November 2026

Places of interest within 20 minutes from home (2)

We are now at our second post of this fun series where we explore places of interest close to our home. Today we’re taking you to Philadelphia. No, not Philadelphia in the USA (that definitely wouldn’t take us 20 minutes to drive there – more likely 20 hours by plane).

Philadelphia

Logistics:

  • From home: 15km/9.3 miles (14-minute drive)
  • From Cape Town: 40km/24.8 miles (33-minute drive)

The tiny village of Philadelphia was established in 1863 when a local farmer donated a portion of his land to the church (which, by the way, is still standing). According to sources, the name is of biblical origin and means ‘brotherly love’ in Greek.

Philadelphia (in South Africa)

At the entrance of the village

Because Philadelphia is located in the countryside and surrounded by wheat farms and canola fields, it’s a lovely drive to get there. The road is tarred up to the village, so there’s no need for 4×4 vehicles – car, ‘bakkie’, motorcycle (or even a bicycle if you’re feeling energetic) will work perfectly.

Philadelphia is known for its art galleries, craft shops, and of course for their quirky restaurant, Pepper Tree. And because we didn’t have breakfast at home, Pepper Tree was our first stop.

Pepper Tree Art Stable & Coffee Shop

Entrance at Pepper Tree

Pepper Tree is a very popular restaurant, especially during Sunday lunch (it would be wise to book a table in advance). Luckily, we showed up early for breakfast, so we could choose between the awning or the tables under the beautiful pepper trees.

Seating areas at Pepper Tree

Lovely old tables and chairs

The buildings are pretty old – some probably date back to the late 1800s when Philadelphia was founded. The lady in the little shop at Pepper Tree told us that the building where the kitchen and shop are now, used to be the old stables where horses and cows were kept. The old wooden building, also on the property, was the farmer’s house.

This wooden building used to be the farmer’s house

The shop used to be stables for horses and cows

I’m sure you all want to see what’s for sale inside the little shop at Pepper Tree. Fresh fruit and veggies, a variety of coffee and Rooibos tea, homemade jam, nuts and cookies, and raw honey – just to name a few. And guess what? They also have that delicious chocolate we told you about in our previous post when we visited Meerendal Wine Estate. I’m doing a happy dance right now!

Inside the shop

Fruit & Vegetables, honey and Rooibos tea

Cocoafair products – chocolate heaven all over again

Of course, we didn’t walk out empty-handed. There are quite a few paintings on the walls and doors, as well as a bookshelf with second-hand books that are also for sale. Make sure you bring not just enough money for a meal, but also to buy something nice at the shop.

Second-hand books for sale

But let’s go back to the reason why we actually came to Pepper Tree – breakfast. Berto chose ‘Roosterkoek’ (traditional South African bread roll) with tomato ‘smoor’ (relish), mushrooms, pesto, and fried eggs along with ‘boerewors’ (sausage). For a change, I went for a vegan option and I have to admit, the lentil pancake with mushrooms, spinach, cucumber, hummus, and avocado was really tasty.

Breakfast was a winner

There are several bird feeders and a water fountain at Pepper Tree, and it was nice to watch the birds while we enjoyed our food.

Weavers at one of the bird feeders

After we had breakfast, we walked to the gift shop next to Pepper Tree. The charming shop, called Karma Chameleon, was once the old Post Office of Philadelphia. There are several little rooms inside with all sorts of stuff – quite a nice place to buy a gift or two to take home with you.

The old Post Office is now a gift shop

Across from the Post Office, there’s another cute shop, Magic Minerals, which used to be Philadelphia’s general store. Here you’ll find minerals, crystals, and gemstones from all over Southern Africa. There are also beautiful scarves and succulents in small pots. ‘Oh Ladies, hold on to your wallets!’

Magic Minerals

It’s always good to take a stroll after a meal, and with Philadelphia being so small, it’s easy to explore the whole town on foot in just a short time. There’s such a laid-back atmosphere, and since most of the buildings have survived since Philadelphia was founded, the residents have managed to maintain its charming character.

Old houses

Colour flowers and potplant holders

We saw a beautiful building called ‘De Dapper Huys’, which, after a bit of research, turns out to be a guesthouse. It’s a restored 160-year-old farmhouse, and besides a few rooms, there’s a restaurant, bar, and coffee shop on the premises. It was unfortunately closed on our early morning visit, but I’m pretty sure there must also be some kind of shop in the front, because I could see a sign in the window with the word ‘sale’ on it.

De Dapper Huys (guesthouse in Philadelphia)

We also saw three vintage cars at one of the houses. It seems quite fitting to see these vehicles in a town where it feels like time has stood still.

Vintage cars

There was one last building we really wanted to see – the church around which the whole village was centred. But on the way there, I first had to stop to admire beautiful bougainvillea.

Bright and beautiful bougainvillea

The Dutch Reformed Church was built from 1858 and completed in 1864. It was enlarged in 1911 and declared as a National Monument in September 1973.

Dutch Reformed Church in Philadelphia

The quaint town of Philadelphia is the perfect getaway, free from traffic lights and the chaos of the city. If you need to unwind and enjoy a good meal, then this is the place to visit.