Company's Garden

Company's Garden occupies the heart of Cape Town as South Africa’s oldest garden and a public heritage park. Paths pass historic trees, a fish pond, an aviary, and spaces for local arts and crafts. Nearby, Parliament, Tuynhuys, the National Library of South Africa, and cultural institutions connect the gardens with Cape Town’s civic life.

The Dutch East India Company established the grounds in the 1650s to supply vegetables for settlers and passing ships. Peas, beans, and cabbage first filled this practical growing space. Under Simon van der Stel, the garden developed into a more ornamental landscape during the seventeenth century. Its trees and plant collections now preserve both botanical value and the story of early European settlement.

A rose garden dating from 1929 adds colour beside the oldest cultivated pear tree in South Africa. Doves, geese, squirrels, and other birds bring movement to the lawns, while the Dellville Wood Memorial Garden recalls a First World War battle. The fish pond, restaurant, and historic planting make the layered landscape easy to explore.