September 2023
Oak trees, historic buildings, students, green spaces, cafés and lots of great wine are among the first impressions of this buzzing university town, but there’s much more to life in Stellenbosch than its undeniable picture-postcard charm. Take some time to explore all of Stellenbosch that is so rooted in history.
Kayamandi on Foot with Stellenbosch Township and Village
This three-hour walking adventure starts and ends at Amazink in Kayamandi, where you will meet your local resident guide, receive a historic briefing on the area, discuss your particular interest in the Township and enjoy a cup of coffee.
The walking journey sets off in a circular route weaving through shacks and stops are made at various participating community attractions, where you can meet and chat with residents.
Attractions include visiting local homes, churches, hostels, spaza shops, African barbershops, craft shops, development organisations, schools, and the local taxi rank. Upon return, visitors can view the Vision Afrika school within the Ikhaya Trust Centre and have the opportunity to buy locally produced craft items from our community shop.
Step back into time at Oom Samie se Winkel
Oom Samie se Winkel, meaning “Uncle Sammy’s Shop”, is a Victorian-style store that operates the same way now as it did back in the Victorian era. The store has been a Stellenbosch institution since 1904 and is now a national monument, offering all sorts of bric a brac and delightful foods and products.
The shop is popular with locals and tourists and stock rare items, such as sticky toffee, boiled sweets, and authentic old century butter churns. They also stock rare antiques, books, handcrafted straw brooms, clothing, fruit and vegetables, and traditional South African biltong (dried spiced meat similar to jerky).
Bites and Sites Cultural Food Tours | Connecting you to the heart and soul of Stellenbosch
Bites and Sites Tours is a small team with a shared vision for the town of Stellenbosch and its people. We love our Rainbow Nation and are passionate about sharing its flavours and its heart with visitors. We consider it a privilege to be part of this family.
Cape Cuisine Tour – the original food tour introducing you to the authentic flavours of Stellenbosch.
Take a leisurely walk with entertaining stories about the past; taste a variety of hard-to-find sweet and savoury treats; sample home-grown teas and world-class wines and uncover the spice heritage using your different senses. For lunch, relax for a heritage lunch platter at the oldest hotel in South Africa.
Township Tour – experience the true hospitality and creativity of township life.
Enjoy a stroll with your resident guide who knows the ins-and-outs of Kayamandi “sweet home” township; meet artists and entrepreneurs who inspire the young generation; interact with children at a day-care center (Mon – Fri during the school term) and visit a family home to help prepare a simple Xhosa dish and enjoy a hearty lunch. You will also receive a small, hand-made gift as well as Mama’s famous recipes to try back home.
Spier Wine Estate Self-Guided Walks
About 15 minutes drive from Stellenbosch Town Centre, visitors can explore Spier’s fascinating history, extraordinary art pieces and learn about their sustainability ethos on one of their self-guided walks.
Heritage Walk:
Free circular walk, 90 minutes
A beautiful meander along coral tree-lined avenues, through indigenous gardens and past historic buildings such as the 1822 Manor House. Along the way, info boards explore Spier’s environmental, social and architectural heritage as well as its commitment to a sustainable future. The circular route can be joined at any point, though we recommend you begin at the Tasting Room or Hotel.
Although it takes roughly 90 minutes you can end your walk at any time. There are also two callout points that add about an hour onto the walk. Comfortable shoes are recommended.
Spier History – Sannie’s story
This short tour takes you around Spier’s historic farmyard, the Werf. Researched and written by acclaimed playwright Brett Bailey, it offers a fictionalised account of the world of a Stellenbosch wine farm around 200 years ago. The narrator is Sannie de Goede, a slave woman on the Spier Estate in 1836, on the eve of her freedom.
No visit to Stellenbosch is complete without a visit to one of the many restaurants for a taste of traditional cuisine.
Biltong – cured and dried meat, usually beef, kudu or ostrich. Best biltong on the block is definitely at De Warenmarkt.
Braaibroodjies – These grilled sandwiches are ever-present at many home braais. You can put anything between two slices of bread, pop it on the grill, and call it a braaibroodjie, but they usually contain some combo of cheese, onion, and tomato. Fat Butcher offer braaibroodjie as a side on their menu or visit Middelvlei for a full braaivleis experience including braaibroodjie.
Braaivleis/Shisa Nyama
This is the quintessential South African way of eating, where friends gather sociably around an open fire and cooking is done over the coals
