CITYVIEWS June 2011
Photo: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town
YOUR FREE CAPE TOWN CENTRAL CITY PAPER
GOING PLACES
Cape Town as a
LIVEABLE CITY >> page 2
MyCiTi connects Great ways to walk the Table View to Table CBD Mountain >> page 8
CLEAN | SAFE | CAR I NG
>> page 4
Meet creative minds on new
City fashion route
>> page 6&7
2
about
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CityViews
June 2011
FROM TASSO
Making Cape Town a more liveable City
Tasso
10 principles for creating more sustainable cities in a publication called Our Cities Ourselves: 10 Principles for Transport in Urban Life Life. These principles show how all cities, from the richest to the poorest, can meet the challenges of rapid growth and climate change while also being competitive. In creating liveable cities, Gehl says transport must be integral to – and not separate from – urban design. These are the 10 principles of sustainable transport: 01
O
ne of the key visions driving the Cape Town Partnership and the Central City Improvement District is that of making Cape Town a more liveable City. What makes for a liveable City? The respected Danish urbanist and visionary Jan Gehl believes that 21st century cities should be “lively, safe, sustainable and healthy”. Gehl believes all these qualities can be achieved if certain principles are embraced. Gehl and Walter Hook, the executive director of the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), have set out
Walk the walk
Create great pedestrian environments. 02
Powered by people
Create a great environment for bicycles and other non-motorised vehicles.
safest manner, with minimal impact on communities. 06
07
Get on the bus
Provide great, cost-effective public transport. 04
Cruise control
Provide access for clean passenger vehicles at safe speeds and in significantly reduced numbers. 05
Deliver the goods
Service the city in the cleanest and
Fill it in
Build dense, people- and transitoriented urban districts that are desirable. 08
Get real
Preserve and enhance the local, natural, cultural, social and historical assets of a city. 09
Connect the blocks
Cities which are pleasant to walk and cycle through typically have large numbers of narrow, short streets, many intersections and small permeable buildings. 10
03
Mix it up
Mix people and activities, buildings and spaces.
Make it last
Build for the long term. Sustainable cities bridge generations. They are memorable, malleable, built from quality materials and well maintained. We at the CTP and CCID love these principles, as they touch on almost every value that we strive to live by. We believe strongly in building a liveable City for all
NEWSH FLAS
people – locals, investors, students, residents, daily commuters and visitors. The notion of a liveable city can and should, we believe, extend to all neighbourhoods – from the poorest to the wealthiest. Cities throughout the world face massive population growth, particularly in the developing world – and Cape Town is no
“All cities, from the richest to the poorest, can meet the challenges of rapid growth and climate change while also being competitive.”
Cape Town was voted the best destination in the 2011 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, ahead of Sydney.
CITYVIEWS Published by: The Central City Improvement District (CCID) For more info: Sue Segar: 021 419 1881 sues@capetownpartnership.co.za Website: www.capetowncid.co.za
– Tasso Evangelinos
exception. We are awake to this reality and are committed to using the liveable city principles to guide our ongoing urban regeneration efforts. This issue of City Views highlights just some of the progress that has been made towards transforming Cape Town into a more liveable City. Tasso Tasso Evangelinos is the COO of the CCID
Design: Infestation 021 461 8601
SAVE THESE NUMBERS ON YOUR PHONE CCID Security Manager: 082 453 2942 CCID Deputy Security Manager: 082 442 2112 CCID 24-hour number: 082 415 7127 SAPS Control Room: 021 467 8002 Social Department 082 563 4289
Fighting crime with science
The Central City Improvement District’s social development department recently received a welcome boost when Hotel Formula 1 on the Foreshore donated about R10 000 worth of second-hand linen for their use. Colin and Angela Drummond, managers of both the Foreshore and Parow branches of the hotel group, handed the linen over to CCID Social Development Fieldworker Dean Ramjoomia, just in time for the winter season. “We approached the CCID so that they could determine who could best benefit from this donation in the Central City. It includes blankets, towels, sheets, pillowcases, duvets and bed protectors,” Angela Drummond said in an interview with City Views, adding that there is very little wrong with the linen but that the hotel has high standards and regularly replaces items. “With this hotel being based in town, we wanted to help organisations in the Central City.”
The Drummond duo, as well as the hotel group, take their social responsibility programme seriously and have, for ten years, been donating regularly to an AIDS organisation, as well as taking part in Earth Day activities every year. The Drummonds’ relationship with the CCID goes back several years, when they met Ramjoomia at a precinct forum meeting and offered to train up individuals for employment at the hotel. Since then, through this association, six people have been trained for reception and housekeeping positions at the hotel. Ramjoomia said the donation is a welcome extension of the partnership the CCID has with businesses in the Central City: “It’s a great partnership which not only involves pointing out challenges, but which keeps people involved in the community.” “We try our best to take some kind of community responsibility. We urge all hotels to do the same,” said Drummond.
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
Winter warm-up
CCID security staff are often first on a crime scene in the CBD, but until recently didn’t have the necessary expertise to preserve DNA evidence. So that they might better assist the South African Police Service and help keep criminals off City streets, CCID officers underwent DNA training. Sponsored by the DNA Project, the training focused on how to preserve forensic evidence, and explained how DNA is being used to assist in criminal investigations. “With the ever-changing climate – of new by-laws, updates in technology and changes in criminal behaviour – it is vital that we not stagnate,” says CCID Security Manager Mo Hendricks. “I am a big believer in educating my staff as I cannot expect a person to succeed if I have not provided him with the tools to do so.”
SPEEDY RECOVERY Shopping trolleys and black bins are sometimes used by the City’s homeless for their personal belongings or as a makeshift shelter – but the loss of trolleys can cost retailers hundreds of thousands of Rands every year. Similarly, missing black bins count as stolen property, and can only be replaced by the City once a SAPS case number has been supplied, and a significant replacement fee covered. CCID security staff have retrieved nearly 50 trolleys to date, and have received small rewards from companies employed by
top retailers to assist in trolley recovery. These rewards then go to Straatwerk, a social development partner of the CCID and an organisation that helps the poor and homeless in Cape Town rebuild their lives. CCID staff also recover numerous bins weekly and return them to the nearest council depot. What is key is not just the recovery of these items, but also the manner in which the recovery is made: with dignity. Anyone found in possession of either a bin or a trolley is given a bag for any possessions they might be storing and no arrests are made.
June 2011
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3
Cap OP EN e To FO RB wn decen US INE b tralisa uck SS s tion tr As increasing numbers of end companies choose to be
here are many factors to consider when choosing the location for a corporate head office. According to decision-makers from prominent Cape Town companies, an important factor that contributed to their choice to be based in the CBD is its safety and cleanliness. “Cape Town is a key economic centre with great opportunities for growth and development, and the decision to locate our [regional] office in the Central City was not difficult,” says Selwyn Hockey, managing partner at the law firm Webber Wentzel. “It is an exciting place in which to do business. And in doing so, we contribute to the Central City’s economic development. “As an employer of a significant workforce, we believe it is important to create an environment in which our employees can excel,” continues Hockey. Webber Wentzel offers a fully catered café onsite, parking for all staff and a wellness programme that provides 24-hour access to counselling services, helping employees deal with work, personal, family, legal and financial issues. The company also recognises the importance of a work-play balance: “Our offices are adjacent to the
Selw
yn H
ocke y, We Cape Town Inbber Went ternational Convention zel Centre and this gives our staff easy access to many of the key events of the day,” hosted in the City, such as the Cape says Steven-Jennings, Town International Jazz Festival and and the made-over canteen now the Design Indaba.” serves halal food. “Only 11% of our “We are pleased to see the added staff is Muslim, but if we do not cavalue that big corporates are offer- ter to their needs, it means that they ing to their employees,” says Tasso Evangelinos, COO of the Central “Cape Town is City Improvement District. a key economic Craig Steven-Jennings, a partner at centre with great the auditing firm KPMG, says that over two-thirds of the 400-strong opportunities workforce in their Cape Town office for growth and is part of Generation Y, twenty- and development, and thirty-somethings known to have the decision to high expectations of their employlocate our office in ers. “Companies have to cater to the Central City was their needs or else lose their expernot difficult.” tise,” he says. – Selwyn Hockey, During a brainstorming session Webber Wentzel held at the end of 2010, KPMG employees identified 51 things they would like in the workplace – are excluded from the opportunity which included hand-cream in the of eating in the canteen.” ladies’ bathrooms, a new canteen In an effort to ensure good health service provider and good coffee. and to help decongest the City’s In response, KPMG has made some roads, KPMG encourages employkey changes: “Employees have ac- ees to cycle to work and make use cess to free filter coffee at any time of new Central City cycle lanes and
Leading business hotel opens in Cape Town Central City
The iconic Hilton Hotels & Resorts group has opened its first property in Cape Town – a 137-room hotel on the corner of Wale and Buitengracht streets, formerly owned by Coral International. Its opening is another show of confidence in Cape Town as a leading business destination. “Growing our footprint in South Africa is of strategic importance to us, and we are delighted to add
Hilton Cape Town City Centre to our Africa portfolio,” says Dave Horton, global head of Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “Cape Town is renowned for its natural beauty and metropolitan lifestyle and offers travellers a truly South African experience. We are excited to bring authentic Hilton hospitality to this great destination.” The hotel was rebranded after a four-month transformation
process, which included training staff in Hilton service standards, technology platforms and operations. Hilton Worldwide has a total of 26 hotels in Africa, with another 14 in the pipeline. The property is the company’s third in South Africa, but an important one: Horton says Cape Town is a destination which guests “have been asking for ... This hotel is very significant for us.”
the bike route along the West Coast. The company has installed showers for employees and many chairs at workstations have been replaced with exercise balls. Fresh water sources have been placed within ten steps of each worker to encourage the drinking of water, and vending machines with healthy foods such as snack bars and smoothies have been installed. Knowing that many of its employees like to take advantage of the Cape Town nightlife, KPMG also pays the membership fees for Good Fellas, a company that ensures employees and their cars are delivered safely to their homes after a night out. “The joy of being in the CBD is that one can be at the beach within a few minutes or enjoy any of the other attractions after work,” says StevenJennings. A place that facilitates the seamless integration of work and life is
Chinese banking on Cape Town In another show of confidence for Cape Town as a place of business, the China Construction Bank (one of China’s largest) and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) have joined up to finance the development of a 120room Park Inn by Radisson in Cape Town’s Foreshore. The demand for affordable accommodation is growing, driven by cost-conscious business travellers and the domestic travel market. But the strongest growth in the City’s hotel industry has been in the five-star segment, while the number of rooms in the three-star market has increased only marginally. The three-star Park Inn is capitalising on the opportunity. The hotel is expected to create 71 permanent jobs.
indeed the reason why many companies have chosen the Mother City’s heart as their location. Woolworths’ Maurice de Villiers, the divisional director for real estate property development, cites easy access to libraries, culinary attractions, and museums and galleries as some of the reasons why investing in the Central City is so attractive. Says Evangelinos, “We are also seeing a number of smaller companies choosing the Central City because of all the amenities it offers. Those which are unable to provide all the facilities in house are still able to attract staff. The excellent range of restaurants, for example, means that companies do not have to provide canteens for their staff.” Clearly this is one downtown that’s bucking the decentralisation trend.
CENTRAL CITY
Partners’ Forum update
The next Central City Partners’ Forum is coming up on Tuesday, 14 June, and the programme title is Cape Town is Open for Business: Discussing the V&A Waterfront and Foreshore Developments. Co-hosted by Cape Town Partnership and the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners, the forum will be held on the second floor of the Strand Tower Hotel from 08h00 for 08h30 until 10h30. For more information, contact Bronwyn Manter at 021 419 1881 or bronwyn@capetownpartnership.co.za.
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
T
based in Cape Town’s Central City, it is clear that the CBD is bucking the decentralisation trend evident in many other cities, both in South Africa and abroad.
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about
town
CityViews
June 2011
“I live in the
central city
Fidessa Derkse is a Dutch student who has been in Cape Town for six months, writing her thesis for the Cape Town Partnership. She lives with her student boyfriend, Khumbulani Mthethwa, in Buitenkant Street.
What are some of the highlights of living in the City? FD There is always something happening so you are never bored. The City is so easy to walk around – and there are plenty of restaurants CV
Describe a typical day in your life in the City. FD I work on my thesis at the Cape Town Partnership office in Bree Street five days a week. I wake up at 07h00 so that I can be there at 08h30, after a 20-minute walk through the City. It’s tempting to go and shop around in the many little stores on my way to work, but I leave that for later. Sometimes I go out for lunch with a friend or with my boyfriend. While walking back after work I do shop around, usually for dinner. CV
Then comes my favourite time of the day – cooling off on the rooftop of our building, which has a swimming pool and the best views of the City! Weekends are always different, as there is still so much to see in and around the City. It’s like being on holiday. CV What are your favourite activities in the City? FD I like walking through the Company’s Garden, looking at all the people having a good time, and I enjoy having lunch at Greenmarket Square on Saturdays. CV What are your favourite design features of Cape Town? FD I am a big fan of the design of historical buildings, like the Slave Lodge and Parliament and the Old Granary. Those buildings really tell the story of Cape Town.
Which areas of design in the City could be improved upon? FD There are so many beautiful architectural buildings, especially in The Fringe, but they have really been left there to die. CV
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
CV What made you choose to live in the Central City? FD We don’t have a car. Living in Buitenkant Street means we are close to the train station and in walkable distance from all the action in the Central City. I walk to work and back every day, which is great as I get a full sense of what’s going on.
CV What are your favourite cities abroad and what have you learnt from them? FD I have so many favourite cities. I love Barcelona for its cultural heritage, the siestas and the food; Rome and Paris for the amazing architecture and the shopping; Lucca and San Francisco, just because … CV What’s missing for you in Cape Town? FD Other than the public transport (everyone knows that’s the major thing that needs to be improved), I find it strange that the shops all close on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, as these are the days most people have time to go shopping! Not being used to this, I have walked into the City more
than once thinking everything would be open, but then I find it dead. This doesn’t fit with a city like Cape Town. Besides that, the weather here really is perfect for a Southern Europe time schedule, which involves long lunch hours, siestas and late-night dinners – but it’s impossible to do in Cape Town because kitchens here close so early. Even museums close at about 16h00 daily and on Sundays. CV Where do you go in the City for a decent cup of coffee? FD Well, I don’t really drink coffee, but judging by the crowd of people gathering around the Langham House coffee shop in Long Street every day, I probably would go there if I did.
CV Where do you go for a good meal? FD I really like the Eastern Food Bazaar, as it is one of the few places that are always open. There is so much choice, the food is really good and you get so much for so little money. CV What is the trait you like most about Capetonians? FD I like the fact that there is such a diversity of cultures and people.
If you could choose to live anywhere else in the world where would it be? FD In any of the bigger Italian cities, or Barcelona, as I love the people and their way of living. Or just anywhere in the Netherlands, as it’s home. CV
Be alive to the City
Free walking tours are a standard offering of cities like Berlin, Singapore and New York. Now they’ve come to Cape Town.
They’re conducting free hour-long tours – perfect for first-timers to the City, or those who want to stretch their legs before an early lunch. You’ll be taken around the Company’s Garden, District Six and the Grand Parade, or Long and Bree streets and Heritage Square – at no cost.
City Views spoke to Joleen du Plessis, CEO of Alive!PTL, the umbrella organisation for Alive!Tours, to find out more about how free tours can be a viable business model. “It’s about advancement through tourism,” Du Plessis says. “We like to give our guides a practice and a marketing base.” Guides shadow one another on these tours, to ensure they’re building up on their knowledge base. And they’ll tell you a little about other Alive!Tours available. Du Plessis encourages anyone who works in the City Centre – especially those who deal directly with local and international visitors – to learn more about the places around them. She gives an example of table attendants at Hermanus restaurants
who can’t tell you anything about the whales to be seen in full view of their windows, calling it a lost opportunity. “Those attendants aren’t just the face of the restaurant or the chef,” Du Plessis says. “They are the face of the country.” Get to know the face of your City: Alive!Tours currently depart at 10h30 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from outside Café del Cabo on the corner of Burg and Castle streets, and last for around one hour. Tipping at the tour’s end is encouraged – guides receive no other compensation for their time – but entirely voluntary. For more information, contact Joleen du Plessis at 021 448 6106 or aliveptl@gmail.com.
Get to know your city on foot
Photo: Supplied
W
hen last did you walk the City you work in, or take heed of the history around you? Have you lived in Cape Town your whole life, but still run out of things to say when foreign friends come to visit? If you’re wondering who has time and money to go on a tour of Cape Town – other than tourists – then Alive!Tours might have the answer.
June 2011
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5
CRUISE CONTROL Two great new initiatives promise to ease traffic tensions in the City Centre.
Bloem Street taxi rank A dedicated sedan taxi rank has been demarcated in Bloem Street, between Long and Loop streets, to alleviate the traffic obstructions caused by sedan taxis – including doubleparking, parking on yellow lines and blocking of loading zones – in the CBD, and the Long Street precinct in particular.
“P
rojects such as this one form part of the City’s overall commitment to ensuring quality, safe and efficient public transport in Cape Town,” says chairperson of the Good Hope Subcouncil, Councillor Taki Amira. The City of Cape Town, the Central City Improvement District (CCID), representatives from businesses in Long Street and its environs, and members of the Taxi Council – who represent operators in the area – worked together to negotiate the completion of the new rank. Says CCID Security Manager Mo Hendricks, “We formed this partnership in response to numerous complaints that the area was flooded with sedan taxis, which were causing traffic jams. Businesses in the CBD were struggling to offload goods for their retail outlets and their drivers were not able to turn properly in the streets. The excess of taxis was creating a
serious ripple effect.” The partnership identified Upper Long Street as one of the most congested areas and identified space for the new taxi rank in the central island in Bloem Street. The area already accommodates up to 25 taxis, so it was not necessary to remove any existing loading zones or parking bays for additional space. There has been an enthusiastic response to the new taxi rank. Taxi owner and operator Clive Adams, one of 41 taxi drivers who make
“Projects such as this one form part of the City’s overall commitment to ensuring quality, safe and efficient public transport in Cape Town.” – Councillor Taki Amira
The Bloem Street taxi rank
use of the rank, says, “We have hired three regulators who will work shifts around the clock to ensure that only accredited taxis use the rank. Users will contribute R5 a day to pay the regulators and any excess funds will be directed
to rank upgrades, including the installation of a telephone near the rank and radios in the cars.” The City has erected directional signage to the rank at the intersections of Long, Dorp, Leeuwen, Pepper, Bloem, and Buiten streets.
The owner of 210 on Long, Miki Clarke says, “This new rank is a positive development, because it brings about formalisation and control.” Clarke will be distributing flyers with details about the new rank to businesses in the immediate area. These businesses will be urged to display the information in areas visible to their clients, and to encourage their clients to use only accredited taxi operators. There will be a maximum of 50 taxis permitted to operate from the Bloem Street rank. Drivers can apply for a permit to use the new rank by going to the 10th floor of the Civic Centre. They must take their Central City operating licence, identity document, and vehicle papers with them when they apply. Drivers who are authorised to operate from the Bloem Street rank will be issued a special token. If the Bloem Street rank proves to be successful, more of these sedan taxi ranks may be set up in other areas of the city. “The City welcomes all interventions to address parking congestion in the CBD,” says Councillor Amira.
OUTsurance traffic pointsmen You’re already familiar with the green bibs of CCID personnel, but have you started to see a few more people in green helping out on the City streets?
I
n lime green shirts, the OUTsurance 94.5 Kfm traffic pointsmen are helping alleviate peak-hour congestion in the Central City. Employed by Cape Town Traf-
fic Services, and sponsored by OUTsurance, 94.5 Kfm and Traffic Freeflow, who manage and operate a similar project in Johannesburg, the pointsmen come with full City authority. “These pointsmen are fully qualified traffic wardens. They’re authorised to stop vehicles and direct traffic – some motorists might not realise that,” says Erin Whare, traffic services inspector for the City of Cape Town. “They’re deployed to specific stations in the CBD at the moment,
but depending on the success of the project and demand, we’d like them to become mobile, and move directly to where the need is.” On being asked how the pointsmen are being received by Central City commuters, Whare replies, “We’ve had a lot of compliments, especially from pedestrians.” He explains that the majority of the morning’s work focuses on managing the flow of pedestrians, particularly those coming in and out of Cape Town Station at Strand and Lower Plein streets,
and outside Golden Acre at Adderley and Castle. The afternoons, by comparison, focus on vehicular traffic, particularly at Somerset and Buitengracht, OUTsurance traffic pointsmen help relieve peak-hour and where traffic tensions Oswald Pirow meets with Hertzog and Table Bay tinues Whare, “who’d like these boulevards. pointsmen to assist in directing “There’s also been a lot of intertraffic during events. The initiaest from outside companies,” contive is picking up momentum.”
about
town
CityViews
June 2011
Cape Town’s n o i h s a in f Pioneer in creative tourism Coffeebeans Routes helps travellers experience African Founder and director cities in deep and Iain Harris tells City refreshing ways. Views about the newly launched Cape Town Fashion Route.
trepreneurs – and that takes us to parts of the City that our other tours haven’t before: the Central City, Woodstock, Constantia, Sea Point. So in exploring fashion design, we are also experiencing City design. The journey from Woodstock to the Central City is a great story on its own.
Iain Harris
Coffeebeans Routes 70 Wale Street T: 021 424 3572 www.coffeebeansroutes.com
CV What role does fashion play in Cape Town’s story? IH Fashion design is a form of expression and another authentic voice of the City. At Coffeebeans Routes we’re interested in how we tell Cape Town stories through fashion. For instance, in terms of forging a City identity and exploring the fashion elements that come through as undeniably Cape Town, either aesthetically or intellectually.
detail that was really satisfying. Maya Prass is creating her own fabrics and that is fresh and challenging. Thulare Monareng is working with upholstery for some of her fashion designs, which is very different. In some ways our fashion is like our music – it doesn’t immediately scream Cape Town – but when you dig deeper, the layers start to reveal elements that tell a Cape Town story.
CV What do you think CV Tell us about the addition of Cape Town’s fashion of a fashion route to Coffeescene? beans’ offering? IH I dig it. It’s not a scene that’s IH The Cape Town fashion world desperately trying to define is full of great characters and Cape Town. Like the City, our stories – and we’re always lookfashion is between the lines – ing for good stories. On this tour highly interpretive, quirky and we take guests to the premises of stylish. I had a pair of pants by fashion designers and fashion enlocal fashion designer David West for a few “Cape Town is a City with a years. They were regular need for design and that black trousers, but with draws designers. It’s also a stunning pink lining and City conducive to creativity design touches on the and reflection, which is inside. Great cut and all, crucial to design.” but it was the unseen
– Iain Harris
CV Why do you think Cape Town is a great design capital? IH Well, Cape Town is a City full of design flaws. It’s a City desperately in need of fresh design solutions. And where there are problems, there are people trying to create solutions. So it is a City with a need for design and that draws designers. It’s also a City conducive to creativity and reflection, which is crucial to design. Being able to easily escape to nearby places of natural beauty refreshes perspective. CV Is there anything about fashion as a design speciality that really fascinates you? IH There is no fashion to save the world. Fashion is becoming more and more responsibly and sustainably oriented, but is still always fashion for fashion, rather than fashion for changing the world. That’s cool. CV What impact do you anticipate these tours will have on the Cape Town fashion scene? IH The media are always looking for stories. We have them. So we
are a no-brainer in that regard. Our other tours have attracted incredible international press coverage and we’ve seen the promotional impact that has had on, for example, Cape Town’s music and musicians. But guests are also looking for stories. More and more, that’s what the traveller wants – the means to access the stories of the destinations they visit. That’s what we offer. Combined, these are great ways of promoting our fashion industry. CV Tell us what we can expect on this tour? IH The tour starts at the Coffeebeans Routes HQ in Wale Street with some sparkling wine, an introduction to the most iconic fashion success stories in Cape Town, and an overview of the tour. Each tour includes four visits, including stops at designers’ studios and boutiques. Tours vary but could start with a visit to Olive Green Cat studio, where Philippa Green and Ida Elsje take us through their work process with diamonds and amber. A visit to Collage Fashion Deli on Long Street follows, where Thulare Monareng shares her fashion vision inside her funky pan-African fashion deli. Then we’d visit Hanneli Rupert, fashion entrepreneur and owner of the Merchants on Long boutique, and get insights into luxury brand fashion, before rounding up with a visit to Robyn Lidsky, creator of the internationally successful lingerie design studio, Ruby. In time we plan to include the CPUT [Cape Peninsula University of Technology] fashion design department. We are also drawing in more and more designers, and planning many more studio visits. If there’s a great fashion story, we want to feature it.
Photos: Richard Aaron, Muti
6
about
CityViews
ION FASH RD m o FORWsA coop fr
Tell us more … HR My aim was to restore the building into what it might have looked like when its terracotta facade was erected in 1896. In order to do this I gutted the inside, revealing the koffieklip walls, exposed the beamed ceiling, the inlaid Victorian tiling and parquet flooring and rebuilt the staircase from some of the original beams we found on site.
ide The insion designersrs fash trepreneu and en ature on the that feffeebeans Co n route fashio
Hanneli Rupert,
Merchants on Long
CV What is your forecast for the Cape Town fashion scene over the next few years? HR Cape Town will become the fashion hub for Africa and the looks that will be best received internationally will be the more Afrocentric, tribally inspired ones.
CV What makes Merchants on Long unique? HR It offers the best of African luxury under one roof. We’re also committed to sourcing upcoming African designers and brands to showcase in the shop.
You’ve given the Art Nouveau building at 34 on Long a new lease on life. CV
Thulare Monareng
Collage Fashion Deli
CV What is unique about Collage Fashion Deli? TM Collage is a delicatessen of South African and African fashion and accessories. It’s a store based on a deli theme, with clothes and products displayed in fridges, which is a fresh approach to merchandising. CV What local fashion labels do you stock? TM Thuli by Thulare Monareng, Liz Ogumbo, Undacova, Claire Kane, Shirt & Co and MiLi Jo. We’ll also be bringing in more designers as time goes by.
Hanneli Rupert
CV What is your forecast for the Cape Town fashion scene over the next few years? TM I think that we’re making significant inroads internationally. A noteworthy percentage of our customers are foreign and they love the ranges in the store, which they believe are just as good as European, American and Asian designers.
Who visits your shop? Most of our customers so far have been foreigners and they love the store concept and product. And the fact that our fashion has a local design aesthetic, is of excellent quality and locally made really impresses them. Customers often tell us they love Long Street because it’s easily accessible, has a very interesting vibe and they’ve found the most interesting designers and shops while walking this street. CV
TM
7
at Merchants on Long are made in Africa, and wherever possible we stock fairtrade and organic as well. By not buying imported goods you are helping to sustain and create jobs locally. CV Who is coming into your shop and what do they have to say? HR I wouldn’t be surprised if Merchants on Long has the widest cross-spectrum of clientele in Cape Town, which we love. It’s a very unassuming part of town, so people don’t feel intimidated by the surroundings. Many of our destination clientele are blown away by how much Cape Town has changed in the past few years and how buzzing the City Centre has become.
Merchants on Long 34 Long Street T: 021 422 2828
www.merchantsonlong.com
CV Have you felt the impact of the new fashion route yet? TM Yes, guests love the opportunity to meet and interact with us and to learn more about our inspirations, design processes and experience as local designers. It also allows us designers and retailers to interact with customers on a more personal basis, which provides very valuable feedback. CV Why do you think Cape Town is a great design capital? TM We have some of the most creative and talented designers in the world. Cape Town allows creative freedom and I think the natural beauty of the City provides a wonderful place and space within which to create. I feel very blessed to live and
Philippa Green
Olive Green Cat CV Olive Green Cat moved recently – why? PG We moved to Church Street by chance as our lease in Wale Street expired and we wanted an on-street shop. We found this by walking the streets. LUCK! It’s fantastic here!
Philippa Green
CV There’s a job creation element in your business plan … Tell us more. HR All of the brands that I stock
town
Photos: Richard Aaron, Muti
June 2011
Thulare Monareng
create in this City and I believe that we can compete with some of the best designers in the world.
Collage Fashion Deli 219 Long Street T: 021 422 2774 www.collagefashiondeli.com
us, and some who just walk by and see the beautiful jewels on the wall and want to come in. Famous people sometimes – singers, actors – they all love it. And we are always telling people where they should go to find good coffee, eat, drink and shop.
“We have some of the most creative and talented designers in the world. Cape Town allows creative freedom and I think the natural beauty of the City provides a wonderful place and space within which to create.”
CV What is special about Olive Green Cat? PG We design and handcraft unique, bespoke pieces of jewellery that each with their own distinctive identity.
CV Why do you think Cape Town is a great design capital? PG There are lots of amazingly creative people here who are doing very different things. It’s inspiring! Locally and globally, Cape Town has a unique South African style due to our natural surroundings, incredible location and our textured past.
CV Who comes into your shop? PG All sorts of people! Locals, tourists who come looking for
Olive Green Cat 76 Church Street T: 021 424 1102 www.olivegreencat.com
– Thulare Monareng
around
8
town
CityViews
June 2011
Left and below: Cycling through the streets of Cape Town Photos: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town
MyCiTi mobility
Connecting Table View to Table Mountain
CITY BIKE-FRIENDLY
Going places
Cape Town one of CNN’s top 15 cycle-friendly Cities
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n an article published on 6 May 2011, CNN named Cape Town one of the world’s most bike-friendly cities, ranking it alongside the likes of Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin. Already recognised internationally as the backdrop for the world’s most beautiful cycling race, the Cape Argus, the Mother City was applauded by the news giant for its commitment to creating a more liveable City for cyclists and citizens alike. Says Cape Town Partnership MD Bulelwa MakalimaNgewana, “This accolade is one we at the Cape Town Partnership are particularly inspired by. Being compared to benchmark pedestrian- and bike-friendly cities such as Berlin, Paris, Chicago and Barcelona is very encouraging.” Cycle lanes and pedestrian-friendly corridors form part of the City of Cape Town’s long-term transport vision, which sees citizens across the metropolitan area connected – to each other and to opportunity – via an integrated rapid transport (IRT) network. The 16km cycle route from Table View into the City Centre, for example, complements the now operational MyCiTi trunk route, and cyclists can change onto a MyCiTi shuttle, taking their bikes along with them or leaving them at nearby lock-up facilities. If, like CNN, you’d like to know more about where you can put two tyres to tar, collect your free copy of the Cape Town Bicycle Map from the Cape Town Partnership offices at 34 Bree Street or order a copy for R40 from www.capetownbicyclemap.co.za.
May 2011 saw the launch of the next phase of MyCiTi bus routes, giving Table View residents easy access to the City Centre in working hours. The Table View trunk route along the R27 kicked off the service, and was matched by a feeder service in the City Centre – connecting Green Point, the Waterfront, Loop and Long streets and Gardens – as well as three feeder services in Table View, connecting to stations in Big Bay, Parklands and Blaauwberg. MyCiTi, Cape Town’s system of bus rapid transport (BRT), will be rolled out in phases, and is part of a seamless whole of infrastructure imagined for the City. BRT is part of IRT (integrated rapid transport), a transport plan for Cape Town which includes cycle
paths and park-and-ride facilities; rail, bus and minibus improvements; and pedestrian and urban space upgrades. Imagine a full integration of services, where all that the City has to offer is within walking distance, and it’s quicker and more convenient to leave your car at home. The service is being rolled out over a 15-year period, to ensure public safety, proper training, and the integration and sustainable expansion of routes. As this public transport system rolls out, be patient – delays and road works are evidence of a City in transit.
Contact the City’s transport information centre on 0800 65 64 63 for the most up-to-date MyCiTi route information.
GOOD TO KNOW: Ticket tariffs: Trunk route travel (Table View to the City) costs R10, with feeder services for free when used in conjunction with a trunk route. Feeder routes cost R5 otherwise. Tickets are sold at kiosks at the trunk stations and on feeder route buses.
Save your stub: Collectors will take your ticket, but leave you with the stub. To transfer on to a consecutive feeder service at no charge, simply show the ticket collector on this route your ticket stub.
Free for children and cycles: Children under one metre tall travel free of charge, and you can take your bicycle on the bus at no extra cost.
NEWSFLASH Cape Town’s Green Goal programme, which ensured that the 2010 FIFA World Cup was an eco-friendly event in the City, won an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sport and Environment Award for “outstanding contributions in the field of sustainable sport and the environment”.
OV-fiets commuter bikes for sale The Bicycling Empowerment Network South Africa (BEN) is selling a limited number of OV-fiets commuter bicycles at R750, the proceeds of which will go toward the development of Bicycle Empowerment Centres. OV-fiets cycles are well made, having been manufactured for the Dutch commuter market. These functional, one-gear bicycles are perfect for commuting to work and for stress-free recreational use. They’re ideal for all – from the business ex-
These functional, one-gear bicycles are perfect for commuting to work and for stress-free recreational use. ecutive to the student pedalling along the streets and new cycle lanes of Cape Town. For more information, contact Andrew Wheeldon at 021 788 4174 or andrew@benbikes.org.za.
June 2011
from the fringe
CityViews
9
Photos: Supplied by CCDI
Clockwise from above: Product Advisor David Van Staden shows session participants some different types of heat-transferable vinyl; Laser-engraved fabric and heattransfer vinyl makes an interesting combination in this design by Carynn Underhill; One of the product support session participants; Walter Zandamela holds a sushi tray he designed at CCDI during his residency; The Product Support Space includes research computers where people can search for internet resources; Marcia Horst holds some accessories she designed at CCDI
Developing products,
PROMOTING PEOPLE INNOVATION The Fringe, Cape Town’s innovation district taking shape to the east of the Central City, is already a creative hub of sorts, home to the Cape Town Fashion Council, Open Innovation Studio, Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s faculty of informatics and design, and the Cape Craft & Design Institute.
“[At CCDI] people are encouraged to grow from the point at which they currently find themselves. Small steps are taken to becoming a better business person, designer and innovator.” – Karen Stewart
Do you have an idea for a product, but don’t know how to take it to the next level? Perhaps you’re an established crafter looking at ways of improving your sales and growing your business. If so, the Cape Craft & Design Institute (CCDI) might be able to help you. Craft producers from throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are boosting their creativity and business skills, thanks to CCDI workshops and support.
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CDI workshops, of which there have been eight, each lasting eight days and involving a total of 103 craft producers since 2008, encourage the creation of new products by helping craft producers approach both familiar and new materials in fresh ways. “We do not teach skills such as weaving or knitting. Instead the CCDI focuses on teaching how to think and problem-solve creatively,” says CCDI workshop facilitator Karen Stewart. “People are encouraged to grow from the point at which they currently find themselves. Small steps are taken to becoming a better business person, designer and innovator.” Workshops typically start with activities such as drawing, listening to music with eyes closed, and the making of tools (to demonstrate that no one need be limited by the inaccessibility of materials), and are followed with intensive enterprise development sessions. CCDI headquarters at 75 Har-
“People have ideas, but these can get lost because they are not nurtured and people don’t know how to develop them.” – Alan Alborough
rington Street also have the staff and infrastructure to help crafters on a more ad hoc basis. At the FabLab, part of the CCDI Product Support Space and Cape Town’s only digital fabrication laboratory – based on a model pioneered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab – you can make a prototype or scale model of your product, iron out any technical difficulties, and get one-on-one assistance from a full-time staff member. Product Support Programme Manager Alan Alborough stresses that the space is essentially an assisted DIY environment, where you can progress from idea conceptualisation to the physical manifestation of your
idea with the appropriate support, infrastructure, tools and equipment. “People have ideas, but these can get lost because they are not nurtured and people don’t know how to develop them,” says Alborough. “We are addressing this problem by offering a place where you will feel secure and empowered to do what you want to do. We meet with users on an individual basis to assist them to solve problems around any process or material. “If someone comes here with an idea, they can develop it through to the prototype. Issues are often not process- or material-specific; it is often a case of helping people through a problem-solving process.” FabLab aims to have the appropriate technology for whatever needs to be done. Equipment ranges from basic hand tools and workshop equipment such as sanders and bandsaws, to much more sophisticated computerised equipment, funded by the Department of Science and Technology and CCDI itself.
Equipment is grouped appropriately at dedicated work stations, and safety is paramount: Fulltime staff (trained in first aid) work closely alongside visitors on a one-on-one basis. At the CCDI, research is considered a crucial part of the design process. The Product Support Space has four dedicated computers available for product research, as well as design computers loaded with open-source and two- and three-dimensional design software. The Product Support Space currently works with a range of craft producers, designers, students and members of the public. In order to ensure optimal service, access is on an appointment basis only. Users must book for an initial consultation and any ongoing assistance. The progress of any idea or product is documented for the CCDI’s records. Cape Craft & Design Institute 75 Harrington Street T: 021 461 1488 www.ccdi.org.za
10 on the
town
CityViews
June 2011
S OPEN FOR BUSINES
Down South Pie Bar opens in Long Street Hot on the heels of his New Orleans-styled Down South Food Bar at 267 Long Street, renowned Central City chef Giorgio Nava has opened the Down South Pie Bar right next door. This brings to six Nava’s tally of food outlets in and around Cape Town – four of which are in the Central City.
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he Down South Pie Bar, with its comfortable, casual ambience, serves light lunches of gourmet pies and sandwiches, and organic, free-range rotisserie chicken. A vegetarian option is available every day, and artisanal beers and other beverages are also on offer. Nava believes that pies as a food trend are making a comeback. “They are tasty, familiar and affordable,” he says. The pie choices when City Views visited were lamb and mint, port and apple, and chicken and leek – all at R20 apiece. Manager John Hart was quick to point out that the pies have at least three times the amount of filling than that
in “most other pies”. “We do not focus on having more pastry than filling. Our pies are a healthy option,” he says. Nava says a range of people have visited the pie bar since it opened: “We have seen many lawyers in a hurry coming in to buy pies on their way back to work. They know it is Giorgio Nava and they are enjoying the fare. We’ve also had young people, tourists and workers doing renovations on buildings in the Central City. It’s a place for all.” Of business, Hart says, “Every week is better than the week before.” The Down South Pie Bar also serves organic, free-range rotisserie chickens. You can
Photos: Richard Aaron, Muti
In this new series, City Views will take a closer look at some of the Central City streets and why we love them.
buy a whole chicken for R70 and a half chicken for R35. Both Down South bars are run in line with Nava’s unflinching commitment to high-quality food, and Nava says the food bar in particular – which offers a range of homestyle Southern American classics like ribs, prawns and cocktails – is going well.
“Pies, as a food trend, are making a comeback. They’re tasty, familiar and affordable.” – Giorgio Nava
Chef Carl Penn is Nava’s partner at both establishments. Nava’s business card now features no fewer than six restaurants, including 95 Keerom, Carne SA, Down South Food Bar, Down South Pie Bar, Mozzarella Bar and Caffe Milano Pasticceria & Bar. The back of the fold-out card carries the enticing words, “And there’s more to come … ” He’s keeping mum on his plans for the beautiful Land Bank building in Queen Victoria Street, however, which opened its doors in March after a breathtaking restoration. Word is Nava will run it as a major function venue in the Central City. Watch this space …
Above: John Hart, manager of Down South Pie Bar, displays the pies on offer. Left: The Down South Pie Bar.
Down South Pie Bar 267 Long Street T: 021 422 1155 www.downsouthpiebar.com
STREET AT A TIME
“Why I love Bloem Street”
by Allison Foat
I am totally inspired by the City, the way it’s constantly evolving and brimming over with some of the best creatives in this hemisphere – it brings out the best in me. Bloem Street is one the Central City’s gems. Towards the top end, on the corner of Bloem and Bree streets, is one of my favourite spots – Rotisserie 360, which is hard to beat for great-tasting street food in the form of rotisserie chicken, yummy sandwiches and wonderful salad lunch plates. Their coffee is also excellent. With its new high tables on the recently levelled sidewalk (courtesy of the Central City Improvement District), it’s a great stop-off spot for a quick latte and a glance through the morning papers after those early gym sessions. Across the street, on the opposite corner next to Boss Models, is my
favourite movie rental store, DVD Nouveau – a treasure trove of old and new movies. What better way to end a day than to stop for a quick coffee at Rotisserie before grabbing a DVD to take home. Walk across the street and down the hill and we come to Jason, formerly the Jardine Bakery. Their pastries and bread are to faint for! For a savoury start I can never resist the empanadas – a delicious Latin American pastry stuffed with meat – and the mini mutton pies, followed by their wonderful pastéis de nata, chocolate brownies and other delectable sweet treats – chased, of course, by a cup of that coffee. And I do love the Vespa workshop right next door – I’m sure I’m not the only person who drools at the bikes while sipping my coffee! Heading further down Bloem Street towards Long Street is The Mall, an unusual space with about three or four small boutiques. And nearby there’s the Bloem Street Deli, which displays some really well-priced meals. Last time I was there, I spotted Lisa from Second Time Around devouring what she said was a really tasty pasta dish. I also enjoy watching the colourful people who sit in the Mexican Kitchen, on the corner of Bloem and Long streets, with its funny sign, “Come and chilli out.”
Allison Foat started out as a professional ballerina working as a principal with CAPAB Ballet and PACT Ballet locally, and Manhattan Ballet in New York (yes, she has taken on the Black Swan role, minus the psycho stab factor!). With over 20 years in the entertainment industry, she founded DIVA PR in 2005, and has, since then been representing top local performers and producers such as Pieter-Dirk Uys, Pieter Toerien, Marc Lottering, Nik Rabinowitz and Hazel Feldman, as well as organising high-profile events like Cirque du Soleil’s Cape Town auditions in 2006, the Fancourt Ball in 2008 and Evita Bezuidenhout’s 70th birthday bash. Allison loves scouting around the Central City in search of fabulous eateries, stylish delis and coffee shops that serve the finest beans and something delicious on the side ...
June 2011
on the
CityViews
RESTAURANT
Great Chefs
of the Central City, Cape Town A series featuring chefs who are doing great things in the Central City. Peter Pankhurst, Savoy Cabbage CV Who comes to your restaurant? PP Everybody! Victoria Beckham has eaten here. Dennis Hopper ate here. Trevor Manuel and Kader Asmal used to eat here regularly. The English cricket team came a few times when they were here a couple of years ago. This is a popular place for parties, celebrations and special occasions. For instance, we regularly have bookings from guys who have just proposed. They ask for a romantic table.
What’s on the menu at Savoy Cabbage? PP Tomato tart is the signature dish of Savoy Cabbage. We make it every day. We follow the seasons as much as possible, so elements of the menu change accordingly. For instance, I have a lovely yellowtail coming in today ...
PP Molecular gastronomy – where chefs use the science of cookery and food to get results – is one of the trends at the moment. There are people who do it well, and people who copy. In my view, it gets too carried away, using science to cook a perfect soufflé. I would rather have a perfectly cooked fish than a foam and a broth. I hope for more honest food as a trend. It irks me that people are growing up on fast foods. I am a romantic at heart. I like to think of kids growing up, eating the traditional foods of their region, helping mom in the kitchen.
CV
CV How long have you been at Savoy Cabbage? PP The restaurant has been going for nearly 14 years and I am in my 11th year as chef. I moved to Cape Town with my wife and had always wanted to work at Savoy Cabbage. CV What makes this a great restaurant? PP As the chef, I would rather a meal was really good and made you happy than that I astounded you with my pyrotechnics. My job is to be a facilitator of good relationships. I am not going to give you something you can whip up at home. That’s what makes this a good restaurant, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We also love to make people feel special. CV What are your favourite ingredients? PP I adore vanilla. I like saffron. I love pork because it is so versatile. I do a lot of charcuterie and enjoy making salamis and hams. Fresh fish is absolutely amazing stuff and I am so sorry we are killing it all off. I also like bread. For me, the history of mankind is written in the growth of wheat. I get excited by all sorts of things, like good peaches and melons.
What are the trends in food and cooking at the moment? CV
“I hope for more honest food as a trend. It irks me that people are growing up on fast foods.” – Peter Pankhurst
CV What plans do you have for the restaurant in the year ahead? PP I would like us to keep improving, for us to be able to buy fresh, not frozen, game.
Which restaurants in the Central City do you rate highly? PP 95 Keerom is one of my favourites. I have never eaten fresher fish. CV
Where do you go for a good cup of coffee in the Central City? PP caféEco in Long Street makes an excellent double cappuccino. And vida e caffès are just great fun … I love their cheekiness. CV
CV How has the Central City changed in the years you’ve been here? PP In some ways it has gone more upmarket, and in others it has remained the same. In terms of safety, I can remember a few years back when people were sometimes chased through the city for mugging people. There’s much less of that now. Sometimes we have guests who want to walk back to hotels at night and a CCID officer will walk them there.
Savoy Cabbage 101 Hout Street T: 021 424 2626 www.savoycabbage.co.za
Chicken, goats’ cheese and smoked jalapeño ravioli 200g 150g 50ml 5g 500g 100ml 100g
Chicken breast fillets Firm goats’ cheese Bushman’s Chilli smoked jalapeño sauce French tarragon Fresh pasta dough Sauvignon blanc Unsalted butter Salt and pepper to taste
Method: Chop the chicken breasts finely by hand. Mix together the chicken breasts, crumbled goats’ cheese, jalapeño sauce and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Roll out the pasta dough by hand or on a pasta machine to the thinnest possible setting. Make your ravioli in the usual manner. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and poach the ravioli until tender, for three to five minutes. Meanwhile, reduce the sauvignon blanc by half and swirl the butter into the reduction to create the sauce. Drain the ravioli and toss gently with the sauce. Garnish the plates with Parmesan shavings and fresh herbs.
town
11
What’s on by Anne Hirsch
Henry Kissinger once said, “The nice thing about being a celebrity is that if you bore people, they think it’s their fault.” Kissinger might have thought the recent royal wedding mind-numbingly dreary. I, on the other hand, was in absolute awe at how much press and media surrounded the nuptials of Prince William and commoner Kate Middleton. (Commoner is a rather harsh word, I can hear you say, especially as the Middletons are multimillionaires. In my defence, so is Charlie Sheen and he’s unquestionably a commoner). The royal wedding made me realise one thing: Thank God I live in Cape Town, where the only thing that is royale is a burger restaurant at the top of Long Street. The wedding’s over, but do not fret! Cape Town is alive with entertainment this June. Kids, make way for Noddy and his Toyland friends from 10 to 26 June at The Artscape Theatre. (Parents needing a little light relief before nodding off can catch some of South Africa’s top comics at On Broadway from 8 to 11 June.) In the week running up to the presentation of Athol Fugard’s Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre on June 12, the Fugard Theatre will be screening films based on his work, from Boesman and Lena to The Guest and Tsotsi. This surely is the time to celebrate local Thespian nobility (after all, the Tony Awards will also celebrate the work of our very own Handspring Puppet Company). It’s bound to be a royal, roaring, anything-but-boring Cape Town winter!
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my
town
CityViews
June 2011
FOCUS ON
My Cape Town: Nicky Greenwall “There is a lot of creative energy in the Central City and there are creative companies popping up all over the place.” – Nicky Greenwall
Nicky Greenwall is a writer, producer and entertainment journalist – and founder of Greenwall Productions. Launched in 2009, her company produces The Showbiz Report, The Style Report, The Tech Report and Inside Art. She has worked extensively in the television industry since she developed and hosted e.tv’s first dedicated entertainment news program in 2002. The Showbiz Report, which first aired on South African television in 2005, continues to enjoy an audience of over 1.5-million viewers every week. CV What are some of the highlights of working in the Central City? NG There is a lot of creative energy in the Central City and there are creative companies popping up all over the place. CV Describe a typical day in your life in the City. NG Well, like most people my day mainly involves being chained to my desk behind a computer. Not very glamorous or exciting, I’m afraid! I do like to get out around midday to take a walk and grab some lunch. Then in the afternoons it’s back into my windowless edit suite …
Is Cape Town a creative City? NG Most definitely. I was born and raised here. I have spent most of my working life here, and I always feel very inspired in this City. CV
CV What are the best kept secrets of Cape Town? NG Well – if I told you then they wouldn’t be secrets any more.
What are your favourite design features of Cape Town? NG I like the blend of old and new in the City. The bright colours of the Bo-Kaap juxtaposed against steely glass skyscrapers is a unique sight. I also love the fact that, no matter how deep in the City you are, you can always see the mountain. It’s very unusual to have a City so close to a mountain like that and I find it very calming. CV
What would you do in the Central City with a foreign visitor? NG I’d take them for tea at the Mount Nelson. It’s my favourite hotel in the world. It has a great old- world charm and the service is impeccable. CV
Photos: Supplied
CV What are your favourite cities abroad and what have you learnt from them? NG I love Prague. I’ve been there twice in my career and it always takes my breath away. The architecture is astounding and the way the city takes care of its landmarks, artworks and statues is very admirable.
What’s missing for you in Cape Town? NG Zara, Primark, Topshop CV
Straatwerk has job rehabilitation projects for men and women. 021 425 0140 The Haven’s vision is to get the homeless home. 021 425 4700 The Homestead provides residential care and family integration for boys. 021 461 7470
Ons Plek provides residential care while undertaking reunification process for girls. 021 465 4829 The Carpenters Shop provides rehabilitation services and skills training for adults. 021 461 5508 Salesian Institute Youth Projects provide education, skills training and rehabilitation to vulnerable youth. 021 425 1450
and all the other British high street stores that I miss when I’m not in London. CV Where do you go in the City for a decent cup of coffee? NG I’m not very into coffee – because caffeine makes me crazy – but I do like hot chocolate! I only ever go to the original vida e caffè near where I work. The staff there have been looking after me for years. It’s always a pleasure to go in there any time of the day. CV Your top spot to go out at night? NG I shoot at a lot of incredible venues for my show – but I tend not to spend much time in those venues actually having a good time! I like Haiku and the Planet Bar at the Mount Nelson.
What song best sums up Cape Town for you? NG Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing by Stevie Wonder. My best friend and I used to go to a place called The Magnet on the corner of Shortmarket and Bree years ago. The party used to spill out onto the street in summer and they’d always play that song. It pretty much sums up how I feel about Cape Town. CV
CV Where do you prefer to shop in Cape Town? NG I’ve always loved the Waterfront. There is so much
variety there and very little you can’t get. Even though I don’t live in the area, I still make a trip there when I can. CV What building would you happily demolish in the CBD? NG I think all buildings deserve a second chance. Remodelled maybe – but demolished, no. Everything has a history and therefore a value of some kind.
If you could pass any law in the City, what would you do? NG Littering would get a maximum fine. CV
CV What is the trait you like most about Capetonians? NG We go with our own social current. Plans are made an hour before we execute them. I like that most of the parties – and places I go – are impromptu. I think Cape Town is unique like that. CV What is the trait you dislike most about Capetonians? NG We’re non-committal with our social lives! CV If you could choose to live anywhere else in the world where would it be? NG Cape Town. Cape Town. Cape Town. I’ve been all over the world and absolutely nothing comes close.
Many children and young adults living on the streets have severe drug addiction problems. More often than not, the money they receive from begging is used to buy their next “fix”. The CCID therefore requests that members of the public do not give money or handouts directly. If you would like to help, please contact one of the listed organisations mentioned. Contact the Central City Improvement District’s (CCID’s) Social Development Department for further information or assistance.
Pat 021 419 1881 | Dean 082 928 3862 Headman Sirala-Rala 082 262 0113 Mark Williams 082 262 0112
www.capetownpartnership.co.za