The history of Oude Werf

South Africa’s oldest running hotel has stood on Church Street in Stellenbosch since 1802. For more than two centuries, Oude Werf has remained part of the rhythm of the town: rebuilt, restored, and continually lived in, while the world around it changed.

Today, Oude Werf remains woven into Stellenbosch life as an evolving space shaped by the people who pass through it every day.

1686: d’Oude Werf became part of early Stellenbosch

At the request of Simon van der Stel, founder of Stellenbosch, a modest thatch-roofed church known as “d’Oude Werf” (“The Old Yard”) was established on this site in 1686.

1710: Fire reshaped Stellenbosch, but the site endured

In 1710, the original church on the Oude Werf site was destroyed by fire and later deconsecrated. Like much of Stellenbosch during this period, Church Street evolved through rebuilding and adaptation. Today, parts of the original church foundations and graveyard remain preserved beneath the hotel, connecting the contemporary guest experience to the earliest layers of Stellenbosch history.

1802: Oude Werf first opened as an inn in Stellenbosch

In 1802, the Wium family established an inn on the site, creating what is now recognised as South Africa’s oldest running hotel. Mr. Wolfram (of Hesse-Cassel, Germany), the proprietor, ensured “amiable lodging for 3 Rix Dollars a day”, including local wine and food.

Less than a year later, another fire swept through Stellenbosch, destroying the inn and more than forty surrounding buildings along Church Street and the town centre. The hotel was rebuilt and continued operating through decades of change, establishing Oude Werf as a continuous part of Stellenbosch life.

1889: Home to some of Stellenbosch University’s first female students

Shortly after 1889, a second storey was added to Oude Werf in the Georgian style that still shapes parts of the building today. During this period, the hotel operated as a parlour boarding house for some of the first female students attending the fledgling Stellenbosch University.

1973: Restoring Oude Werf within a changing Stellenbosch

In 1973, owner Gerhard Lubbe undertook a major restoration of Oude Werf, carefully incorporating elements of the site’s historical foundations into the hotel. At the same time, Stellenbosch was evolving into one of South Africa’s leading wine, food, and university destinations.

2007–today: Oude Werf as a contemporary Stellenbosch landmark

Since 2007, Oude Werf has continued evolving under the stewardship of the Petousis family, and its legacy of intimate, personal hosting continues. Still today, we don’t believe in the anonymity of modern travel. We believe in the warmth of a home that has been rebuilt, refined, and loved for over two hundred years.