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THE MANY FACES OF THE MOTHER CITY
Cape Town as an
AFRICAN CITY
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CLEAN | SAFE | CAR I NG
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New mobility
for a people-friendly city >> page 5-7
Photo: Sydelle Willow Smith
October 2011
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s a thriving city centre in Africa – and the safest and cleanest major CBD in the country – Cape Town Central City continues to attract people from all over the continent seeking new opportunities and a better life. Given the rising rates of urbanisation across the continent, this trend is set to continue well into the next few decades (it is estimated that up to 60% of Africa will be living in cities and their immediate surrounds by 2050). What can we do to in the Central City to welcome this increasingly urban future? We will need to make safe and reliable public transportation into the CBD more accessible to more users – something our City’s integrated rapid transit plan is already addressing (see page 5 for more details). Connecting town
and township, and connecting people to opportunity, is vital – and so we’re excited to promote the newly-announced MyCiTi connection between Khayelitsha and the city centre, set to be up and running by 2014. We will need to gear our economy for solid growth that results in increased job opportunities. In this issue we speak with a number of African entrepreneurs working in the CBD to get their take on how to make it in the Mother City (page 4). We look at some of the possible ways to work with migration more strategically in order to integrate the many skilled workers that have come into our city from abroad (page 3). We also interview two top city thinkers on the role that arts and culture play in making Cape Town Central City
a more welcoming, user-friendly space (pages 8 and 9). As the CCID we take our role in helping facilitate this future face of Cape Town very seriously. The shift to being a much more cycle-friendly city where people choose to commute via bicycle (see pages 6 and 7 for examples) will not be possible if our streets are not welcoming – nor will the cosmopolitan culture Cape Town is known for thrive if we do not care for everyone who makes use of the streets, from those who live on them (see below for details about our Give Responsibly awareness drive) to those who invest in them (read page 11 to find out what one investor is set to unveil in Wale Street). Finally, October is also the month in which we find out whether Cape Town will be
Published by: The Central City Improvement District (CCID) Editor: Judith Browne: 021 419 1881 judith@capetownpartnership.co.za Contributors: Alan Cameron
Tasso
World Design Capital 2014 – a decision to be announced in Taipei on 26 October 2011. Cape Town’s World Design Capital bid, coordinated by my colleagues at the Cape Town Partnership, is focused on design as a tool for urban transformation and reintegration. And win or lose, I am excited to be a part of designing the future of this city – with them and with you. Tasso Tasso Evangelinos is the COO of the CCID
CCID UPDATE
Your clean, safe, caring city A few weeks ago, a student from Holland, Thomas van Heerdt, arrived in Cape Town only to find in the early hours of a Saturday morning that he couldn’t get into his hostel in Woodstock, that the address he had for a friend in Cape Town was wrong, and that all other hostels he knew of in Long Street were fully booked or closed. “I asked some guys what I should do and they gave me the best tip ever: ‘Go to the security
guy, he’ll sort you out,’ they said. And did he!” CCID security personnel Msondezi Ndzamela and Enver Solomons personally took Thomas to an ATM and found him space at an F1 hotel. In his thank you note, Thomas comments, “After the help of your men, a certain feeling overwhelmed me. It was more than just being comfortable again. It was a special, warm feeling: People cared. That idea was at the core of this feeling. It may sound
strange, but it felt a little bit like I didn’t only get help, I got a little bit of love as well. Duizendmaal dank, we say in Holland.” A sense of community is fundamental to the creation of a clean, safe, caring city, which is why the CCID together with SAPS and the central policing forums has been working with some of the youngest members of our city community – students who walk and catch public transport within the City Bowl – to raise awareness
October 2011
around how they can stay safe and promote the safety of those around them. Over nine education institutions have been identified, and awareness campaigns started in each. In addition, the use of social media as a means for students to report and follow up on incidents of crime is being explored. If you or your students would like further information on safety in the city, please mail info@capetowncid.co.za.
Website: www.capetowncid.co.za www.capetownpartnership.co.za Design: Infestation 021 461 8601
Editorial policy: City Views does not sell advertising or editorial space at this time. We are, however, always on the look out for city ownership stories: tales of people who love the CBD, who choose to live, work, study, invest, and play here. If you would like to be featured, please send your story to judith@capetownpartnership.co.za for consideration. Please note that submission of a story doesn’t guarantee that it will be included.
The Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) is a division of the Cape Town Partnership, a collaboration of the public and private sectors, working together to develop, promote and manage Cape Town’s Central City since 2000. The Cape Town Partnership and the CCID were formed when the City of Cape Town, the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other stakeholders came together to address issues of urban degeneration, disinvestment in the Central City and related social problems. The Central City’s rapid regeneration process has been built upon the strength and pillars of successful private-public partnerships at both operational and strategic levels, and a shared vision for a clean, safe and caring Cape Town CBD.
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
CARING CITY 10 October is World Homeless Day, and the provincial government and City of Cape Town will be hosting awareness events on the Grand Parade. In support, the CCID are driving an education and awareness campaign on 6, 7 and 10 October – distributing flyers at the major intersections leading into the city detailing how people can give where it will make a difference, as well as working with and educating shop owners, restaurants and retailers in areas where there have been instances of aggressive begging. “A little change isn’t change at all,” says Pat Eddy, head of social development at the CCID. “And handouts can often do more harm than good. It is difficult to genuinely offer support and assistance to unemployed and homeless people while they are living on the streets. Rather give in a way that can help those on the streets by partnering with existing NGOs and supporting the people who are already
helping. Help them to help more. Give Responsibly.” If you’d like more information on how you can volunteer your time and expertise to address issues of homelessness in the city, mail Pat at info@capetowncid.co.za.
CHARLY’S ANGELS The Justin Bonello TV series featuring Cape Town’s very own Charly’s Bakery launches on 1 October, 16h00 on SABC 3. Stay tuned to this 13-part programme for insights into the Biess family business and the staff who make up this colourful bakery.
Homes at the Haven It’s come to our attention that the Haven passport is being used on the city streets to ask for money. Please note that those who have this card already have access to the Haven, and are not in need of further funds for a night’s shelter. www.haven.org.za
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Cape Town calling Online retail giant Amazon recently opened their new customer service centre in the Mother City. What does this mean for Cape Town? The immediate result is jobs, and thousands of them, as the city’s reputation as a call centre location grows, says Gareth Pritchard, CEO of Business Process enabling South Africa (BPeSA). City Views spoke with him to find out more.
over a three-year period and the second is unique to Cape Town: free connectivity for voice and data services for six months. How does Cape Town’s demographic makeup add to this? We find that the city’s multicultural population respects different views and religious beliefs. This is important as this respect enables them to relate to and empathise with callers from all over the world. If you want to get an idea of what this city’s about from a different angle, spend an hour in one of the many call centres in town. The buzz and vibe is uniquely Cape Town. CV
CV How do the costs of operating in Cape Town compare to other centres? South Africa is competitively priced – we are not as cheap as India or the Philippines, but our offering is focused on value as
Cape Town’s African business
Photos: Lisa Burnell
Many immigrants from across Africa look to the bright lights of Cape Town and see a city of opportunity where they can make a new home for themselves. How does Cape Town make use of the skills they bring?
“We find that the city’s multicultural population respects different views and religious beliefs. This is important as this respect enables them to relate to and empathise with callers from all over the world. If you want to get an idea of what this city’s about from a different angle, spend an hour in one of the many call centres in town. The buzz and vibe is uniquely Cape Town.” Gareth Pritchard
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ccording to research done by the Scalabrini Centre in Cape Town, an organisation that helps migrants and refugees, the vast majority of immigrants from Africa find work within their first three months in the country – but it is in a far lower skill bracket to which they are previously accustomed. “In an environment where highly skilled and qualified human resources are scarce, policymakers might be wise to find ways to tap this resource,” says Miranda Madikane, director of Scalabrini.
opposed to cost. In terms of telecoms costs we have traditionally been higher than a lot of BPO (business process outsourcing) providers, but after regulatory changes in the local telecoms sector, we’ve seen a cost reduction of about 85% since 2003 and we expect this to improve even further. Despite the strength of the currency in the last few years, the savings that global firms make on salaries is considerable. It’s not just about costs though – we deliver great results at a competitive price. What would you like to see happening in Cape Town to make the city more competitive in this industry? Continued commitment and support from the provincial government, the City of Cape Town and the
private sector with a focus on skills development to ensure we have the necessary capacity for new offshore investors. BPeSA 34 Bree Street T: 021 427 2900 www.bpesawesterncape.co.za Photos: Lisa Burnell
CV What competitive edge does Cape Town have when it comes to offering local call centre staff to multinational companies? Capetonians offer world-class customer service at a very competitive rate; add to that the diversity of cultures and Cape Town immediately meets two major call centre needs. On top of that our infrastructure and telecoms offerings are both very good. Now combine all this with a time zone that ties in with Europe and our general cultural affinity with Western markets. We are seen as an attractive outsourcing option. The cost of setting up in the city is also a lot lower than it is in Europe, firms can set up here for half the cost of setting up in the UK, and government has added two sweeteners to the mix. The first is that the department of trade and industry pays new investors up to R112 000 per job that is created and maintained
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“You’ll find a high level of entrepreneurship amongst refugees here as they are forced to create something out of nothing – be it starting a small market stall or taking up crafts.” Gahlia Brogneri
Most skilled immigrants either have qualifications in teaching, healthcare, accounting and finance or are artisans, but clear barriers to entry exist in the teaching and accounting and finance field, she says. “It’s not easy to start a business if you’re jumping through the hoops of a temporary work permit,” agrees Gahlia Brogneri of the Adonis Musati Project, formed in 2007 to assist refuges who find themselves on the streets of Cape Town. “However, the skills of African immigrants are often used in entry-level sectors like teaching, nursing and caring, and especially the hospitality industry. Zimbabweans’ clear English accents help their chances of getting employment. You’ll find a high level of entrepreneurship amongst refugees here
A view from the BPeSA offices in Bree Street.
as they are forced to create something out of nothing – be it starting a small market stall or taking up crafts.” One example of a barrier presented to immigrants is the policy of the Western Cape department of education that only citizens of South Africa and those who can prove that they have made application for citizenship may be permanently employed by the state as a teacher. “The state allows refugees in to the country, but then they are left on their own to survive. One way this could be done better is to network with refugee organisations and see what skills are available. This way it could provide jobs without making a South African citizen lose out.” “Currently we have many nurses from Africa, but a shortage of nurses in the hospitals,” says Brogneri. “Why don’t we give experienced Zimbabwean teachers the chance to teach our young local teachers the tricks of the trade?” asks Madikane. “People that make decisions need to be more aware of situations in neighbouring countries. They need to understand where people come from and why they travel so far to be here. People come here with nothing, but authorities shouldn’t be surprised that they come nonetheless.” If you’d like to know more about migration and the Mother City, head to www.scalabrini.org.za and www.adonismusatiproject.org.
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Is Cape Town cosmopolitan? City Views spoke to three foreign nationals living and working in Cape Town to find out what their experience of the Mother City is.
From left: Kola Jolaolu, Moreira Chonguica and Godfrey Madanhire.
Foreign nationals who call Cape Town home Kola Jolaolu
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ola Jolaolu is a chartered accountant who hails from Nigeria and now happily calls himself a Capetonian. As the CEO of Devnomics, a consultancy that offers project management and evaluation skills to state developments, he travels nationally but, he says, “just the appearance of Table Mountain tells me that I’m home.” CV What can Cape Town do better to help immigrants contribute to the local economy? I see many people from all over Africa work successfully in Cape Town. Although I have one piece of advice for those coming to work here: Keep the law. In Jo’burg there may be more opportunities to make money but in Cape Town things are more transparent, so make sure that here you want to walk a straight and narrow path.
CV What is your experience as a businessman when dealing with Capetonians? Accountants are welcome anywhere. People have money – they don’t know how to count it. Just make sure you know the South African business laws and tax laws.
Moreira Chonguica Moreira Chonguica is a successful Mozambican jazz musician who studied at the SA College of Music and loves living in Cape Town. CV What can Cape Town do better to help immigrants establish their business? I would like to see a greater integration of organisations such as the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce with, as is in my case, the Mozambican consulate. There could be cultural cross-over evenings, business information sharing and networking events. I think this will help immigrants feel they
are contributing to their adopted city whilst not losing their identity of their homeland. CV What can Cape Town learn from Maputo on how to treat business people from outside its borders? Maputo is a melting pot of cultures. There are large communities of Indians, Portuguese, Angolans and now, because of investments, Chinese. It is a very non-racial environment at every level of business and government. Mozambicans are very outgoing, relaxed and friendly and if you choose to relocate to Maputo or do business there, people welcome you.
Godfrey Madanhire Today Godfrey Madanhire runs a successful corporate motivation and training company called Dreamworld Promotions. Ten years ago he arrived in South Africa as a refugee.
“Local communities need to be educated that foreigners come to give, not to take – I employ over 300 people, 99% of them South Africans. I reduce unemployment, I pay tax: If the city helps us we can help the city.” Godfrey Madanhire
“I’ve been running my own business since 2006. Setting it up was a huge challenge. With no permanent residence I couldn’t qualify for financial assistance so I was forced to do everything in cash. But I believed in my dream and I kept on knocking on doors. “I was selling short-term insurance products for a Zimbabwean firm and I quit to start my own company. I was lucky that I had a good relationship with the landlord, and secured a small room with low rates. That’s how I got going. I then employed six people paid on a commission basis. “If I started my business in Jo’burg it may have failed – once they pick up the foreign accent they don’t trust you, they remind themselves of all these myths
LITERARY CITY
Pan-African publication tackles our past
Some of the Chimurenga posters going up all over the city in anticipation of their new publication, Chronic.
Chimurenga is a pan-African publication of writing, art and politics published annually out of Cape Town’s Long Street since 2002.
The Chimurenga team
For their 2011 edition they’ve collaborated with Kenya’s leading literary magazine Kwani and Nigeria’s acclaimed independent publisher Cassava Republic Press to put together a speculative newspaper. Backdated to the week of 18 to 24 May 2008 – the first week of the outbreak of xenophobic violence across South Africa three years ago – the Chimurenga Chronicle, or Chronic for short, is a 248page newspaper providing the depth of reporting and analysis that should have appeared during this period. Both a bold art project and an ambitious
publishing venture, the Chronic features the work of over 120 participating writers and artists, curated by a pan-African editorial team. (Chimurenga has just been honoured with the Prince Claus Fund’s 2011 Principal Award, for outstanding achievement in the field of culture and development, so you can expect first-class content.) This publication is set for global release on 19 October 2011, Black Wednesday, and is currently being promoted through a six-week poster campaign featuring provocative newspaper headlines. Watch www.chimurenga.co.za for details.
Photos: Lisa Burnell and supplied
DIVERSE CITY
about foreigners. Cape Town is different, here they don’t treat you like a foreigner; it’s much more cosmopolitan. People don’t mind if you’re from Zimbabwe, they don’t even blink if they hear my accent. In Cape Town I chat with many different nationalities and there is a lot to learn from people from another country, they all have different ways of approaching questions to find solutions.” CV What can Cape Town do better to help immigrants establish their businesses? Local communities need to be educated that foreigners come to give, not to take – I employ over 300 people, 99% of them South Africans. Also, the city needs to help foreign nationals set up businesses. I reduce unemployment, I pay tax: If the city helps us we can help the city. A big help would be to provide start-up finance to foreign nationals just like you’d give to any nationals.
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MOBILE CITY
New mobility for the new city Would an extra lane clear the traffic jam during your morning commute? Would free and abundant parking encourage the city’s economy? The uneasy answer to these questions is no, but what are the solutions when public transport cannot, within the next generation, meet the need?
“If we are going to make ourselves less vulnerable in a future where oil won’t be as cheap and where the country has to reduce carbon emissions, integrated rapid transport is the right way to go.” Roger Behrens
the week and 5 000 on the weekend. The airport route is also gaining traction with 8 000 passengers using the service. Connecting commuters to other transport nodes – there are several MyCiTi stations within a short walk of train stations – is key to the BRT as it doesn’t aim to reinvent the public transport wheel, but become a stable fourth leg to the tottering table of transport options which includes buses, trains and minibus taxis. The arrival times of the BRT buses are timed to connect with trains expected shortly at the stations so as to reduce passengers’ travel time.
Photos: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town and Lisa Burnell
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undreds of thousands of residents rely on what is perceived to be an irregular and unsafe train service into town. While Prasa has announced that new trains will be introduced over the next 20 years and state their intention to launch a R3-billion tender process to upgrade the local signalling systems, commuters are in need of shortterm solutions. Capetonians typically turn to the car as soon as they earn over R6 000 per month, most of them never to revert back to public transport. If each of the 81 000 cars that drive into central Cape Town each morning travel an average of 20km per day, they pump 1.5 tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere each year. This combines to 121 500 tons of CO2 . Add to this the 10% of income that South Africans pay for transport annually and the picture is painted of an unsustainable use of time, space and money. The city’s bus rapid transport system, MyCiTi, is set to be part of an integrated rapid transport solution and is rolling out across the city and surrounds to help get Cape Town to work. “If we are going to make ourselves less vulnerable in a future where oil won’t be as cheap and where the country has to reduce carbon emissions, this is the right way to go,” said Roger Behrens, a professor at UCT and director at the Centre for Transport Studies. The completed MyCiTi map stretches across the Cape Town metropole and shows 20 dedicated lanes, bringing the city closer to the dream of offering all residents a bus stop within 500m of their front door. Functioning routes include an inner-city loop from Gardens and the Waterfront, a route from the city centre to the airport as well as one that links the city far up the West Coast to the suburbs of Big Bay and Blouberg. Central City residents can catch a bus until 22h00 during the week and weekend, with pickup times ten minutes apart during peak hours for R5. Since the launch of the system on 9 May its popularity has climbed to where now there is standing room only on the routes serviced during peak time. More than 236 000 trips were made during July, which translates to 9 000 per day during
For more MyCiTi information: www.capetown.gov.za/en/MyCiti
Mobile app for city commuters What is the quickest way to get across town using public transport? Enter a mobile application that will tell you how: WhereIsMyTransport. The lack of predictability of any public transport is a common feature across the country. Devin de Vries and Chris King, while students at UCT, were asked to solve a realworld problem using technology and conceptualised a cellphone application that will help make public transport predictable. WhereIsMyTransport tells you either the quickest route to where you’re going, or the cheapest – all through the use of public transport.
Real-time information is fed into the system through GPS devices mounted on trains, taxis and buses, and pedestrian access to your destination is taken into account, meaning that you can get a clear picture of transport choices from wherever you are. As transport routes are set entities, the system can advise you to change your mode of transport if it will help you shorten your travel time, where a bus and train route intersect, for example. A key step for the growth of this system is for train, bus and taxi authorities to adopt it as well. “Transport providers just don’t have access to the type of information that we can give them,” Devin says, confident that they will understand how using WhereIsMyTransport can save them both time and money. “With our system you can see if the driver is driving safely or recklessly. You can also track the use of
your fleet, when a vehicle is due for a service and how often it needs attention. Drivers are also monitored
“People hate to feel stupid. Many Capetonians have been brought up with a car and feel stupid that they don’t know how to make public transport work for them. This introduces them to transport alternatives in a language that they understand – through their cellphone.” Devin de Vries
and can easily be held accountable as the operator has proof of any traffic infringements.” Having transport schedules and costs publically available isn’t enough to convince people to use
it. “That’s available already,” says Devin. “Our research has consistently found that public transport needs to be widely accepted as reliable, predictable, safe and accessible. “It may be safe to take public transport now, but it isn’t very accessible with residents still being unable to find safe parking at the train or bus stations. It certainly isn’t reliable and as a result isn’t predictable. “People hate to feel stupid. Many Capetonians have been brought up with a car readily available and feel stupid that they don’t know how to make public transport work for them. This introduces them to transport alternatives in a language that they understand – through their cellphone.” WhereIsMyTransport is set to launch on 27 October with UCT’s Jammie Shuttle system as their first client. Metrorail is expected to be included by the end of the year. Check out www.whereismytransport.co.za for details.
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RTRAITS BICYCLE PO
October 2011
Stan and Nic still cycle the city (and the country) taking photographs, and you can track their journey here: www.bicycleportraits.co.za. Bicycle Portraits will, in all likelihood, be launched during Design Indaba 2012, but for the meantime you can pre-order your copy on the site for R350 (the project is funded through pre-orders, so final publication couldn’t happen without your support).
Cycling the Central City For close on two years, Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler have been cycling South Africa (and beyond), taking photographs of people who use bicycles as an everyday means of transport. What they documented along the way is set to be published early next year under the title Bicycle Portraits. Here are a few Central City cyclists they met and interviewed along the way.
Patrick O’Gorman works for Crisis Couriers in Bree Street, and is one of only a few cycle couriers in the city. “No offense to anyone that works in an office, but you can basically say the road is my office. I see everything, different things every day. I meet different people, you know.”
Henry Nxumalo used to live under Nelson Mandela Boulevard on the Foreshore. He called his bike Roro, after his son. “I was sitting here under the bridge one day and a guy came pushing [this bike] – the wheels were flat and everything was messed up, and eventually he just asked if I wanted it. So I took it and I fixed it a little bit. It’s called Roro – I named it after my son.”
Peter Briggs is a minister at a local church who found he needed to get around town, but didn’t have a car. A friend and fellow minister gave him a bike. “There are quite a lot of ministers who cycle, and quite a few of my colleagues have actually done the Argus cycle race, but I wouldn’t – I cycle for transport, not for madness! In traffic I have never felt all that safe – I used to cycle most of my life in Pretoria, and even Cape Town taxi drivers are not as bad as Pretoria ordinary drivers.”
This photograph of Takura Chadoka and Mango Mogeni was taken on the corner of Hout and Burg streets, at the height of World Cup fever. “I don’t really care for soccer – it’s interesting, it’s a good game, a beautiful game, you know – but I like bicycles! If there was something for bicycles I would go for bicycles! You see this kid? I like him ’cause he likes bicycles – he’s always trying to ride this one but it’s too big for him. He’s got a small bicycle but it’s broken down. I’m going to try and fix it for him. That’s why I’m taking him around on the BMX.”
Photos: Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler
Jo Rawson was given this city bike by her fiancé. They collectively own five bikes, stored in a 63m² flat. “I cycle because I love it and find it very liberating. It is a nice speed to see the city and it is so convenient. I’ve always wanted a bike with a basket in the front and a little clip thing at the back – so I can carry my stuff. This bike is a belated birthday present from my fiancé. It is a Peugeot frame from France – it even says ‘Made in France’.”
Bernard Kehoe lives in Mouille Point, works on Strand Street, and rides the new cycle lane along the Fan Walk into town. “I bought this bike in 1991 or 1992, I think, from Bernard at Soloped, just around the corner. I did the Argus five times on it. I find it quicker to commute on the bicycle – I’m home in 12 minutes and I’m saving R1 000 a month. If everybody started commuting by bicycle from the Atlantic Seaboard they’d pay for the World Cup stadium quickquick.”
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MOBILE CITY
Towards a lightfooted transport legacy If a city’s lifeblood is its people and its streets the arteries, how do we move people through our cityscape in a way that ensures out collective long life and livelihood? As part of September’s Transport Month, a number of locals looked at lighthearted alternatives to our heavy carbon footprint.
WHEELS OF CHANGE
Park(ing) Day ZA During Creative Week Cape Town, on 16 September 2011, two parking spaces outside Oh! Café in Harrington Street were transformed into green public space (thanks to the innovative thinking of Greenpop and Synsport) – in aid of highlighting how much space is taken up accommodating stationary cars and encouraging better use of this space. For more information on Park(ing) Day, head to http://parkingday.org. To get involved with greening the city spaces around you, check out www.greenpop.org.
Moving Planet Parade On Heritage Day, 24 September, Capetonians took to the streets on foot, by bicycle, wheelchair, skateboard, pram, and any other form of low-carbon transport you can think of as a way of advocating for a sustainable, low-carbon transport legacy and life beyond fossil fuels.
Photos: Lisa Burnell
For more information on this global movement with local roots, visit www.moving-planet.org.
Park(ing) Day at Oh! Café in The Fringe, in which local musician Jeremy Loops (pictured above) participated.
The bicycle’s role in empowering people, helping expand their geographical, social and political horizons has been beautifully documented in National Geographic’s Wheels of Change: How the Bicycle Empowered Women. Our question: What could the bicycle mean for Africa? We spoke to the Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN) to find out. “Simply put?” responds Yvonne Tripod, “A bicycle makes your life easier. We recently gave a number of bikes to some YMCA healthcare workers, and have been surveying the results. Workers report that they are now able to see 30% more patients, that they spend R100 to R200 less on transport a month, that they spend less time travelling and more time with their families, and that they feel better, healthier.” For more information on how BEN is making people’s lives easier, go to www.benbikes.org.za.
Photos: Lisa Burnell
CCID cyclists You might’ve noticed a few more Central City cyclists of late: In an effort to ensure the streets are safer, cleaner and greener, the Central City Improvement District has invested in more CCID-branded bicycles for security staff. At any one time, there are five such bicycles on the street 24/7. Says Muneeb Hendricks, head of security for the CCID, “Navigating the streets by bicycle rather than on foot or by car dramatically increases our response time (especially during traffic) – while also reducing the carbon footprint of our operations.” If you too would like to cycle the Mother City, head to www.capetownbicyclemap.co.za to figure out the best route for you. And when you’re in your car, keep an eye out for those on two feet and two wheels – keep a 1.5-metre distance from bicycles to ensure everyone’s safety.
Photo: Richard Aar
on, Muti
Images from the Moving Planet Parade that started at the Cape Town Station forecourt.
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Tanner Methvin works in what he calls “the universe of social innovation – creating alternative ways of engaging in and with existing social constructs”. He has worked closely with a number of NGOs and businesses, trying to help them define how to do business in a way that is socially just and environmentally conscious. He is currently the executive director of the Africa Centre, situated on the first floor of 44 Long Street. City Views spoke to him about city identity, what Cape Town is and isn’t – and what it has the potential to become.
Photo: Lisa Burnell
PEOPLE’S ART SPACES IN PUBLIC
CV What’s African about Cape Town?
It’s hard to answer a question like that because Cape Town can be nothing else but an African city, by the nature of its geography. The question also presumes that there is something specific or particular that makes a city African. How can that be? African cities don’t function within some specific set of parameters; they are as diverse, complex, and different as the people who occupy them. CV What defines Cape Town’s city centre?
Infecting the City is an Africa Centre project and an annual public arts festival that takes place in public spaces throughout the city centre.
October 2011
Africa Centre opening up the city - through art
Photos: Sydelle Willow Smith
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Cape Town’s CBD is by far one of the most interesting spaces in the city. One of the things that I love about the CBD, that makes it such an interesting space, is its silence and its activity – and the divergence between the two. The CBD is really quiet sometimes, and vibrant and active others. Its ability to be both by turns – and unexpected turns – is amazing. I love moving through the city at different times of day to experience the very different energy. Another thing I really appreciate about it is the mix of old and new, formal and informal. It feels like an opportunistic space – with possibilities for every type of person. A place where innovation and evolution are still possible and welcomed.
their own. There are unspoken social norms and rules that people are reading and interpreting – or misinterpreting – that prevents us from realising the possibilities of our communal existence. Part of our work at the Africa Centre is to explore how these public spaces become shared and present something different within them.
“The size and layout of the CBD provides for unique access to public space and ways to navigate and function on foot. That’s a rare thing – particularly in this country. But I don’t think that our public spaces function in ways that are genuinely public … Part of our work at the Africa Centre is to explore how these public spaces become shared and present something different within them.” Tanner Methvin
CV What can the Central City be?
CV How does public space become shared?
The size and layout of the CBD provides for unique access to public space and ways to navigate and function on foot. That’s a rare thing – particularly in this country. But I don’t think that our public spaces function in ways that are genuinely public. The CBD’s public space often becomes a pass-through space, experienced in a transitory or migratory way. In that way people move through it on their way to someplace else and do not claim these spaces as
One of the ways we do this is of course via arts and cultural practice. Our public arts festival, Infecting the City, does shift how people experience the space that they collectively own, by looking at what art and public art can do to build connections between people and place. These expressions of art allow people to feel places and experience spaces that they otherwise wouldn’t. It helps them to understand where their feet are planted in a particular way, to see
the extraordinary in the ordinary – it allows that 3D moment that doesn’t happen very often. In staging this festival since 2008 we’ve learnt a number of things – most importantly to factor in the dynamics of how people move within the CBD and when. Where they naturally congregate and where they are prepared to go if encouraged. In 2011, 30% of our audience just happened upon the performances – that’s 30% of 25 000 people. CV Could you tell us about some of the Africa Centre’s other projects?
Because the Africa Centre functions at a pan-African level, a lot of what we do is in the virtual domain versus the physical domain. One example is WikiAfrica, which aims to redress the critical imbalance of factual information about historic and contemporary Africa on the internet’s most utilised information resource, Wikipedia. Designed to allow anyone and everyone to contribute to what is now the world’s largest encyclopaedia, Wikipedia has a few fatal flaws: the people who contribute information to Wikipedia are not representative of the planet they are writing facts about; four out of five wikipedians (the people who contribute to Wikipedia) are male and half are under the age of 22; and four out of five wikipedians come from countries in the North. WikiAfrica intends to activate a new community of African experts and amateurs alike to generate and expand 30 000 articles about who and what Africa is on Wikipedia over the next two years. The Africa Centre explores how contemporary pan-African art, culture and intellectual pursuit can be a catalyst for social change. For more information about their work and how you can get involved, visit www.africacentre.net or call them at 021 422 0468.
October 2011
CityViews
about
“I live in the Central City” Academic, choreographer and director Jay Pather is known for performance works in non-traditional spaces. In 2010 he choreographed a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar – Qaphela Caesar – as a journey through 14 of the rooms in City Hall, and he conceptualised public arts festival Infecting the City with Brett Bailey in 2007. He also lives in Spin Street. City Views spoke to him about what creativity, collaboration and conversation have to do with city spaces and urban development.
I moved here in 2006 from Durban, where I also lived in the city centre. I’m a great purveyor of city centres – and here lies my great idiosyncracy: I don’t drive. I’ve spent time in places where I simply didn’t need to drive, one of them being New York. The city has always fascinated me as a living space – where you have your social and living space side by side, and you constantly have to take care of recreating self. CV You must walk the city a lot. Any walks you’d really recommend?
I walk everywhere, and almost always walk for business – to appointments, to the office, back home. But when I do get to walk for pleasure, I love to walk Sea Point Promenade, Newlands Forest, up Table Mountain, along Kloof Street and Kloof Nek over the mountain to Camps Bay, particularly on a cloudy, poetic day. CV Why do you choose to live in the Central City?
Living in the city is challenging, but it’s a wonderful challenge. It’s a way of developing my own sense of the world. Living in the CBD, I’m constantly in the world, a part of everything going on, and I really like that. It’s both elevating and assuring for me. Suburbs determine the kind of people you meet. In the city, there are always accidents, moments of serendipity. Here, in the city, I feel like I’m part of something global, something bigger. It’s interesting how surprised people are when they come up to my apartment – surprised that life in the city can be both engaging and comfortable. CV
What brought you here?
I was appointed an associate professor of drama at UCT, which I worked at for four years. Then in 2010 I was responsible for postgraduate studies
9
AFRICA 101
African arts campus at Artscape African Arts Institute (AFAI) – based in Union House on Commercial Street and headed up by local playwright and arts and culture activist Mike van Graan – is set to launch Africa 101, a week-long African arts campus at Artscape from 24 to 28 October 2011, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut.
Photo: Lisa Burnell
A culmination of Learn Africa, Love Africa – AFAI’s series of monthly cultural events promoting arts, culture and creative content from the rest of Africa to a local Cape Town audience – Africa 101 will offer film screenings, play readings and art and literature events coupled with short courses facilitated by top local thinkers. Among them Professor Harry Garuba of the UCT Centre for African Studies; Richard Nwamba of SAFM’s The African Connection; artist, curator and commentator Andrew Lamprecht and M-Net African Film Library curator Mike Dearham.
To be part of the conversation, visit www.gipca.uct.ac.za, join the mailing list, and head to any one of the monthly GIPCA events.
for drama, and for the last year, I’ve headed up GIPCA – the Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts – where I’m responsible for fostering interdisciplinary dialogue.
What does your work entail? CV
GIPCA is close to the city, and so has lots to do with it. The objective of the events we stage – and we stage one every month – is to involve the public in an open and discursive way, to have collective conversations. Earlier this year we held a series on film and dance, and how film, particularly that made available through social media, is democratising this elitest of art forms. Earlier in the year we debated issues of race and identity. Soon we’ll run a series around climate change.
“Suburbs determine the kind of people you meet. In the city there are always accidents, moments of serendipity. Here, in the city, I feel like I’m part of something global, something bigger.” Jay Pather
CV So part of what you do is make art more inclusive?
Art can play a role in making city spaces more welcoming – especially art in public places – but artists have been playing to a very particular crowd for some time – to the educated, by which I don’t mean the intelligent. People are intrinsically intelligent, but may not be schooled in artistic codes. By not using more obscure codes that have developed within
Africa 101 is open to people from all walks of life – keen travellers, creative practitioners, students, professionals and anyone looking to improve their knowledge about the continent. For more details and to book, contact AFAI directly at info@afai.org.za or 021 465 9027 or visit www.africanartsinstitute.org.za.
disciplines, you can still make work accessible without dumbing it down. CV What are some of the international cities you love, and what can Cape Town learn from them?
Places like Maputo and Havana – cities concerned with development that haven’t forgotten their social conscience. I love Edinburgh because the people there often use words like “take care” – and I really value this idea of a place where people look after each other. Berlin is a city that really confronts heritage with a contemporary sensibility. What Cape Town and South Africa can learn from Berlin specifically is how to be unstinting in its confrontation of the past while finding ways to work through it. CV What can and should Cape Town become?
The challenge of urban development is that we need people of great sensitivity developing our city space – we shouldn’t simply ape the gentrification of the rest of the world. Development can be a double-edged sword, and needs to be balanced with the preservation of the soul of a place. It’s arguable that New York is as cutting edge as it used to be, given how gentrified it’s become. South Africa is still seen as a highly creative nation able to solve great problems with great flair and insight into the human condition. But we need to listen to our people more, to collaborate. The wave in the late ’90s was because we started to speak to each other – that’s when we became known as the miracle nation with miracle cities. We are straying away from that, taking these freedoms for granted.
Public arts festival Infecting the City 2012 is being curated by GIPCA’s Jay Pather.
Photos: Sydelle, Willow Smith
CV How long have you lived in the city centre?
town
10 from the
CityViews
fringe
October 2011
INNOVATIVE CITY
The creative economy in
Commercial Street
Commercial, a one-way street in The Fringe, may not look like economic central, but when it comes to creative exchange it contains a powerhouse. The canary yellow building at 25 Commercial Street is home to a number of art, craft and design institutions – who seem connected in more ways than we could unravel. City Views stopped by Union House to meet a few of the faces inside its spaces. 01 Ronald Muchatuta, from Zimbabwe, is in the second year of his studies at the Spier Arts Academy (05), a three-year, fully funded mosaic apprenticeship programme that aims to equip Ronald and aspirant artist-entrepreneurs like him with the skills needed to start a business. “Harare is one of those old towns – it’s the capital, but it’s an ancient city. Cape Town is a new city: Every six months something new is happening. It’s quite advanced – one of those metropolitan cities, like New York, Japan, London, in that it’s always changing … If you base yourself in a place that’s well marketed, then you might get noticed too.”
02
es and by stimulating cultural policy debates on the continent.”
03
www.arterialnetwork. organd www.artsinafrica. com
06 Pulling Rabbits is a design studio that started as a group of freelancing Stellenbosch graduates. John Blignaut is one-half of the creative partnership that heads the studio up, and has lived in Cape Town for the past 10 years. What brought him here? “An attraction to the city and its entrepreneurial spirit, really. It’s a fruitful space to pioneer something new.” He walks from Oranjezicht into work every day. Studio manager Lee Helme recently returned to Cape Town after living in London for four years: “Cape Town’s creative industry feels positive, like the beginning of something. I arrived back from London when the World Cup had just started – the buildings were looking so good, and those security guys, the CCID, seemed to be everywhere. There was a lot of positivity. Capetonians get used to it, as if it’s normal to have so much creativity in one place. It’s not! … But there must be some way to replicate it for other cities.”
01
04
05
www.spierartsacademy.co.za
www.boukuns.co.za 03 Miranda Vinjwa is one of the Spier Arts Academy’s first five graduates – who together have formed the Sisonke Mosaic Studio, based in Union House. Miranda was born in the Eastern Cape, now lives in Khayelitsha and travels into the city centre by bus. “Khayelitsha is chaotic. Cape
www.pullingrabbits.co.za
Town is urban life – it’s so quiet! Personally, I find more inspiration in Khayelitsha. What we want to do [at Sisonke] is introduce people to where we come from and what we do, the everyday life of the township. We want to combine the two histories and cultures of Italian mosaic and South African township life.” Liani van der Westhuizen grew up in Jo’burg, lives in Kloof Street and walks or cycles into work – “I sold my car when I went overseas and I haven’t needed it since,” she says. She manages Spier Architectural Arts, an organisation that “specialises in collaborative work with fine artists and architects, producing site-specific art interventions”. “There’s a real synergy to this space. What Union House is all about is collaboration. By virtue of sharing a space, we’re all exposed to each other’s work – people who come in for a business meeting often end up buying an artwork from the Qubeka Bead Studio, for example. It’s kind of free advertising.” www.spierarchitecturalarts.com
07
06
Photos: Caroline Jordan
02 Rohan Nothnagel is one of three architects who make up Boukuns – all of whom studied together in Pretoria and worked (independently) at established Cape Town firms before setting out on their own in April this year. They’ve just completed the first restoration phase of Union House itself, while working from its third floor. “The challenge with old buildings like Union House is how to retrofit them and still keep the integrity intact. Part of the next phase we’re planning is a green wall on the parking lot side of Union House. It would screen the building from the Western sun (it can get really hot in here and we don’t have air-conditioning – a deliberate choice). We want to give the bottom section of the wall back to occupants – so many of us live in the city and don’t have gardens – a dedicated portion for the growing of herbs.”
04 Belisa Rodrigues is general manager of both the African Arts Institute (AFAI), a non-profit organisation that “encourages South Africa to look beyond the Limpopo” – and of the Arterial Network, a civil society network of African arts and culture practitioners and cultural activists now represented in more than 30 countries across all five regions of the continent. “I feel a very strong pull to the creative and cultural industries in
Cape Town in particular, and the continent in general. A few years back, I was in Barcelona – it was 10 years after the Olympics but before Cape Town co-hosted the World Cup – and I saw how the city was shaped by developments within the creative and cultural industries. I wanted to learn how to foster a creative economy in our own cities. The African Arts Institute does this by building capacity within the sector, by building markets for creative goods and servic-
Get in touch with Union House directly to meet more of the faces – like the three women who head up Qubeka, a fine art beading studio, who collaborate with the likes of Doreen Southwood and Conrad Botes. Or Colin Ndalama (07), the Malawian barista (from whom residents and “special friends” can get a great R5 coffee). Or Jeanetta Blignaut, the name around which so many Union House initiatives seem to hang. Do it; we promise you won’t be disappointed.
11
on the
town
CityViews
October 2011
A STREET AT A TIME
Why I love Wale Street by Greg Dale Photo: Lisa Burnell
Greg Dale is the owner of Commune.1 at 64 Wale Street, an old building of elegant proportions with a hint of glamour.
I “I would love to think of Wale Street as that avenue you stumble upon one day, off the high street, and discover things you didn’t expect to find. Maybe, like us, you aren’t sure whether you really want to tell too many people.” – Greg Dale
had been looking for a building in the City Bowl to house a gallery space, and this particular building caught my eye – because of its beautiful proportions and features, and the very rare presence of the chapel space that sits at the back of the site, a secret majestic space that you only discover after you have entered the front doors. Wale Street has old world proportions. It is wider than the other diagonals, and not hemmed in at the top end with tall structures. There is still the spectre of the past walking this street, past the rows of palm trees, anchored on one side by a cathedral, on the other by the mountain and the slopes of the Bo-Kaap. I love that feeling
of being on a well-travelled historic trade route. I’m very lucky to get both of my dream businesses to open with me in the building. Liam Mooney was the first brave soul to venture into my half-completed vision, and his furniture showroom and design HQ downstairs is inspired. He seamlessly integrated his contemporary image with the bones of an old building, and the shop never stops changing. I like arriving every morning to see what he’s conspired to do the night before. The Honest Chocolate shop is opposite on the other street front. Their shop has all the old-world charm and style I could have hoped for, and their product is world class. It was important to get owner-run shops
A touch (and taste)
F
ive years ago Senait Mekonnen ventured from Dar es Salaam to Cape Town to start the sister restaurant to Addis in Dar. What is today Addis in Cape brings her experience and the taste of Ethiopia into the city centre. One of the first things you must know before visiting is that mealtime in Ethiopia is a social affair. “You share, that’s just the way it is,” Senait notes. Tables are round and cutlery is edible – a large, thin, sourdough pancake made of rice flour – injera. Vegetarians and carnivores are catered for with the same dedication. “Vegetables are a fast food in Ethiopia and so vegetarian options are as important as meat dishes,” explains Senait. The rich vegetarian gastronomic heritage stems from long nationwide fasts of all animal products, led by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Chickpeas, lentils and mushrooms make the base of many of the dish-
es, with the first option on the menu being misir wot – split red lentils sautéed with onions and garlic slow-cooked with berbere. (Berbere is a spice mixture of milled dried chillies and garlic, onions, ginger, cloves and cardamom.) “Our berbere is imported directly from Ethiopia,” says Senait, proudly. “While many Ethiopian dishes take a long time to prepare, they’re healthy, gluten-free and have a special taste. “I love Cape Town and I’m happy here. My staff are good and many of them have been with me from the beginning. I feel comfortable leaving my car outside my Church Square flat, even for a week – the security guys are very good. I often walk home after closing at 01h00 or 02h00.” An average lunch dish costs R50, the average dinner dish R95. The set menu, consisting of eight different dishes, starters, mains and coffee with dessert, costs R170.
Photo: Supplied and by Lisa Burnell
of Ethiopia
with integrity and the right outlook; they’ve made the building come alive. The Commune.1 gallery, with its two exhibition spaces in the rest of the building, will be dedicated to showing and progressing installationbased work and sculpture. In the next month we will open the courtyard of the building to people wanting to have a coffee or small meal in the privacy of an enclosed courtyard with beautiful old stone walls dating back to the 18th century. I would love to think of Wale Street as that avenue you stumble upon one day, off the high street, and discover things you didn’t expect to find. Maybe, like us, you aren’t sure whether you really want to tell too many
people. There are still some really beautiful stories on Wale Street’s pavements and behind its unnoticed doors, and if the right kind of care is taken of them it could become a beautifully preserved and vibrant avenue, a great mix of history and progression. Creativity has been identified as Cape Town’s competitive edge, and I think the burgeoning community of people taking personal risks and starting new ventures will give it a chance of creating something significant. I just hope that my building, and all of us in it, can be aware of our role in that. Commune.1 64 Wale Street T: 021 423 5600 www.commune1.com
RECIPE Misir wot 100g red lentils 30ml oil 35g chopped onion 12g berbere 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic salt hot water Heat the oil, add the onion and garlic, and fry until brown, being careful not to burn. Add 50ml hot water and fry until the onion is soft, then add berbere and 50ml more water and continue cooking until the mixture is smooth and well mixed (5 minutes or more). Wash the lentils well and add them to the sauce with another 50ml hot water. After the lentils are well coated with sauce, add some more hot water and cook until the lentils are ready and the sauce is thick and smooth. Add salt to taste.
Berbere and injera can be bought directly from Addis in Cape for R150 (per 250g) and R15 respectively. Addis in Cape 41 Church Street T: 021 424 5722 www.addisincape.co.za
12
my
town
CityViews
October 2011
The musicians who make up Freshlyground come from all over Africa and South Africa – Harare, Maputo, New Brighton, Johannesburg – but Cape Town is where they met and where they continue to be based. Band members Peter Cohen (drums), Seredeal “Shaggy” Scheepers (keyboard and percussion), Zolani Mahola (lead vocals), and Kyla-Rose Smith (violin) spoke to City Views about where the heart is.
My Cape Town: Freshlyground
CV
Why Cape Town? What made you choose this place as home base?
What role does music play in Cape Town – and Africa’s – story?
Some of us are from Cape Town originally and circumstance drew the rest of us. But it is the kind of place that is very difficult to leave and a wonderful place to come home to.
Music is fundamental to our way of life as Africans. We live and breathe song and dance. We laugh and cry with music. We protest with it, we celebrate with it.
Could you say a little about the creative process between you as musicians – in creating a sound that is globally accessible, yet distinctly African?
Where does Freshlyground – as a band and as individuals – fit in that city soundscape?
CV
Everything to do with Freshlyground is very much a collaborative process, from making the music to the decisions we make in terms of our business. Ten years together has taught us to talk things through and the great art of compromise. What’s the sound of the city?
CV
CV
210 on Long, Cape Town, South Africa, Africa … the world! What other cities do you love, and what can Cape Town learn from them? CV
New York – there is an amazing energy and celebration of diversity there, and we can all learn to celebrate diversity a little more, to rejoice in our differences.
CV
The sound of the muezzin calling to pray … and some unmentionable words that drift onto balconies from bergies.
CV What about Cape Town is uniquely African?
It’s the edge of the continent and has been a meeting point for thousands of years, of seas and people.
Opinions on the music scene in the Mother City? CV
The scene is pretty vibrant in Cape Town, there are lots of different kinds of bands popping up all the time and interesting little venues to play. There is also a great electronic music scene very much spearheaded by the guys at Red Bull Studios. And Zula’s has just expanded to a fantastic new venue on Long Street. CV Places in the city you love to play, stay, walk or pray?
The Company’s Garden, St George’s Mall, Lion’s Head, Silvermine, Kalk Bay on a weekend. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a fantastic performance venue. CV Where in the city do you go for inspiration? A great cup of coffee? A cheap meal?
Timbuktu Café at the Pan African Market, Deluxe for coffee, Black Ram for a chaotic Friday night drink, Tagore’s in Observatory for some hidden musical gems. Depasco for a great cheap soup and a roll on a cold
CITY FOR ALL How do you think Cape Town can become more welcoming for everyone who uses its streets – particularly for those who live on them? 10 October is World Homeless Day, and Cape Town’s continued emphasis is on ways we can ensure that there are adequate alternatives to a life on the streets. For ideas how you can give regularly and give responsibly, mail info@capetowncid.co.za.
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
day. Jason’s for a fantastic sandwich. The Church Street antique market or Lulu’s secondhand clothing store for hidden gems. And then St George’s Mall for walking and people watching. Most inspiring Cape Town musicians and creatives of any description? CV
Wow, so many. Inge Beckmann, Laurie Levine, Abdullah Ibrahim, Robbie Jansen, Basil Coetzee, Kyle Sheperd, Simphiwe Dana. So many designers too: Philippa Green and Ida Elsje, Chloe Townsend from Missibaba, Pieter Hugo, Matthew Hindley, Zwelethu Mthethwa. We are blessed to have so many talented and inspiring artists of all kinds in our city What’s most loveable about these city streets and neighbourhoods? CV
Photos: Supplied
FOCUS ON
A city street you love, hate or hate to love? CV
We don’t have time to hate streets. CV What could we do to make a more caring, inclusive city?
There is so much we can do to make the city more inclusive. If every individual just cared a little more it would make the world a better place. We hate to see all the kids on the street and wish that there was more support for them. Let’s tax the rich more to take care of the many who don’t have. Freshlyground’s fourth and most recent album, Radio Africa, was launched in Cape Town at The Assembly last year, around the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Pick up a copy to hear snippets of the band’s African influences, stretching from the Cape to Cameroon.
The people, the cultural diversity, the colours. Cape Town is a very artistic city and there is beauty in the small details.
Freshlyground will set out on a massive South African tour on 28 October, culminating in a concert at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 9 December this year. Watch their website, www.freshlyground.com, for details.
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