One of Cape Town’s lesser-known but most significant maritime landmarks is officially back in action at the V&A Waterfront.
After years of limited access and gradual decline, the Time Ball Tower has reopened.
The restored tower returned to service on Thursday, 13 November 2025, and brings a piece of 19th-century navigation history back into the public eye.
V&A Waterfront’s Time Ball drops again
Built in 1894, the Time Ball Tower once played a vital role in helping ships navigate safely before the invention of GPS and radio time signals.
Every day at 13:00, a large ball would drop from the top of its mast, giving mariners in Table Bay a precise time reading to recalibrate their chronometers.
The practice actually dates back to 1836, and the system was moved when city development obstructed its original visibility from the harbour.
After falling into disrepair, the tower has now undergone a detailed restoration by heritage architects and engineers. The project revived the structure’s original look and restored the time-ball mechanism so visitors can once again see it in action.
V&A Waterfront CEO David Green said that the revived tower strengthens the district’s cultural appeal, noting that the restoration “deepens the cultural and tourism offering of the city’s historic harbour precinct.”
Where to find it and when to watch the drop
The Time Ball Tower sits beside the Dock House Boutique Hotel, above the Ulundi parking garage, and is free to visit.
The time-ball drop now takes place twice weekly:
- On Mondays at 13:00
- And on Thursdays at 13:00
The ball is manually raised at 12:55, giving onlookers a brief but memorable look at how sailors once kept time with pinpoint accuracy.
