The Old Mac Statue, Stellenbosch, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Old Mac Statue stands at 1 Andringa Street in central Stellenbosch, South Africa. It sits in the old town, among streets that go back to the early days of the Cape settlement, so it works well as a starting point for a walk through the historic centre.

The story behind it

The streets around the statue are older than most visitors expect. Dorp Street began as the wagon road of the Cape, a track worn into shape by wagons and carriages travelling between the Cape of Good Hope and Simon van der Stel's young settlement. Because it grew out of a working route, it was never laid out as a residential street in the first place.

Old maps show the first properties in Stellenbosch on Drostdy and Church Streets in 1686. Houses only began to appear along Dorp Street from about 1710. Over the following centuries the street collected a mix of styles, from Cape Dutch to Victorian, and it is lined with oak trees that helped earn Stellenbosch its nickname, the City of Oaks. Some of those trees are old enough to have been declared historical monuments.

What to look for

• The old oak trees along both sides of Dorp Street, which give the town its nickname and some of its best shade.
• The change of architecture from one building to the next, with Cape Dutch gables sitting close to Victorian houses.
• The Oude Leeskamer on the corner of Dorp and Drostdy Streets, one of the historic buildings on this stretch.
• The Saxenhof house, another example of the older buildings you pass as you walk the street.

Tips for your visit

• Allow a few minutes for the statue itself, and longer if you want to stroll Dorp Street and the neighbouring streets.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon, when the light is softer and the oak shade makes walking more pleasant.
• Stellenbosch town centre is compact, so you can easily combine the statue with Dorp, Drostdy and Church Streets on foot.
• Wear comfortable shoes, as the best way to appreciate the area is to keep walking and looking up at the buildings.

See it on a quest

Failed art heist in the City of Oaks, Stellenbosch. is a self-guided quest that takes you on foot through the town's historic streets, with the statue area as one stop on a longer route. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the buildings and trees rather than walk past them. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.