South Africa, Cape Province, Western Cape Archives Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa Genealogy

Title in the Language of the Record
Suid-Afrika, Kaap Provinsie, Wes-Kaapse Argiewe Akten

What is in the Collection?
This collection will include various records from 1792 to 1992.

This collection has various records from the Western Cape Archives in Cape Town, South Africa. It includes the following: Birth, Marriage and Death Registrations, Probate Estate Files, Slave Records and Immigration Records. This collection is being published as images become available.

The records are in English, Afrikaans, and Dutch. For translation help, see the wiki articles Afrikaans Word List and Netherlands Language and Languages.

Collection Content
Marriage records may contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name and age of groom
 * Occupation of groom
 * Name and age of bride
 * Birthplace of each
 * Marital status of each
 * Residences of both bride and groom
 * Names of witnesses

Slave records may contain the following information:


 * Colony where transaction took place
 * Date of sale
 * Name of vendor
 * Name of purchaser
 * Amount paid
 * Number of slaves purchased
 * Sometimes, names and ages of slaves

Census records may contain the following information:


 * Names of family members
 * Number of males in household
 * Number of females in household

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search in these records, it would be helpful if you knew any of the following information:


 * Name of parents
 * Approximate year and place of birth
 * Name of ancestor
 * Name of ancestor's spouse
 * Approximate year and place of marriage
 * Approximate year and place of residence

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Town" ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" which will take you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

What Do I Do Next?

 * The age on the marriage record will help determine the year of birth
 * The place of residence or marriage will give you a clue on where to search for other vital records.
 * The census records may give you insight to other family members you did not previously know about.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * South African Genealogy
 * Genealogical Society of South Africa
 * South African Family History
 * South Africa Websites

South African Research Training
 * Part 1: Beginning South Africa Research
 * Part 2: South Africa National Archives
 * Part 3: South Africa FamilySearch Collections Online

Related Articles

 * South Africa Genealogy
 * South Africa Websites
 * South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records, Stellenbosch Archive (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection citation:

Image citation: