Western Cape

The cave landscapes of the Western Cape are shaped by the region’s geology, with the dominant structural feature being the Cape Fold Belt. These mountains are composed primarily of quartzitic sandstone from the Table Mountain Group—a lithology characterized by its hardness and chemical resistance. Because quartzitic sandstone is largely insoluble under normal surface conditions, the number of solution caves on the Cape Peninsula are unusual. The largest caves on the Cape Peninsula are the Wynberg Caves, which are not solution caves but are mechanically formed fissures and fractures within the rock mass.

Moving eastward along the southern coastline, the geological context changes significantly. From Gansbaai to Cape Infanta, calcareous deposits become increasingly prominent. In areas such as the De Hoop Nature Reserve, a relatively thin veneer of young limestone overlies the more resistant sandstone substrate. This juxtaposition of soluble and insoluble lithologies creates conditions conducive to both solutional and erosional cave formation. The limestone supports the development of small karstic cavities through dissolution, while the exposed coastal sandstones are sculpted by wave action into sea caves.

Further inland, the most extensive cave systems in the province occur within well-developed limestone belts. The best-known example is the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn. These caves are part of a broader karst system formed within thick carbonate sequences, where prolonged dissolution has produced large chambers, dripstone formations, and complex subterranean networks. Numerous additional caves occur within this same limestone belt, highlighting the strong geological control that rock type exerts on cave development across the Western Cape.

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