South Africa’s landscapes tell their own stories, but so do the buildings scattered along the way. Whether you’re rolling through the Karoo or sipping wine in the Cape, architecture is a kind of travel companion, quietly revealing how people lived, worked, and dreamed here.
These five styles, rooted in heritage yet alive on today’s travel routes, are worth keeping an eye out for on your next road trip.
1. Karoo Vernacular
Oude Dak, 237 Paul Street, Richmond/Andrew Hall/Wikimedia Commons
In the wide-open Karoo, homes were designed with practicality in mind. Builders relied on what was at hand: stone, mud brick, and lime plaster. The result is the Karoo vernacular, with its thick walls to keep interiors cool, small shuttered windows, and the famous stoep that doubles as a living room under the sky.
Take a walk through Graaff-Reinet or Richmond and you’ll see how these humble homes still line the streets. Sit on a stoep at sunrise, and you’ll understand why it remains the heart of Karoo life.
2. Victorian Karoo
Prince Albert Seven Arches/Suzi-k/Wikimedia Commons
As wealth flowed into the Karoo in the late 19th century, simple homes began to acquire decorative touches. Victorian influences crept in, the most recognisable being the cast-iron “broekie lace” that frames verandahs like delicate embroidery.
You’ll notice this softer, ornamental style in towns such as De Rust or Prince Albert, where lace-trimmed homes line the main street. They tell of an era when farmers added a touch of elegance to otherwise practical dwellings.
ALSO READ: Weekend escape: Heritage towns within 3 hours of major cities
3. Cape Dutch: The gabled classic
Franschhoek/South African Tourism from South Africa/Wikimedia Commons
Few styles are as instantly recognisable as Cape Dutch architecture. Think whitewashed walls, thatched roofs, and symmetrical layouts crowned with ornate gables. These homesteads flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly across the Cape winelands.
Driving through Stellenbosch, Paarl, or Swellendam, you’ll find estates where gables rise proudly against mountain backdrops. Each design carries influences from Europe yet feels rooted in the Cape landscape.
4. Cape Dutch Revival
Union Buildings, Pretoria/Davinci77/Wikimedia Commons
By the early 1900s, nostalgia gave rise to the Cape Dutch Revival. Architects such as Herbert Baker revived the gable but blended it with English country house proportions and modern comforts of the time.
You’ll spot these homes in parts of Cape Town, Johannesburg, and even on newer wine estates. They’re heritage with a twist, proof that South Africa’s love affair with the gable never quite ended.
5. Klein Karoo feather palaces
Oudtshoorn CP Nel Museum/Suzi-k/Wikimedia Commons
In Oudtshoorn and its surrounds, ostrich feathers brought dazzling wealth to a select few. The result? Feather Palaces: grand sandstone mansions influenced by Victorian, Neo-Renaissance, and even Art Nouveau design. Towers, turrets, and intricate details stand out against the arid plains.
Drive down Oudtshoorn’s Baron van Rheede Street and you’ll find these palatial homes still guarding the town’s flamboyant past. In contrast to the modest Karoo stoep, they show how architecture can also be a monument to boom-time extravagance.
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
ALSO READ: 8 heritage towns that are even better in spring
