Houtbaai (Dutch word meaning “Wood Bay”) was named by the Dutch settlers while they explored the bay behind Table Mountain. Its beautiful heavily wooded valley (comprised of many matured Yellow Wood trees) became the main source of timber for the building and repairs of ships and also for buildings such as the Castle of Good Hope. Protective mountains and a good fishing area surround Hout Bay. The fishing village of Hout Bay was probably established in about 1867 when a German immigrant, Jacob Trautmann, began to farm and fish in the area. The name Hout Bay dates back to 1653, and relates to the quantity of excellent timber, from the existing Yellow wood trees, which early Dutch settlers found to be growing in its ravines.

Kronendal was the first farm in Hout Bay established in the 1670s. The homestead is one of the oldest and only surviving example of the Cape Dutch typical H-plan architecture in the entire Cape Peninsula. The back section of the homestead was built in the early 1700s (which explains why the back gable carries the year 1713). The building was enlarged several decades later by Johannes Guilliam Van Helsdingen where 1800 appears on the front gable. The homestead changed ownership many times throughout the centuries and was declared a National Monument in 1961.

The First Phase of construction of the new whole school campus commenced in 2012, and the High School moved from its old location in Riverside Terrace to the site in December of 2013, opening its doors in January 2014.

Construction of Phase 2 commenced in 2014 and once completed, the Primary School (based for many years at Swan Cottage in Valley Road) finally moved in to share the new campus with the High School. And so, January 2015 saw for the first time in the history of Hout Bay International School both Primary and High School students housed under the same roof. The dream of a world class international school housed on one campus as one through school for students aged 3.5 – 18 years of age had finally come true.

With a continued commitment to see the campus realise its full potential, construction of Phase 3 commenced in 2017. This phase saw a new Junior Primary block being added to the existing phases complete with 8 additional classrooms, a purpose built play area for junior primary students and a canteen to provide meals to all our students.

Our already magnificent HBIS campus was further enhanced in 2019 with the completion of our custom-designed Early Years and Junior Primary building. In the same architectural design as the main building, the spacious, light-filled classrooms feature high pitched ceilings, large windows, en-suite bathrooms and the latest technology. The inner quadrangle is a wonderful space for outdoor play, which includes jungle gyms and a large sand pit. Included in the building is a Junior Hall, which is used for our weekly assemblies and a variety of functions.

We also were proud to launch our first Nursery classroom in July of 2019 – beautifully designed with furniture in natural tones and equipped with a multitude of toys and games.

The new stylishly-decorated canteen offers our students scrumptious lunches with a view of the beautiful surrounding mountains and rolling sports fields. Having lunch together is a highlight of the students’ day.

The futuristic Robotics Lab is a firm favourite of the Primary School students who cannot wait for their exciting lessons with the latest Apple technology and Lego Mindstorm kits.