Good morning, Durbanville!
Schools are back, the vineyards are greening up and the valley is settling into that easy mid-spring rhythm. This week we've got a packed stage at Die Boer, a big Afrikaans night at Heritage Square, the final week of a thought-provoking exhibition at Rust-en-Vrede, a reason to book your Newlands Test tickets now, and an update on the dams worth keeping an eye on. Here's your verified local guide for the next ten days.
⚡ 3-Second Snap: The Week Ahead
Water Watch: The dams supplying Cape Town have slipped to 74.4%, and an annual water assessment on 2 November will consider whether restrictions are needed.
Live Stages: Nik Rabinowitz, a Sting tribute and Rumours of Fleetwood Mac headline Die Boer, while Brendan Peyper and his band take over Kapstadt Brauhaus on Thursday, 22 October.
Art: Nothing Lasts, Except This is on at Rust-en-Vrede until Saturday, 24 October.
Book Now: Day tickets for the Proteas vs Australia Test at Newlands (27–31 October) are still on sale from R245.
Just Down the Road: Ne-Yo plays GrandWest this Saturday, 17 October.
Weekend Weather: A cooler weekend after a warm Friday. Saturday reaches about 15°C with a 20% chance of rain; Sunday is similar at around 15°C, dropping to 9°C overnight. Bring a jacket to parkrun.
🗳️ Local Elections: What You Need to Know
South Africans vote for their local councillors on Wednesday, 4 November, and it's a public holiday. Whatever your politics, here's the practical bit:
Voting hours: 07:00 – 21:00 on 4 November.
Vote where you're registered: In local elections you can only vote at the station where you're registered. Check your registration and voting station by SMSing your ID number to 32810 (R1 per SMS), or online at elections.org.za.
What to bring: A green barcoded ID book, a smart ID card, or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate. Driver's licences, passports and photocopies aren't accepted.
Special votes: Applications closed on 12 October. If yours was approved, special voting runs on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 November, 08:00 – 17:00.
Watch out for fakes: Fake voting notices and AI-generated "IEC announcements" are doing the rounds. If it didn't come from the IEC, double-check it before you share it.
1. What's On: Live Entertainment & Nightlife
Die Boer Restaurant Theatre (Chenoweth Street)
Friday, 16 Oct (20:30): Tasché Burger met Matthew Duncan op kitaar (R270).
Saturday, 17 Oct (14:00): Aletta Francina in Jussie Sussie — afternoon show; adult content, no under-16s (R220).
Saturday, 17 Oct (20:30) & Sunday, 18 Oct (14:00): The Shape of My Heart — a tribute to Sting; Sunday is the lunch show (R250).
Monday, 19 Oct (20:30): Aletta Francina in Jussie Sussie — evening show; adult content, no under-16s (R220).
Tuesday, 20 Oct (20:30): Nik Rabinowitz in "Mountain Jew!" (R250).
Wednesday, 21 Oct (20:30): Wouter van de Venter en Etienne Steyn (R200).
Friday, 23 Oct (20:30): Rumours of Fleetwood Mac (R370).
Saturday, 24 Oct (20:30): Crowfoot: Chasing Rabbits — a Woodstock story (R180).
Sunday, 25 Oct (14:00): Marion Holm in Gryp Elke grasHOLM — afternoon show (R220).
Bookings: 021 979 1911 / 082 574 1651.
Kapstadt Brauhaus (Heritage Square, Durbanville)
Thursday, 22 Oct (20:00): Brendan Peyper Live — a full-band, sing-along evening of Afrikaans hits. Doors open at 18:00 and tickets start at R120 on Quicket.
Good to know: It's a working restaurant rather than a theatre, so food and drinks are served throughout, and your table is allocated automatically when you book.
Just Down the Road: GrandWest (Acacia Park)
Saturday, 17 Oct (18:00): Ne-Yo live at the Grand Arena. Tickets from R990 via Webtickets.
2. Art & Culture
What: Nothing Lasts, Except This, curated by MC Roodt.
When: Runs until Saturday, 24 October 2026 (weekdays and Saturday mornings).
Where: 10 Wellington Road, Durbanville.
Details: The third edition of this group show from the University of the Free State's Arts & Health programme brings together South African and international artists exploring care, health and survival. Free to visit.
3. Outdoor, Sport & Active Life
When: Tuesday, 27 – Saturday, 31 October 2026 | Play from 10:30.
Details: The third and final Test of the series, and the first time Australia have played a Test in South Africa since 2018. Day tickets are still on sale from R245 through Ticketpro, the official Cricket South Africa seller. If you want to catch some of the action, book soon rather than leaving it to the week of the match.
Before you go: No cooler boxes, glass, cans, alcohol or umbrellas are allowed inside the ground.
Durbanville parkrun at Meerendal:
When: Saturdays, 17 and 24 October | 08:00.
Details: The free, timed 5km at Meerendal Wine Estate. Walk, jog or run, and remember your barcode.
Durbanville Rose Garden:
Where: Drakenstein Road, Durbanville.
Details: Around 4,500 bushes across 3.5 hectares come into bloom from spring. It's also one of only three trial rose gardens in the Southern Hemisphere, where young varieties are grown and tested.
📅 Looking Ahead: Book Early
Schalk Bezuidenhout in Hey Hey Divorce at Die Boer: Friday 30 Oct (20:30), Saturday 31 Oct (14:00 & 20:30) and Sunday 1 Nov (14:00). R250, no under-14s. Bookings: 021 979 1911.
Village Square Market: Saturday, 31 October, 09:00 – 15:00 at The Village Square (corner of Oxford & Queen Streets).
Hillcrest Thrift Market: Held on the last weekend of each month at Hillcrest Estate, which this time is 31 October – 1 November. Check their Facebook page to confirm times.
Durbanville Gift Market: The annual gift market at the Kruiskerk (corner of St John's Way & Van Breda Street) usually opens around the end of October. 2026 dates haven't been announced yet; we'll share them as soon as they are.
📜 History Corner: The Gallery That Used to Be the Town Jail
If you pop into Rust-en-Vrede for this week's exhibition, take a moment to look at the building itself. It's one of Durbanville's oldest heritage buildings, and it has worn a remarkable number of hats.
Rust-en-Vrede was built in the 1840s, and over the years it has served as the prison, police headquarters, magistrate's court, a school and the town hall. Few buildings in the valley have seen quite as much of local life pass through their doors.
In 1984 it was declared a National Monument, and it has been an art gallery since that same year, a fitting new chapter. Today it houses three exhibition spaces, the only clay museum in the Western Cape, and hosts both the National Portrait Award and the South African Clay Awards.
Not bad for a building that once locked people up. The name, fittingly, means "rest and peace." 🕊️
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