Swellendam is a small and friendly town set at the foot of the Langeberg mountains in the Overberg district of the Western Cape. Located along the N2 almost exactly halfway between Cape Town and George, it is also the third-oldest town in South Africa (established in about 1745) and is renowned for having a large number of heritage sites and excellent examples of Cape-Dutch architecture.
This attracts many tourists, who also come to see bontebok and the rare Cape mountain zebra in the local nature reserves, enjoy the beautiful local hiking trails and sample the delights of the many excellent local restaurants and coffee shops.
The climate of the area is Mediterranean, with long, dry summers and wet winters when there is often snow visible on the mountains, and Swellendam is accordingly surrounded by picturesque canola, wheat, sheep and dairy farms. Berries are also grown in abundance and this area is in fact now the top youngberry-producing area in the world.
As the main commercial centre in the region, the town has a resident population of around 30 000, and boasts several primary schools as well as Swellendam High and the private Olyfkrans College. It also has a district hospital and the SwellenMark regional shopping mall as well as several smaller shopping centres.
There are approximately 4000 freehold homes in Swellendam and a few Sectional Title complexes, and in recent years, the peaceful town has become a popular retirement destination. In fact, figures from property data company Lightstone show that some 67% of current home-owners are in the over-50 age group.
However, Swellendam is now also proving attractive to many younger professionals and artists who are relocating away from Cape Town and other metropolitan centres in search of a more tranquil, holistic lifestyle - and currently account for more than half (56%) of the annual property purchases in the town.