Tokai, Cape Town

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Tokai, a large residential suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, is situated on the foothills of the Constantiaberg, ( a large whaleback shaped mountain in the Table Mountain range) and is bordered by, Steenberg and Kirstenhof to the South, Bergvliet to the East, Constantia to the North and the SAFCOL pine tree plantations against the mountain to the West.

[edit] History

Tokai, named after Tokaj, a range of hills in Hungary, was originally an open area with various wine farms and smallholdings. Today, though most of the wine farms are no longer there, there are still a few old Cape Dutch houses like those found in Constantia. The suburb was built in the late 1940s, and was built quickly because of the urgent need for housing for South African soldiers returning from World War II.

[edit] Scenery and Surroundings

Tokai is a beautiful, leafy suburb, and boasts fine views of Table Mountain and Constantiaberg.

Nearby, is the Pollsmoor Prison, where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were incarcerated by the Apartheid regime.It should be noted that Mandela was there for four years (1984 to 1988) after his transfer from Robben Island, before moving on to Victor Verster Prison until his release in 1991.

Some of Tokai's roads are paved with red brick, making the suburb even more quaint. Streams run through Tokai and the pine plantations, forming green belts where various bird, frog, and insect species make their home. These green belts also provide areas for recreation including walking, cycling and dog walking.

The suburb has in the past years undergone much development, but at the moment, there is little being done to expand the suburb or build new houses.