[8] The Cape Times gained international prominence when it published an interview with the then banned leader of the African National Congress (ANC), Oliver Tambo in 1985.

The newspaper had decided to remove him following the publication of his interview with ANC leader, Oliver Tambo, almost two years prior, for which the paper was forced to pay a R300 admission-of-guilt fine for breaching the apartheid era Internal Security Act.

[17][18][19] On 16 April 2013 the Cape Times was cautioned by the Press Ombudsman "for untruthfully, inaccurately and unfairly suggesting that a poll showed that the majority of [Israeli] Jews believed that the Jewish state was practicing apartheid."

[29] In January 2015 the company and its director Iqbal Survé were accused of pro-African National Congress (ANC) political bias in how they operated Independent News and Media SA and its subsidiary newspapers such as the Cape Times.

[30] The accusations were first made by former Independent News columnist Max du Preez in his open resignation letter as reasons for his refusal to work for the company any longer.

[33] On 28 June 2016 The Press Ombudsman found "The Cape Times has repeatedly made this totally false allegation (stated as fact) on its front page over the course of several months, beginning in November last year.

"[34] In July 2016 the Cape Times was again ordered to issue a front-page apology to Premier Helen Zille, after making false allegations that she hired a spy.

Despite this, the newspaper has failed to comply with the previous order, as handed down by Judge Bernard Ngoepe, Chair of the Press Council's Appeals Panel.