A settlement reached on who would become the official owner of a fresh spring water fountain, was what determined the peaceful agreement that led to the naming of this West Coast town.
Now firmly placed on Cape maps, Vredenburg is also known as ‘the hub’ among locals and neighbouring areas, all delighted with the positive impact seen from its latest addition, the multi million rand West Coast Mall that measures a total of 40 000m2.
Vredenburg’s central location, parallel to the N7 on the R27, just 12km from Saldanha Bay and 138km north of Cape Town, has become the centre from where farmers and businesses in the region conduct business and the transportation of different commodities. Not only does this town service the local community but also those from further outlying areas employed at local fish factories, banks, retail facilities, and hospitals. The town also boasts as many as four primary and two high schools, predominantly catering for the local Afrikaans speaking community, and at least two schools where dual medium tuition takes place.
Vredenburg is located within close proximity from the industrial and commercial centres of Saldanha Bay just 12 km away, housing the iron industry as well as the SA Military Academy and the SAS Saldanha naval training unit. A member of the Saldanha Municipality within the Swartland region, the town of Vredenburg is also home to employees in the agricultural sector in further outlying areas in the region.
Local property professional and Franchisee Raylene Fredericks of Rawson Properties, one of six agencies in Vredenburg, says what is most in demand here are three bedroom freehold properties ranging between R600 000 to R750 000. Lightstone also shows current freehold average municipal values as R770 000, comparing favourably with the Cederberg municipality town of Lambertsbay’s freehold prices of R768 000, and R751 000 at St Helena Bay. Fredericks says that since the opening of the West Coast Mall about three years ago, a marked upturn in the property industry in Vredenburg has been seen, with a definite increase in sales of freehold properties. A positive impact has also been noted on holiday rentals of properties both here and in Saldanha Bay, with most popular average monthly rentals falling just below R4 000. She says that new buyers in Vredendal search for freestanding properties with larger plots that offer the potential of house extensions in the future.
The Cape West Coast region is a fine combination of a magnificent coastline within close proximity of some of the Cape’s most spectacular mountain ranges and nature reserves. Be it wildflower or whale season, residents in Vredenburg have much to explore in neighbouring coastal towns such as Aurora, St Helena Bay, Britannia Bay, Grotto Bay, Hopefield and Elandsbay northwards toward the border at Touwsriver.
Wild flower season in Vredenburg takes visitors and residents to nearby reserves such as the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve near Tietiesbaai and Paternoster, the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, West Coast Fossil Park, Postberg Flower Reserve near Langebaan, and the West Coast National Park.