Like the rest of Cape Town’s southern suburbs, its electorate were generally English-speaking and wealthy; however, they tended to be slightly more politically conservative than their neighbours.

The first MP for Simonstown, Lewis Charles Gay, had previously represented South Peninsula since 1949, and held the seat until 1966.

Wiley became the only native English-speaker in P. W. Botha's cabinet, serving from 1982 until his death by gunshot (most likely self-inflicted) in the run-up to the 1987 general election.

The Nationals held Simonstown by a hair’s breadth, but in 1989, the Democratic Party retook the seat for the liberal opposition.

Its last member, Jannie Momberg, was expelled from the DP in 1992 and joined the African National Congress, continuing to represent Simonstown as an independent until the seat’s abolition in 1994.