air for a dash to Camps Bay and back.
- Battery Park: Set apart from the commercial bustle of the Waterfront’s malls and quayside restaurant, Battery Park offers a refreshing change of tack; a public space where locals and tourists can kick back, or kick off, free of charge.
- Oranjezicht City Farm Market (OZCFM): Easily the city’s finest fresh produce market, the Oranjezicht City Farm Market (known locally as OZCFM) is set right on the seafront at Granger Bay, a short stroll from the V&A Waterfront.
- Stand-Up Paddleboarding: SUP Cape Town offers stand-up paddleboard rentals from the Waterfront’s Canal District. You can paddle as far as the city’s convention centre or head towards the Waterfront itself.
- Makers Landing: Makers Landing is an emporium filled with the most exciting food entrepreneurs in Cape Town, a place where you can sample a huge variety of cuisines and drinks.
- Cape Town Diamond Museum: Located near the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, the Cape Town Diamond Museum is for anyone interested in the history of Africa’s diamonds.
Culinary Delights
More than 80 eateries bring a fusion of both international and local cuisine, from rustic al fresco to fine dining. From quick bites and pubs with a view to some of the city’s best fine dining, the V&A Waterfront has something for every palate. There are over 100 restaurants and food stalls to choose from, including exceptional sushi and fresh fish from Willoughby’s, Harbour House and The Cape Town Fish Market.
With 13 of the city's best chefs under one roof, the Time Out Market Cape Town brings you the best of the Mother City's culinary adventures to the heart of the ever-popular V&A Waterfront.
Family Fun
Apart from the well-known toy store Hamleys, where children get lost for half a day, the V&A Waterfront has an array of other child-friendly activities for the little ones to enjoy.
- The Cape Wheel: The wheel takes you above eye level, showing off the spectacular scenery of the location.
- Two Oceans Aquarium: Home to some incredible aquatic species, including animals that are endemic to South Africa - this is a great way to allow your kids to get up close to a penguin and learn more about the conservation side of the ocean.
- Jolly Roger Pirate Ship: This adventure will take you out of the harbour and onto the seas, where you will be able to see Cape Town from a different vantage point.
The Jolly Roger Pirate Ship at the V&A Waterfront.
Practical Information
Today it is a mixed-use development that spans 23 hectares, with 24 million visitors a year.
Within the Waterfront are offices for Investec, Deloitte, Radisson Hotels, EY, Allan Gray, Pam Golding Property Group, Duracell, British American Tobacco, Red Bull, BP, and Ninety One.
There are 7583 open-air and underground pay-per-hour parking bays which are patrolled and monitored 24 hours a day.
The City Sightseeing Bus departs from just outside the Two Oceans Aquarium, and you will be able to get to many of Cape Town’s top attractions including Table Mountain.
Nearby Attractions
While visiting the V&A Waterfront, consider exploring other nearby attractions in Cape Town:
- Company’s Garden & Museums: Start your day in the leafy Company’s Garden - a peaceful park established in the 1650s as a vegetable garden for the Dutch East India Company.
- Castle of Good Hope: This star-shaped fortress is South Africa’s oldest surviving colonial building, built in the 17th century.
- Long Street & Greenmarket Square: Long Street is backpacker central and the city’s nightlife hub, lined with Victorian buildings that house lively bars, global restaurants, and hostels.
- Bo-Kaap: Just above the city centre is the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town’s most photogenic neighborhood.
- District Six Museum: A short walk from the center, this small museum packs an emotional punch.
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