Area Profile Green Point and De Waterkant

Green Point and De Waterkant: A Complete Commercial Property Guide

Green Point and De Waterkant occupy a unique position in Cape Town's commercial property market. They are inner-city nodes with direct CBD proximity, but they have a character and energy that is entirely distinct from the formal corporate environment of the Foreshore or the Financial District. The streets are walkable, the amenity is dense and varied, the buildings range from converted Victorian terraces to modern A-grade commercial developments, and the daily environment is one of the most active and engaging of any commercial address in the city. This guide gives you a factual view of both areas, their geography, their building stock, their commercial precincts, their market conditions and what to expect whether you are leasing, buying or investing here.

Location and Geographic Boundaries

Green Point sits immediately northwest of the Cape Town CBD, bordered by the Foreshore to the east, Sea Point to the west, Signal Hill to the north and the Atlantic Seaboard waterfront to the south. De Waterkant occupies the southeastern corner of Green Point, sitting directly on the boundary with the CBD along the Somerset Road and Buitenkant Street corridors. The CBD is a three-minute drive from Green Point, the V&A Waterfront is within walking distance, and Cape Town International Airport is approximately 20 minutes away.

The MyCiTi bus network serves Somerset Road, connecting Green Point and De Waterkant directly to the CBD, the V&A Waterfront, the Foreshore and the Atlantic Seaboard. The De Waterkant building on Somerset Road is on the MyCiTi bus route, as are several other commercial buildings along the main corridor, giving businesses direct rapid transit access to the broader inner-city network. For businesses whose staff commute from the CBD, the Foreshore or Sea Point, this public transport connectivity reduces the practical distance between Green Point and the city's other commercial nodes.

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The Two Commercial Precincts

Green Point and De Waterkant divide naturally into two overlapping commercial environments, each with its own character and tenant profile.

De Waterkant is the denser, more boutique commercial precinct and the one with the strongest brand recognition in the market. It occupies the cobblestoned streets and converted Victorian terraces around Somerset Road, Loader Street and Chiappini Street, and its character is shaped as much by its residential heritage as by its commercial present. The result is a commercial environment that feels genuinely distinctive,  you are as likely to pass a gallery, a coffee roaster or a design studio as a law firm or a tech office, and that mix is part of what attracts the creative and professional services businesses that cluster here. The De Waterkant Centre, the Cape Quarter and buildings along Somerset Road form the commercial spine of the precinct, attracting advertising, media, technology and professional services businesses alongside corporate and legal firms

Green Point proper extends westward along Somerset Road and the streets running off it toward the stadium and Sea Point. The commercial character here is more varied — a mix of modern A-grade office buildings, converted residential and mixed-use developments, and ground-floor retail and hospitality along Main Road and Somerset Road. The Green Point Urban Park and the Cape Town Stadium sit at the western end of the commercial corridor and provide open space and amenity that is unusual for an inner-city commercial address of this density. Green Point is described as the Soho of Cape Town, a reference to its combination of residential energy, creative commercial tenancy, active street life and premium address quality that attracts businesses who want their environment to say something about their brand.

Key Buildings and Commercial Addresses

The De Waterkant Centre on Somerset Road is one of the node's most established and recognised commercial addresses, offering modern A-grade office and retail space with 24-hour security, parking, strong views and a vibrant retail component at street level. It suits corporate and professional firms as well as advertising, media and creative businesses, and its Somerset Road position gives it direct MyCiTi bus access and walking-distance connectivity to both the CBD and the V&A Waterfront.

Sovereign Quay at 32 Somerset Road is a recently fully renovated low-rise commercial development offering a wide assortment of creative office suites across three A-grade floors. It provides lift access via two separate foyers, full access control with regular security patrols, fibre connectivity and reserved parking. 

The Cape Quarter at 27 Somerset Road is a mixed-use landmark development in De Waterkant, combining sophisticated urban office space with a curated retail precinct, award-winning food retail, restaurants and coffee shops, ample secure underground parking and 24-hour security. The building is consistently occupied by blue-chip companies and vacancies are rarely available, reflecting the premium demand that the address generates

Hill House at 42 De Smidt Street offers premium A-grade offices at R230 per square metre including a private balconies, in the heart of the De Waterkant precinct. The building is positioned at the quieter, more residential end of De Waterkant and suits professional services firms and technology businesses that want a prestigious address in a calmer immediate environment without sacrificing the node's walkable amenity.

Key Industries and Major Tenants

Green Point and De Waterkant attract a specific and consistent type of business. Creative agencies, digital marketing firms, technology companies, media businesses, architecture and design studios, advertising firms and production houses are the most active tenant categories in the node. Professional services firms, financial advisors, wealth managers, attorneys and consulting businesses,  are also well represented, drawn by the premium address quality and the proximity to high-net-worth clients in the surrounding Atlantic Seaboard residential market.

Transport and Connectivity

The MyCiTi bus network operates along Somerset Road and connects Green Point and De Waterkant directly to the CBD, the V&A Waterfront and the broader inner-city transit network. Several major commercial buildings in the node are directly on the MyCiTi route, giving tenants and their staff rapid transit access without private vehicle use. Minibus taxis and metered cabs provide supplementary transport across the area.

For private vehicle access, Somerset Road and the De Waal Drive connection to the M3 give the area multi-directional road access to the CBD, the Southern Suburbs and the Atlantic Seaboard. The N1 and N2 are both accessible within approximately five minutes via the Foreshore interchange. Parking within the node is available at several buildings through basement and structured facilities, though street parking in the denser parts of De Waterkant is limited and visitor access is best managed through the structured parking at the Cape Quarter and other major buildings.

Urban Character and Amenity

Green Point and De Waterkant offer one of Cape Town's most active and varied daily working environments. The Cape Quarter, the Old Biscuit Mill connection and the concentration of independent restaurants and coffee shops along Somerset Road and Loader Street give businesses in the node access to client entertainment, casual meetings and daily dining without leaving the immediate precinct. The Green Point Urban Park provides green space, a running track and public open space within a few minutes' walk of most commercial buildings in the area. Cape Town Stadium, which hosts major events, concerts and football fixtures, sits at the western boundary of the commercial node and brings periodic foot traffic surges that benefit the area's retail and hospitality businesses.

Content accurate as at June 2026. Market data sourced from publicly available commercial property research.