Oranjezicht at a glance
Oranjezicht, located on the slopes of Table Mountain, is a chic small community popular with an arty and trendy set. Large and graceful homes with outstanding views of Table Mountain, the shoreline, and the distant Hottentots Holland Mountains can be found here. Apartments here are popular with Cape Technikon students, and they're adjacent to Gardens Centre.
Nicolaus Laubscher, a Swiss immigrant, purchased a property on the slopes of Table Mountain in 1708 and named it Oranjezicht. It became a well-known farm, and some of the structures are still standing where the farm had stood.
The Molteno Dam was constructed in 1877 to store natural spring water from Table Mountain to give water to residents in Cape Town. It's still going strong today. The Graaff Electric Lighting Works, which was built near the Molteno Dam in 1895, was Cape Town's first municipal electrical power plant and South Africa's second power plant.
