[4][5][6] Brackenfell used to be a rural area centred on a major road crossing during the earlier days of Cape Town, but today it is a well-known suburb located behind the 'boerewors gordyn' which translates to sausage curtain, meaning; people living in this area, braai (barbecue) boerewors very often.

In 1976, a large investment was made by retail giant, PicknPay when it opened a Hypermarket in Brackenfell which still stands today.

[11][12] Brackenfell is situated on the eastern boundary of the City of Cape Town, bordering the Stellenbosch Local Municipality and is neighboured by Bellville to the west, Kraaifontein to the east, Durbanville to the north and Kuilsrivier to the south.

[14] Africa’s largest supermarket retail chain, Shoprite-Checkers and its associated subsidiaries such as Freshmark and OK have their headquarters in Brackenfell.

Other notable organisations with head offices in Brackenfell include Food Lover's Market and Montagu Snacks.

[15][16] Brackenfell is an emerging industrial node in the Greater Cape Town metropolitan area, particularly sought-after by businesses involved in warehousing and distribution due its proximity to major freeways and the city centre.

The surrounding suburbs also host Brackenfell Corner, Glengarry Shopping Centre, and Boulevard Square.

The older section of the N1, now known as the R101 (Old Paarl Road), is the main thoroughfare through the Brackenfell CBD, passing from Bellville to Kraaifontein.

The Bracken Nature Reserve, situated in the Ruwari suburban area, was once a quarry site and was later declared a nature reserve after some negotiations between the Cape Town City Council and the Stellenbosch Divisional Council.