Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel. It is the second-oldest and maybe the historically most beautiful town in South Africa. Stellenbosch is the heart of the wine industry, a beautiful area with mountains and wineries. Is is like an oasis in (South) Africa and very much European. Some might be fooled by the beauty of Stellenbosch but this is NOT South Africa and especially NOT Africa. Even, some say "Stellenbosch is only a bubble".
However, in Stellenbosch you can experience the sharp contrast between rich and poor which is present everywhere in South Africa. On the one hand, there are people living in huge estates, driving big Mercedes or BMW's, and are mostly white. On the other hand, there exists the Kayamandi township at 2km distance from McDonald's: over 20000 people living in shabby houses, many unemployed, impoverished, and are all black. But I think, everyone should draw his own picture of this situation. If you are interested in supporting the children of the Kayamandi township of Stellenbosch:
The International Student Organisation Stellenbosch (ISOS) of the University of Stellenbosch "was established in 1996 to help orientate international students to the university as well as provide international students with a better understanding of South Africa." ISOS runs projects to support the children of Kayamandi. Information how to participate can be found on their website (box at the right-hand side).
Another non profit organisation is Prochorus Community Developments. They run a lot of projects for the people of Kayamandi, for instance, you can donate money for a scholarship.

attractions

Stellenbosch attracts a lot of tourists. All attractions and places of interest can be found in various tourist guides and therefore are not exhibited on my website. The Stellenbosch Tourism & Information Centre is situated 36 Market Street (just follow the brown or green sign with the "i") and also provides a website.
Due to the fact that Stellenbosch is famous for its wine you must visit several estates for wine tasting: information in the wine section. Worth seeing is also the Stellenbosch Village museum: some restored and furnished building which represent the stylistic periods of the previous three centuries.

Maties

Maties is the nickname for students of the University of Stellenbosch. I was told that the Stellenbosch rugby players were named "(To)maties" because of their red jerseys ;) Stellenbosch is very proud of their rugby team and they have "produced" several Springbok players. You must visit a rugby match at Coetzenburg Stadium - it is amazing!

nightlife

I hate this reports where people give advices which pubs and clubs are "bad" and which are "good". My advice: just visit all places in Stellenbosch and make your own decision.

budget for living in Stellenbosch

Living in South Africa (Stellenbosch) is quite cheap compared to European prices. But regarding the average income in South Africa it is too expensive. I can hardly imagine how an ordinary citizen of Stellenbosch (not an owner of an wine estate!) can afford to pay the prices in the supermarkets. In Stellenbosch you can find all the well-known supermarkets of South Africa: Checkers, Pick'n Pay, Spar and 7Eleven. Supermarkets are open on Sundays! Following you can find a sample budget including some prices.

sample budget (month)

If you are not satisfied with the up-to-dateness of Big Mac McMeal SuperSize please use the contact form and mail the latest prices! This sample budget is strongly related to my own preferences but does neither implicate that I have dinner 10 times at McDonald's nor that you must have dinner at McDonald's - it is just an example.

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