Living in Stellenbosch

Walking down Victoria Street with the acorn trees lining the sidewalks, exposing every season in full colour and glory, you will definitely not find yourself wondering in which rich town you have found yourself strolling in.

Living in Stellenbosch is quite an experience with its own culture, night life, history and traditions, especially on campus of one of the most prestigious universities in the world, the University of Stellenbosch.

As a student living on campus, my experience of Stellenbosch might differ from the families’ in the suburban areas, but mine is probably more exciting too. So just lend me your eyes and ears if you want to indulge in what living in Stellenbosch has to offer.

On campus, we have the wonderful opportunity to be exposed to so many walks of life, races, languages and cultures, which means that Stellenbosch is one, big cauldron filled with rich, unique and intriguing aromas that wafts through the parking-less streets of Stellenbosch, on a daily basis.

A day in the life of a Stellenbosch student, always, and I do mean ALWAYS, starts with coffee. There is an abundance of choices between the quaint, sweet coffee shops down virtually every small, or big, street you find yourself. You also can definitely not forget about the number one take away coffee destinations in the Neelsie. The students’ survival depends on the well-know MyBrew and DCM coffee shops.

After getting the much-needed caffeine kick, students (hopefully) head to class until hunger strikes again in the afternoon. I would love to enlighten you with all the magical wine farms there are in, and surround, Stellenbosch with all its specialized wines. Unfortunately, on a student budget, I do not have enough knowledge of them to do that for you. If you do have a bit more money than my poor soul, you should certainly go and explore them, I have heard nothing but good things. The more realistic lunch options ranges from your Tupperware with leftovers from the previous night, from your very loving mother to the Neelsie’s salads, stir-fries or sandwiches. Some places in the Neelsie even have buffets that remind you of being at a Sunday lunch at your grandma’s.

At night, there is almost always something happening in the famous oak city. Whether its well-known artists making their appearance at a residence or restaurant, a big festival or a big party held by one of the residences, I can guarantee you that boredom will never strike and if it does, there is no one to blame other than yourself. Besides the events, the pumping clubs are open every night and “klein Saterdag,” on Wednesday nights, are held religiously. Catwalk, De Lapa, Tin Roof, Terrace and Nu’bar are only some of the night clubs that gets filled till every person is packed in like sardines in a tin on the weekends and on Wednesday nights.

Stellenbosch is one of the oldest towns in South Africa and one can easily see that when looking at how many traditional, white houses have a heritage plaque stamped on them that states that it is more than a hundred years old and that breaking it down is illegal. The town is a delicate mixture of old and new that flows into each other everywhere you look.

This picturesque town is also surrounded by giant mountains hugging and stretching over it and as a day in Stellenbosch comes to an end, you will, frequently, be thrilled to be able to see the sun painting the sky in soft pink, yellow and purple pastel colours as it disappears behind the towering mountains till the next day.

Even though “expensive” might be found in the dictionary of a Stellenbosch resident, I can promise you the words “beautiful,” “exciting,” “vibrant” and “thrilling,” carries much more of the weight.