Which African capital is the southernmost of all?

Cape Town is the southernmost national capital in Africa.

It lies on South Africa’s southwestern coast at about 33.9° south latitude, making it farther south than every other African capital. Its setting is especially distinctive: the city sits between Table Mountain, Table Bay, and the Cape Peninsula, near the meeting zone of the Atlantic Ocean’s Benguela and Agulhas currents.

Cape Town was founded in 1652 as a refreshment station for Dutch ships traveling between Europe and Asia. It later became a major colonial port and remains one of South Africa’s three national capitals, alongside Pretoria and Bloemfontein. Cape Town is the legislative capital, while Pretoria is the administrative capital and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

A common mix-up is assuming Pretoria is South Africa’s only capital, or confusing the southernmost capital with the southernmost point of mainland Africa. That point is Cape Agulhas, southeast of Cape Town, not the city itself.