About Mitchells Plain

Mitchells Plain is located on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape, about 32km from the city of Cape Town. The suburb is situated between Muizenberg and Khayelitsha. Mitchells Plain is home to the Liberty Promenade, one of the biggest shopping centres in Cape Town. It has over 80 schools, including the Medowridge Primary School, Aloe, Lentegeur, Beacon Hill, Oval North, Cedar, Glendale, Rocklands, Spine Road, Mondale, Portland, Princeton, Woodlands, Tafelsig, Westridge and Seaview Primary.

The suburb of Mitchells Plain was built in the 1970’s to provide housing for victims of forced removal due to the implementation of the Group Areas Act. It was laid out in terms of the neighbourhood unit concept with large open spaces, localised public facilities and wide arterial routes. Various forms of housing were provided, but by the late 1980’s, major areas of Mitchells Plain deteriorated into urban ghettos. Today Mitchells Plain is one of the largest townships in the Western Cape and is divided into a number of sub-sections such as Rocklands, Westridge, Portlands, Tafelsig, Eastridge, Beacon Valley, Lentegeur, Woodlands, Weltevreden Valley, Colorado Park, Mandalay and Watergate Developments.

The central business district of Mitchells Plain is locally called the “Town Centre”.  It includes a retail plaza, shopping  centre, a public library, two major transport interchanges and informal markets. Informal traders in the Town Center sell fruit, vegetables, stationary, spices and cosmetics. Informal economic activity forms a significant part of the local economy.

Mitchells Plain has three large shopping centres comprising major clothing, furniture, banks and restaurant chains. The suburb is well served by public transport services which include commuter rail, bus and minibus taxi services. Kapteinsklip, Mitchell’s Plain and Lentegeur are the three commuter rail stations within Mitchells Plain. The rail line extends northwards towards the Cape Town CBD, Philippi and the industrial areas at Epping. Sport facilities in Mitchells Plain include Portlands Sports Complex, Westridge Swimming Baths, Rocklands Sport Centre, Stephen Regan Sports Complex and Tafelsig Sports Field.

Other Cities in the Cape Flats Region: Athlone, Khayelitsha