Rondebosch lies between the slopes of
Devil's Peak in the west and the
M5 freeway in the east; it is one of the
Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, which lie along the eastern slope of the
Table Mountain massif. The suburb's western border with the
Table Mountain National Park is defined by the
M3 freeway. To the north are the suburbs of
Rosebank and
Mowbray, while to the south are
Newlands and
Claremont. The eastern border of Rondebosch is the M5 freeway; beyond the freeway are Sybrand Park,
Athlone and
Rondebosch East. The
Southern Line railway divides Rondebosch in two; the only road within Rondebosch that crosses the railway is the Belmont Road bridge. Main Road (the M4) runs north-south through the area west of the railway, while Campground Road runs in the same direction east of the railway. The third north-south through route is Milner Road, further east close to the M5. The area around the intersection of Main Road and Belmont Road is Rondebosch's main commercial area, with several small shopping malls and two supermarkets. Also located in this area is
Rondebosch railway station, which is the main public transport facility in the suburb. A smaller commercial area lies just to the east on the corner of Belmont and Campground Roads; there is also a row of shops along Belvedere Road in the southeastern part of the suburb. The rest of the suburb is used for educational and residential purposes, with the residential areas being generally denser further to the west where the influence of the
University of Cape Town is felt. Two canalised streams run from the slopes of Table Mountain through Rondebosch; the
Liesbeeck River runs northwards between Main Road and the railway, while the
Black River runs in a northeasterly direction through the eastern part of the suburb. The terrain is generally flat east of the railway line, while to the west it slopes upwards towards Devil's Peak. The flower
Erica turgida, was endemic in area between Rondebosch,
Kenilworth and
Wynberg before becoming extinct in the wild.
Landmarks On the slopes of Devil's Peak above Rondebosch is the main campus of the
University of Cape Town. The historic
Groote Schuur estate in Rondebosch includes presidential and ministerial residences with Cape Dutch origins. The
Groote Schuur building is the biggest, rebuilt by
Cecil Rhodes according to a design by
Herbert Baker after a fire in 1896. The presidential residence,
Genadendal (formerly Westbrooke), also dates back to Cape Dutch times. "The Woolsack" is a historic house within the grounds of the University of Cape Town that is now used as student housing. Previously part of Cecil Rhodes's estate at Groote Schuur, it was frequently used by the famous British poet and author
Ruyard Kipling when he used to visit Cape Town for his winter holidays between 1898 and 1908. The home of
Simon van der Stel (first governor of the
Cape Colony) is now part of
Rustenburg Junior School. This building dates back to the 17th century, although it has undergone many alterations over the years. Its summer house, dating from 1760, remains as a monument just below the university. Other historic buildings in the area include the Rondebosch Town Hall, now occupied by the
Rondebosch Library, and St. Paul's Church, which was designed by
Charles Collier Michell.
Rondebosch Common, once a military campground, is a national monument and an important
fynbos conservation area. The
Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch is Cape Town's second biggest theatre complex, after the
Artscape Theatre Centre in the city centre.
Rondebosch Fountain The historic centre of Rondebosch is the Main Road, with the Victorian cast iron
Rondebosch Fountain being a historic landmark. Originally known as the Moodie Fountain, it was one of South Africa's first electric streetlights. It was built by the
Saracen Foundry in Glasgow and presented to the community by George Moodie as a gift in 1891. The lamp was first turned on, on 25 April 1892 and was initially powered by Moodie's private power plant until a municipal power plant on the Liesbeeck River was completed. The fountain was destroyed in a road accident in 2015 and rebuilt in 2020. ==Government and politics==