Stellenbosch is a historical town with a colonial history that dates back to the 17th century. The town’s age is evident in its urban design, where an irregular grid emerged organically as the population grew, according to the Stellenbosch Heritage Foundation website. Narrow roads are further constricted by parallel parking bays, which often line both sides of the road. 

But Stellenbosch is also one of the most walkable cities in the country. So, why is it that residents stick to their cars?

Stellenbosch has a problem: Too many cars in the central business district (CBD), and too little physical space to accommodate most of them. This is a sentiment held by Dr Dave Pepler, ecologist and retired TV-personality. Pepler, now 75 years old, has been cycling since his childhood in the Karoo. More than half a century later, he sits down with SMF to discuss his lifelong love for cycling.

“For me, cycling is about freedom and environmental awareness,” says Pepler, who has lived in Stellenbosch since the 1970s. 

“In other words, when I ride home, I know who buys biryani, whose orange trees are blooming, where dangerous dogs are, and where I need to shout terrifying curses when people drive too close to me,” he says.

He is meeting with SMF at a café in the heart of Stellenbosch. A bicycle lock lies on the table next to a half-empty cortado. It’s a chilly Friday in August, and a leather jacket-clad Pepler is in no particular mood to hold back his opinions. 

“That is what irritates me intensely about Stellenbosch, because, remember, I’ve been living in the town since the first of May 1974,” he says. “[Stellenbosch locals] are bewitched by what is surface-level.”

Pepler, however, is captivated by real simplicity, such as the efficiency of a bicycle. It is the most effective means of transport on Earth, he says.

He also has a gripe with the town that he has called home since the 70s. 

“The only problem is that some people consciously try to run you over. You know, they feel fokkol. They actually aim for you,” he says, about commuting by bicycle.

“When you try to navigate through this town after four, on a normal weekday, with the university in session, I ride four times faster on my bicycle [than the cars stuck in traffic],” Pepler says. “The whole […] town is simply constipated and completely gridlocked with cars, each with just one person inside. It’s insane.”

“Stellenbosch definitely has a problem with congested roads and too little parking, due to an oversupply of vehicles in the town,” says Dawid Botha, chairperson of non-profit organisation Stellenbosch Cycling. 

Stellenbosch Cycling promotes cycling as a means of transportation, recreation and exercise amongst all communities in the greater Stellenbosch area, says Botha.

Cycling, as an alternative mode of transportation, might alleviate some of Stellenbosch’s traffic problems, says Roland Postma, managing director of the non-profit company (NPC) Young Urbanists South Africa. 

For the past few years, Postma and his NPC have been advocating for a change in how people navigate urban environments in South African cities.

“Young Urbanists is a South African civil society platform for open dialogue, engagement, and action to undo the spatial, social and environmental injustices left by apartheid city planning,” says Postma. He explains that they want to re-engineer existing neighbourhoods into inclusive, mixed-income neighbourhoods, which will be safe and vibrant public spaces.

In May 2025, Young Urbanists organised and hosted a meeting for Stellenbosch residents to discuss ideas to resolve traffic congestion. The meeting, aptly called ‘Stellenbosch is stuck’, saw participants discussing potential solutions ranging from formalised minibus schedules to safer walking and cycling infrastructures.

“Stellenbosch has both the policy tools and funding necessary to tackle congestion – the real challenge is collaboration and execution,” Postma says.

Young Urbanists is currently running its Bree Street Safe Passage pilot in Cape Town, together with the City of Cape Town. This barrier prevents cars from occupying the Bree Street cycling lane.

“These are the types of low-cost, high-impact measures Stellenbosch could adopt immediately, with measurable results,” says Postma. “If Cape Town can integrate these kinds of solutions into its mobility planning, Stellenbosch can too.”

It is important to note that these solutions are not hypothetical, but already exist within Stellenbosch’s own policy framework, according to Postma.

“What is deeply concerning is that, instead of fast-tracking these already-approved interventions, the municipality is advancing the controversial Eikestad parking garage proposal,” he claims.