LGBT tourism in South Africa is a form of niche tourism marketed to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

) people who visit

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

is the most popular destination for LGBT tourists in South Africa and is regarded as the gay capital of Africa, hosting the

Cape Town Pride Cape Town Pride is an annual gay pride event ending with a pride parade held in Cape Town, South Africa. It usually runs from around the end of February and is a week of festivals, parties and other events. The first South African pride parade w ...

festival in February/March, the Mother City Queer Project in December, and the Out in Africa Film Festival in September/October every year. Other regional events include the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras in

Knysna Knysna () is a town with 76,150 inhabitants (2019 mid-year estimates) in the Western Cape province of South Africa. and is one of the destinations on the loosely defined Garden Route tourist route. It lies at 34° 2' 6.3168'' S and 23° 2' 47. ...

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

Cape Town

's popularity as an LGBT tourism destination within South Africa is due in large part to its natural beauty, white sandy beaches, mild climate and a strong post-apartheid culture of tolerance. The liberal, post 1994,

South African constitution The Constitution of South Africa is the supreme law of the Republic of South Africa. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, it sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the Govern ...

enshrines the rights of individuals regardless of race, sex, religion or sexual preference.

De Waterkant De Waterkant is a sub-district of the suburb of Green Point, Cape Town. The neighbourhood is adjacent to the central business district on the southeastern end of Somerset Road. On the south, it is neighboured by the historically coloured distri ...

, the area alongside the city centre en route to the

Cape Town Stadium The Cape Town Stadium ( af, Kaapstad-stadion; xh, Inkundla yezemidlalo yaseKapa) is an association football (soccer) and rugby union stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, that was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. During the planning stage, it wa ...

, is a

gay village A gay village is a geographical area with generally recognized boundaries that is inhabited or frequented by many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBT) people. Gay villages often contain a number of gay-oriented establish ...

with a high concentration of guest houses, hotels, pubs and clubs. The area is the epicentre of the

festival and a good place any time to watch the parade. Other attractions include the city's abundance of good restaurants and its close proximity to the winelands of the Boland and Constantia Valley.

References

{{LGBT in South Africa LGBT in South Africa *South Africa Tourism in South Africa

Cape Town

See also

References