Simon's Town
Simon's Town is a naval base and harbour town located on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, about 40 km south of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The town serves as the headquarters of the South African Navy and houses the country's principal naval dockyard and fleet anchorage. Simon's Town has been a strategic naval facility since the eighteenth century, originally established by the Dutch East India Company and later developed extensively by the British Royal Navy as a key base for controlling the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope. The naval base includes dry docks, repair facilities, submarine berths and administrative buildings, and remains the operational hub for South Africa's maritime defence capabilities. The town itself has a population of around 7 000 and combines its military function with tourism, heritage conservation and a small fishing industry. Simon's Town is also known for the Boulders Beach penguin colony and its well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture. The facility plays a significant role in South Africa's defence posture and regional maritime security operations. Since 1957, when the Royal Navy transferred the base to South Africa, Simon's Town has been under the control of the South African National Defence Force.
Simon's Town Updates
The law is not always black and white, sometimes it's grey
6th February 2026 As humans we evolve and change over time. Perhaps not our character (as a leopard never changes it spots) but the things we like and the things we... →
SA’s naval-gazing reflects a deep defence and foreign policy disconnect
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 23rd January 2026 Exercise Will for Peace exposed a disjointed maritime approach that could cost the country dearly. Exercise Will for Peace, the multinational naval... →
ActionSA Requests Urgent Joint Defence Committee Probe into the SANDF’s Defiance of the President’s Orders
19th January 2026 ActionSA has written to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence requesting an urgent probe into troubling developments surrounding the reported... →
US accuses South Africa of cosying up to Iran with naval drills 
By: Bloomberg 16th January 2026 The US criticised South Africa for allowing Iran to participate in naval drills off the coast of Cape Town, after conflicting reports about the... →
Immediate answers needed as Iran warship confusion continues
14th January 2026 South Africans are entitled to clear answers about the role of foreign warships in Exercise Will for Peace 2026. Instead, what we have seen is... →
South Africa lauds US trade-pact benefits as Senate vote looms
By: Bloomberg 14th January 2026 South Africa’s government welcomed the approval of a US preferential-trade deal before a key vote in the Senate, where Pretoria has faced... →
Daily Podcast – January 08, 2026
By: Lumkile Nkomfe 8th January 2026 Making headlines: South Africa hosts Brics naval exercise, risks renewed US ire; Gauteng govt urges matriculants to use digital platform to access... →
South Africa hosts Brics naval exercise, risks renewed US ire
By: Bloomberg 8th January 2026 Warships from some members of the Brics group of developing nations gathered in Cape Town waters for a naval exercise that places host South Africa... →
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