| De Waterkant | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Western Cape#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -33.9153°N 18.4189°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Western Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | City of Cape Town |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 0.30 |
| Population Total: | 361 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 11.6% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 5.0% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 5.5% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 75.3% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 2.5% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | English |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 69.8% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 17.2% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Sotho |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 1.4% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 11.6% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 8001 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
De Waterkant is a historic suburb in Cape Town, South Africa, and is well-known for being Cape Town's gay village.[2]
The neighborhood is located in the City Bowl region of Cape Town, adjacent to the central business district (CBD) on the southeastern end of Somerset Road. To the south, it is neighbored by the historically Cape Malay neighborhood of Bo-Kaap.
It contains many vibrantly-colored buildings, lining its sometimes still cobbled streets. creating a very distinct and enjoyable atmosphere.[3]
De Waterkant is popular among young professionals and tourists, and contains numerous niche restaurants and retailers. The area is also home to the Cape Quarter shopping mall[4] and tertiary education institution Vega's Cape Town campus.[5]
De Waterkant is a gay village, and a neighborhood, destination, and tourist attraction, for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as those interested in supporting the community.
Cape Town is a historically very friendly and welcoming city for members of the community, and is known as the Gay Capital of Africa, being a popular LGBTQIA+ tourist destination.
De Waterkant contains Cape Town's first rainbow crosswalk, installed in 2022 to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as the Pink Route, which is a painted, pink line along the pavements of various streets in the area. The Route is a way for visitors to the suburb to take a guided walk around the area, taking them past numerous community-related establishments, in order to get to know it better.[6] [7]
The annual Cape Town Pride parade starts in De Waterkant, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a march to the Green Point Track grounds, for Pride-related festivities.