1. Two couples get hitched on Table Mountain every month

Our precious flat-topped mountain began forming around 280 million years ago, and today, it’s still evolving! It’s estimated that two couples get hitched on the mountain every month. Wowzers!

2. Lion’s Head wasn’t actually named for its felines  

Despite speculation, Lion’s Head does not take its name from being host to some big cats. The story goes that during the 17^th century Dutch settlers named the peak Leeuwen Kop (Lion’s Head) and its adjacent summit Leeuwen Staart (Lion’s Tail aka Signal Hill as it’s known today). It was thought that the space between the two peaks is suggestive of a crouching lion.

3. Afrikaans is the most widely spoken language in the Western Cape 

Despite being one of the youngest languages in the world, Afrikaans is the most widely spoken tongue in the Western Cape, with isiXhosa and English racking up second and third places.

4. The Cape Floral Kingdom claims nearly 7000 plants found nowhere else in the world

The Cape Floral Kingdom, which spans 90 000sq km, is the smallest and richest recognised floral area on the planet and was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO’s committee. Of the 9600 species of plant life that are found in this kingdom, around 70% occur nowhere else in the world. These include the likes of the honey buchu, peninsula snapdragon and Good Hope satinflower.

5. The Cape Peninsula was originally known as the Cape of Storms

As a result of the terrible tempests that have been known to rock the Mother City’s coastline, the Cape Peninsula was originally nicknamed the ‘Cape of Storms’ by legendary explorer Bartholomew Dias. Later, it became known as the Cape of Good Hope because it offered colonial powers the promise of a sea route to the East.

6. We’re all young here!

The 2011 national census reports that almost half (43.2%) of the Western Cape’s population is below the age of 25 – it seems the city is a fountain of youth!