Evita se Perron in Darling: A Quirky and Iconic South African Must-Visit Near Cape Town

Evita Bezuidenhout is a South African icon and her home, Evita se Perron in Darling, is not a place you visit when you happen to be travelling up the West Coast, it’s part of the reason you go there in the first place. Located just an hour north of Cape Town, not only is it quirky and offbeat, unusual and amusing (all of the things we love here at The Sharonicles), but it honours an important part of South Africa’s cultural and political history. 

It’s basically a history museum, theatre (if you make it for a show), cat cafe and quirky art gallery in one with inexpensive rusks and the most awesome bathroom cubicle ever!

Here’s why this converted railway station in a random small town is worth the visit: 

Who is Tannie Evita (Aunty Evita) or Evita Bezuidenhout?

Before I launch into why you should go here, I should acknowledge that a lot of my readers are foreigners and may not know the genius of Tannie Evita. 

Evita Bezuidenhout is a character created by Pieter-Dirk Uys, a legendary South African satirist and drag performer. This fictional personality who rose to prominence during the Apartheid era is known for her flamboyant style and outrageous outfits, behind which she delivers sharp-witted commentary to critique apartheid, corruption and societal issues in South Africa. She leaves no political party or leader spared and South Africans love her for it! Her brilliance afforded her the opportunity to meet many prominent political figures, including Nelson Mandela many times. (As evident in some of the many photos that line the walls.)

What is Evita se Perron?

In 1996, Pieter-Dirk Uys converted an old disused railway station in the town of Darling into Evita se Perron. Apart from playing off Evita Peron, the famous former first lady of Argentina, the name is a clever play on words: "perron" meaning "platform" in Afrikaans, referring both to a railway platform and a political platform. (I had to google that - my Afrikaans is not that good!)

Experiencing Evita se Perron

What we expected:

I don’t know how I first came to hear about Evita se Perron but as someone who has always had an appreciation for the offbeat and quirky, as well the work of Pieter-Dirk Uys, it had been on my South African bucket list for a while. 

When I was given a writing assignment up the West Coast and I saw that Darling wasn’t too far off our route, I knew we had to go. By “We” I mean my mother and I. I knew this was the kind of thing she would love, even though she didn’t seem to think so at first. She had been told by a friend that it was really expensive and not worth it. 

Granted, we didn’t go to an actual performance here or dine in the restaurant (which is not to say those things are expensive — I genuinely don’t know), but I wasn’t going to let that put me off. 

What we experienced:

As someone who admires basically anything kitsch (I mean, the mascot of this blog is a plastic lawn flamingo that was purchased in a supermarket in Alabama in 2010 and has since been 54 countries because I love it so much), when we pulled up to a Barbie pink wagon wheel fence, I was tickled the very same colour! It is awesome! (For my international readers, wagon wheel fences and letterboxes shaped like barrels are a unique brand of distinctly South African kitsch that I personally find very nostalgic and exciting.) 

The trip was already worth it before we entered the property!

The Museum /"Nauseam" 

As we entered Evita se Perron, our first introduction was the museum/ “Nauseam”. It houses a collection of apartheid-era artefacts and memorabilia. It offers visitors a chance to reflect on the country's history through a display of signs, photographs and other significant items. It's a space where humour and history intertwine in a uniquely South African and thought-provoking way. 

The Theatre/Cafe

Despite my mom’s source of information saying that this place was overpriced, the opposite was true. They had a R50 rusk and cookie-tasting special that included three rusks (a type of hard Afrikaans biscuit), two cookies and a cup of tea or coffee. Instead of the special, we opted for koeksisters (an Afrikaans pastry that’s a bit like a braided deep-fried doughnut dipped in syrup that makes my mouth water just writing about it) and tea. (And it all came to about R60 for both of us!)

We had our koeksisters in the theatre space. This intimate performance venue and dinner theatre continues to host performances by Pieter-Dirk Uys and other invited guests. The walls of the entire room, stage included, are lined from floor to ceiling with pictures of Evita. From multiple photographs of her with Nelson Mandela to images of her that parody iconic works of art, it’s like a theatre space and an art gallery in one. 

If the artwork wasn’t entertainment enough (and it was!), a TV screen in the corner showed a performance by Evita to remind you of her greatness and the reason you came.  …And there are napkins available for when you laugh your tea out your nose. 

Boerassic Park

After your tea, if you wander outside, there’s more: Boerassic Park is an outdoor garden filled with satirical statues and installations poking fun at South African political figures. I have to confess I should probably brush up on my South African history to get all the jokes but I was very amused by the ones I did get. 

Darling Sweet

Before hitting the road again, we stopped at Darling Sweet, a handcrafted toffee shop on the property. Here, they make and sell old-fashioned handcrafted toffees and soft caramel made with real butter from the town. Flavours include Tannie Evita’s Classic, Honey & Salt, Chocolate, Orange & Cranberry, Coffee, Liquorice, Mint, Bird’s Eye Chili, Rooibos Chai and Ginger Snap.

Other things we like about Evita se Perron

• It doubles as a cat cafe: We didn’t meet Evita but I’m pretty sure we met her cats and they were VERY friendly. 

• It's a bird sanctuary - for rubber ducks!

(...and the occasional visiting lawn flamingo)

• This holographic picture of Nelson Mandela blew my mind - if anyone knows where I can get one, please let me know?

(You can see two different pictures of Nelson Mandela from different angles.)

• And finally, there is a bathroom entirely dedicated to the Voortrekker Monument and it is epic! If that’s not reason enough to go, I don’t know what is. (Pun intended)

Evita Se Perron is a coffee shop, museum, sculpture garden, sweet shop, theatre, restaurant and tribute to an absolute legend all rolled into one.  Pieter-Dirk Uys has created a career where he uses comedy to help people process the country's complicated history while pointing toward a more hopeful future, and Evita se Perron is an extension of that. It’s whimsical and amusing but also thought-provoking. And there’s toffee!

Next time we visit, we hope it will be for one of her performances but either way, we’ll be back! Yes, 'we', my mom loved it!

Plan Your Visit:

Opening Hours:

Evita se Perron is open seven days a week: 10:00 to 16:00. Entrance is free. 

Theatre Performances:

For more information on upcoming shows and events, check out their official website or social media.

Rusk & Cookie Pairing:

- They offer a R50 rusk and cookie pairing that includes three rusks, two cookies and a cup of tea or coffee. (Correct at time of posting and subject to change.)

Getting There:

Evita se Perron is located at 8 Arcadia Street in Darling, Western Cape, about 1 hour north of Cape Town (traffic dependent).

• For more West Coast road trip inspiration, read this.
• And for other quirky things to do in (or near) Cape Town, read this.