George Area Profile

George Central at a glance

George is the sixth oldest town in South Africa, situated in the beautiful Western Cape Province and is the Capital of the Southern Cape. The town is very centrally situated: halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and centre of the Garden Route - ideal from where to explore the areas many variant and diverse scenic wonders. Situated on a 10 kilometre plateau between the majestic Outeniqua Mountain to the north and the Indian ocean to the South.

The town with its 203,253 inhabitants is a popular holiday destination. George also has an extremely sophisticated infrastructure with banks, conference facilities, businesses, major shopping chains, transport and sporting facilities, yet retaining its small town and country atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. The town is a major accommodation centre with a vast array of facilities on offer to suit every taste and pocket. The surrounding area is rich in farmlands, forests and wild flowers.

George has many historical landmarks to be visited. Like The Slave Tree, an ancient English Oak planted by Landdrost van Kervel. Known as the Slave Tree because of the very large chain and lock embedded in the trunk, it has been declared a national monument. And the King Edward VII Library building is said to be the best example of Edwardian architecture in George.

The majority of people in George are Afrikaans-speaking, but all Afrikaners can speak English, because English is a required subject at South African schools. Similarly, most English speaking people in South Africa can speak Afrikaans.

George has superb golf facilities and was the venue for the first ever Presidents Cup to be played outside the United States. The 2003 event attracted all the big stars and a few ex-presidents!

All round, George is quiet and an exciting place to visit with lots of fun filled things to do, from having fun with the family to exciting adventures for the adrenalin junkies.