DISCOVER NAPIER
Did You Know?
DID YOU KNOW?
Napier at a Glance
The southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, is just 45 km from Napier.
The peaceful village atmosphere of Napier is just a two-hour drive from Cape Town.
More than half of South Africa’s Blue Crane population is found in the Overberg. Sightings around Napier are common.
LOCAL LANDMARKS & WILDLIFE
Unique Stories From Napier
Premier Birdwatching Region
The Overberg is one of South Africa’s premier birdwatching regions, with spectacular sightings throughout the year.
Napier local, Steve Bailey offers birding experiences. You are very likely to spot a Secretary bird striding through the fields around Napier. The Overberg is also home to the endangered Cape Vulture, one of Africa’s largest birds.
One of the Largest
Napier is home to one of the largest vertical sundials in the Southern Hemisphere. Danie Du Toit, the designer of the vertical sundial, was entirely self-taught and spent 18 months measuring the sun’s path to get the timing correct.
Klippedrift
Before Napier was called Napier it was known as Klippedrift.
NATURAL HERITAGE
At the Heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom
Napier is located in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest in the world, but the richest, with over 9,000 plant species. Seventy percent of these plant species are found nowhere else in the world.
Napier’s surrounds contain fynbos, renosterveld and strandveld. The Overberg is home to some of the largest remaining fragments of renosterveld in the world.
Renosterveld is one of the most endangered ecosystems on Earth, with less than 5% of its original extent remaining. Yet more than 50 different plant species can be found in just one square metre of healthy renosterveld, and the critically endangered Black Harrier still breeds in pockets of this type of flora.
LOCAL LIFE
Wine, Sport & Creativity
Two Local Wines
Napier has two wines of origin with their grapes grown right here in the village: Fortes Family Wine and Skipskop Wines.
Since 1978
The annual Voet van Afrika 21 km and 42.2 km marathons, established in 1978, start in Napier.
A Community of Poets
Napier has a thriving community of poets who have self-published a collection of their works.
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More Surprising Facts About Napier
30 Minutes
If you drive for 30 minutes from Napier, you can be jumping into the ocean at Arniston.
37,000+ Books
Blue House Bookshop in Napier has a collection of over 33,000 pre-owned books.
View on the Shop pageStill Functioning
Napier still has a functioning lei water system which feeds about 40 properties.
NATURE & HERITAGE
Wetlands and Historic Napier
Two Ramsar Sites Nearby
There are two Ramsar wetland sites within an hour’s drive from Napier: De Hoop and De Mond.
From Church Land to Municipality
Napier and all its land originally belonged to the church, and it was only sold to the government in 1937. Napier became a municipality in 1938.
The Feeshuis
The oldest property in Napier is considered to be the Feeshuis next to the church.
PEOPLE & PLACES
Stories From Napier’s Past
164 Heritage Properties
Napier has 164 heritage properties listed on its inventory, including the main church and Feeshuis, and the old Verendigde Gereformeerde Church in Volhou Street.
Born in Napier
Wilma Stockenström, well-known Afrikaans writer and poet, was born in Napier.
A Village Cinema
Napier once had a bioscope located in the Newmark business complex on Van der Bijl Street, between Hoog and Sarel Cilliers Streets.
A SHARED NAME
A Tale of Two Napiers
Napier was named after Sir George Napier, who was Governor of the Cape at the time. Napier in New Zealand was named after Sir Charles Napier, his brother.
In the early 1900s, the mayor of Napier in New Zealand visited Napier, South Africa, and gifted Norfolk pine saplings as a symbol of friendship. One of these original pine saplings is still growing near the municipal buildings in Napier.
A living symbol of friendship between two towns sharing the same name.
DISCOVER MORE
There’s More to Napier Than Meets the Eye
From remarkable natural heritage and historic buildings to local creativity, village traditions and unexpected stories, Napier is a place worth exploring slowly.