Muizenberg, Cape Town

Muizenberg
An aerial view of Muizenberg taken from the East.
Muizenberg Show map of Western Cape Muizenberg Show map of South Africa Muizenberg Show map of Africa  Muizenberg shown within Western Cape
Location within Cape Town  Muizenberg
Coordinates: 34°06.3′S 18°28.3′E / 34.1050°S 18.4717°E / -34.1050; 18.4717Coordinates: 34°06.3′S 18°28.3′E / 34.1050°S 18.4717°E / -34.1050; 18.4717
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Established	1743
Area
• Total	15.14 km2 (5.85 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	36,857
• Density	2,400/km2 (6,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	39.1%
• Coloured	26.2%
• Indian/Asian	1.3%
• White	27.8%
• Other	5.7%
First languages (2011)
• English	44.3%
• Afrikaans	22.8%
• Xhosa	15.3%
• Zulu	1.4%
• Other	16.2%
Postal code (street)	7945
PO box	7950
Area code	(021) 787/788

Muizenberg is a beach-side suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is situated where the shore of the Cape Peninsula curves round to the east on the False Bay coast. It is considered to be the birthplace of surfing in South Africa and is currently home to a surfing community, centered on the popular 'Surfer's Corner'. Agatha Christie, famous author and playwright, wrote that after nursing duty she would daily take the train to Muizenberg to go surfing.

Historically, the village has several special features, including Het Posthuys (the Post House), Rhodes' Cottage, and the site of the Battle of Muizenberg.

Rhodes' Cottage is a small house on the seafront that Cecil Rhodes bought as a holiday cottage and this was where he died in 1902. The house is preserved as a museum dedicated to Rhodes' life and is open to the public.

Het Posthuys is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa, dating to circa 1742. It was built by the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) as a toll-house to levy a tax on farmers passing by to sell their produce to ships lying in Simon's Bay. One of the early postholders was Sergeant Muys (meaning "mouse"), from whom Muizenberg (formerly Muysenbergh and Muys Zijn Bergh (Muys' mountain) before that) gets its name. After a varied career as a police station, stables, brothel, hotel and private house the building was identified for what it was in the 1980s and restored with funds from Anglo American Corporation. The house is cared for by the Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society and contains a small collection of photos and items of interest relating to early days in Muizenberg. It is open to the public.

The Battle of Muizenberg was a small but significant military affair that began on 7 August 1795 and ended three months later with the (first) British occupation of the Cape. Thus began the period (briefly interrupted from 1804 to 1806) of British control of the Cape, and subsequently much of Southern Africa. The historical remnant of the Battle of Muizenberg is a site on the hillside overlooking False Bay that holds the remains of a defensive fort started by the Dutch in 1795 and expanded by the British from 1796 onwards.