Western Cape Province, South Africa Genealogy

Guide to Province of Western Cape family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

History
The Western Cape is a province, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces and the third most populated. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province.

Localities

 * List of cities and towns in Western Cape at Wikipedia

Cemeteries

 * Cemeteries in Western Cape, South Africa at Find A Grave

Dutch Reformed Church (NGK)

 * 1660-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1690-2011 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1838-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1848-1956 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

The following list contains the names of the parishes located in the Western Cape through 1900, and includes the names of the mother parish.

Others

 * 1801-2004 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Civil Registration
Births, marriages, and deaths began to be registered in 1895.


 * Western Cape Provincial Archives and Records Service
 * The Head
 * Postal address: Private Bag X9025, CAPE TOWN 8000
 * Street address: 72 Roeland Street, CAPE TOWN
 * Telephone: (021) 466 8100. Fax: (021) 465 2960
 * E-mail:
 * Archives@pgwc.gov.za  (for General Correspondence)
 * Records@pgwc.gov.za   (for Records Management enquiries)
 * Readroom@pgwc.gov.za (Reading Room Enquiries)
 * Outreach@pgwc.gov.za  (Outreach Activities)

Civil Registration Records
Online
 * 1792-1992: South Africa, Cape Province, Western Cape Archives Records, 1792-1992 at FamilySearch - index and images of church records, civil registration, probate estate files, slave records and immigration records for the Cape Province.
 * 1840-1972 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Probate Records
See here for a description of what probates are and where they are located.

Online Records
 * 1834-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1871-1937 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1951-1958 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Slave Records

 * 1762-1838 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Vital Records

 * 1895-1972 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1955-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images