Cape Town is a Queer Beacon for Africa

by Paul Heney
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Fri May 2, 2025

When queer travelers look into Africa as a potential destination, many of them end up landing on Cape Town, the cosmopolitan city perched on the southern end of the continent. And for good reason — both the city and the country have been regional leaders on acceptance of (and protections for) LGBTQ people for decades.

The city, perched at the foot of dramatic Table Mountain, is so laid back and accepting that the historic gayborhood of De Waterkant isn’t quite what it used to be, with spaces like the popular Beefcakes having closed down. Mainstream acceptance and the mixed bars that come with that hurt gay clubs, and even some of those that survived were then taken out by Covid-19.

Still, there are some queer focused places still open, such as the new location for Crew Bar, which boasts everything from drag performances to karaoke to go-go boys on special nights. Plus, head upstairs to the club’s alter-ego, Kong, which usually boasts a slightly older crowd. Additional options are Pink Candy for a club vibe, Club Manhattan for food and drinks, and the adorable Honey & Dora (which is in the midst of a makeover and temporarily closed now).

The LGBTQ-owned Labotessa boutique hotel, right in the center city, is a perfect place for a welcoming, fashionable, and luxe stay. Or simply come for a meal—the Café & Terrace, with a Dutch sensibility and many flavors of South Africa, is open to the public and has become a popular mainstay for locals.

Owner and founder Johan du Plessis spent many years with Hyatt Hotels, learning the ins and outs of the business and opening more than 100 properties globally. Here, he’s focused on the privacy aspect of luxury; each of the seven stunning suites has private elevator access, so there are no public hallways to wander through. And everything is included, another hallmark of ultimate luxury. All suites face the city’s original square, still a bustling area near parks, museums, and churches.

Other hotels to consider in the metro area are The Winchester Hotel, an iconic property with a grand view of the ocean, Pullman Hotel City Centre, for a high-end business hotel vibe, Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa for a five-star luxury experience all around, or Erinvale Hotel & Spa, a more secluded escape, where you’ll be enchanted with the mountain views and many partner opportunities with neighboring vineyards. Winchester, Twelve Apostles, and Erinvale all feature excellent restaurants, allowing visitors to experience Cape Town’s elevated dining scene right at their front door.

While not queer-owned, Jeep Tours Cape Town is run by the dynamic Lizanne Gomes, a huge ally who employs several members of the queer community, both as drivers and guides. Many of her employees are female, and she’s a strong supporter of empowering women. The company’s variety of luxury tours are relatively inexpensive by U.S. standards, and involve lots of wine, food, off-roading, and constant spectacular views from the modern vehicles.

If you’re a foodie who loves to dig into what you’re about to eat, schedule a foraging experience with Food Jams. Here, you’ll learn how to safely gather everything from mushrooms to wild herbs, berries, and sea vegetables. Then celebrate with a communal meal, where you learn to cook with these hyper-local ingredients and enjoy the fruits of your labors!

Other Trending Areas

Both the Seychelles, off Africa’s east coast, and the Cape Verde Islands, off its west coast, are viewed as welcoming to queer travelers. Cape Verde, a growing cruise destination, legalized homosexuality in 2004, a relative trendsetter. And the Seychelles, a stunning archipelago of crystal-clear waters and dramatic granite formations, has several protections for queer people. Among them are recognition of same-sex relationships, legality of same-sex activity, and employment and hate crimes protections.

Greek cruise line Variety Cruises, a very queer-friendly company, has regular Seychelles sailings, an ideal way to see much of this accepting island nation.

Outside of these two, it can roughly be said that the further you move south from the Sahara, the more LGBTQ-friendly the countries get. Botswana, Namibia, and Mozambique, for example, are relatively safe places for queer travelers. Botswana’s high court struck down the country’s sodomy laws in 2019. Namibia threw out its own sodomy laws in 2024. And Mozambique has made sexual orientation discrimination in employment illegal back in 2007.

As with many places, there are countries and regions where safety is more an issue for queer residents than for queer travelers. But travelers should note that some of the world’s most anti-queer nations are located on the continent, such as Uganda, Somalia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, and Libya. Travelers should always practice caution and consult the most up-to-date conditions on sites such as Equaldex.

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