City Views: Discover Cape Town as a Literary City by Cape Town Partnership

CITYVIEWS

YOUR FREE CAPE TOWN CENTRAL CITY PAPER

Cape Town as a

LITERARY CITY

The local publishing landscape

Mapping our

city’s stories

>> page 4&5

CLEAN | SAFE | CAR I NG

>> page 6&7

June 2012

The future

of publishing >> page 10&11

about

town

CityViews

Green economy:

CITYVIEWS

Does it include you? 5 June is World Environment Day and this year’s theme is all around the green economy – an economy that is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive (which means it definitely includes you). The CCID is committed to doing its part to keep Cape Town CBD clean and green, but to do so we need your help: Why? Around R200-million is needed annually to clean up rubbish that is dumped illegally across the city. In the CBD itself approximately half a ton of illegal waste is collected by the CCID each month – at hotspots such as Long, Loop and Bree Streets and between Hans Strydom Avenue and Buitensingel Street. Illegal dumping has severe practical consequences for the CBD, which include clogged drains, the attraction of rodents, cockroaches and health hazards.

Published by:

What can you do to help us? Contain it The City of Cape Town collects residential waste from the green and black bins once a week during weekdays according to a scheduled programme. Residents, please place your waste containers outside your homes by no later than 06h00 to prevent any waste pile up.

Drop it off Make use of the nearest community facilities where you can drop off excess waste and recyclables for free. The nearest large drop-off to the CBD is on Tramway Road, just off Regent Road in Sea Point.

Arrange collection Retailers, corporates and businesses need to make arrangements for

CARING CITY

Gratitude Attitude

waste collection either by signing a service level agreement with the City or employing a private collection company – as stipulated by the City’s By-Law. You must have enough bins to contain all your waste until collection day, or make arrangement to increase the frequency of your refuse collection. To make use of the City’s refuse collection services, contact them at Wastewise.User@ capetown.gov.za or 086 010 3089. If you’ve made an arrangement with a private service provider, please be sure to fax a copy of the agreement to 021 400 6215 or email Solidwaste. Bylaw@capetown.gov.za.

Report it

The Central City Improvement District (CCID)

Editor: Judith Browne: 021 419 1881 judith@capetownpartnership.co.za

Deputy Editor: Benita Kursan

Website: www.capetowncid.co.za www.capetownpartnership.co.za

port it to 086 010 3089 for replacement (do note, though, that a SAPS case number is required). Finally, visit the City of Cape Town’s website for tips and techniques on how to manage your waste: www. capetown.gov.za/en/Solidwaste2/ Pages/default.aspx Yours in the green economy,

You can report illegal dumping by calling the CCID hotline at 083 300 8328. And if any of your bins have been damaged or stolen, please re-

Tasso Evangelinos COO of the CCID

Setting the stage A lot of work happens behind the scenes to keep Cape Town clean, safe, caring and open for business. Here’s a snapshot of the work of the CCID in just two months – March and April 2012.

Everyday acts of kindness help transform Cape Town, and City Views would like to recognise those individuals who would otherwise continue doing good, but without thanks.

Is there someone who has transformed your experience of the city? Write to us and tell us about it.

Siwa Mkosi from Tiger Wheel & Tyre

CITY VIEWS ONLINE Read the latest e-dition: www.capetownpartnership.co.za/city-views Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CityViewsCapeTown Follow us on Twitter: @City_Views

Design: Infestation www.infestation.co.za 021 461 8601

The Central City Improvement District is a private-public partnership formed by the property owners of a defined geographical area to provide top-up services over and above what the City of Cape Town provides. The CCID and its managing agent, the Cape Town Partnership, 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

Photo: Lisa Burnell

Tiger Wheel & Tyre 33 Bree Street T: 021 425 4683 www.twt.co.za

Photo: Lisa Burnell

Mid-April we received the following letter from “a grateful pensioner” in Sea Point – thanking the team at Tiger Wheel & Tyre. “Driving along Strand Street I got a ﬂat tyre, I parked and walked to Tiger Wheel & Tyre. They were very busy but a mechanic gave up his lunch hour and came and changed my wheel, driving the car back to check the alignment, etc. When I asked the manager for my account, he said, ‘No charge, it was only a valve. It’s been a pleasure to help you!’ What a wonderful service and what super people. Thank you, Tiger Wheel & Tyre.”

June 2012

Telling your story in City Views

A CCID maintenance team member at work

Keep it clean: Our urban management

Show you care: Our social development initiatives

Stay safe: Our security interventions

• Road maintenance team attended to over 470 defects • R44 000 ﬁnes issued for illegal dumping • 59% of waste recycled (approximately 39 tons) • 99 potholes repaired • 133 paving repairs • 149 road signs repaired • 45 drains repaired • 205 road markings sites painted • Over 20 tons of waste removed from stormwater drains • 715 gulley drains cleaned

• 10 individuals were reunited with their families • 8 individuals were assisted medically and escorted to hospital • 14 individuals were referred to Straatwerk to one of our job programmes • 9 children were assisted and referred to SAPS and the Department of Social Development • 34 adults were assisted and referred to various NGOs for services.

• Our current response time is, on average, 2 minutes 30 seconds • 235 criminal arrests • 46 medical callouts • 45 vehicle assistance • 358 public assistance • Re-establishment of the Company’s Garden security steering committee • R650 000 law enforcement ﬁnes issued (most of which were trafﬁc related)

CORRECTIONS The editorial team at City Views endeavours to ensure all information published is up-to-date and correct. Occasionally errors slip in, however, despite out best efforts. For May 2012, please accept our apologies: Regarding the CTICC expansion, the principal architect for the existing CTICC is Revel Fox, not Anya van der Merwe. Visit www.cticc.co.za for more information Prices for the Castle of Good Hope are R28 for adults, R15 for South African pensioners, R12 for children between 5 and 12, with reduced rates on Sundays. Contact 021 787 1260 for more details.

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.

Distributing City Views If you’re an eager reader of City Views – and you know others who would enjoy reading it too, consider becoming a distributor. All we need is your contact details, address and how many copies you need each month. Or, if you would just like to track down where you can obtain your FREE copy send an email to Aziza Patandin on aziza@capetownpartnership.co.za.

Reading City Views We love knowing who our readers are and what they think. If you enjoy your copy of City Views, why not mail a picture of you reading it, wherever you love to read it (Your local coffee shop? On a street bench while people-watching?) telling us what you enjoyed most. If we like it, we’ll run it. Get in touch: judith@capetownpartnership.co.za.

June 2012

about

CityViews

town

PUBLISHING HUB

Newspaper House The historic home of local press looks to the future Built in 1836, Newspaper House has been at the centre of Cape Town’s journalism and publishing network since the 1850s. Last year, Independent Newspapers sold their headquarters to Ingenuity Property Investments for R86-million – and there was some speculation over what would happen to the resident newspapers. Since then, Ingenuity has invested a further R150-million to redevelop the complex. Ingenuity CEO Arnold Maresky gives the inside story on their plans for the building. CV Newspaper House is a wonderful heritage building. How important has it been to retain the character of the building? We’ve added some modern twists that will endure and complement the rest of the premises, but our core focus was to maintain the building’s distinctive character. CV Apparently Independent Newspapers will lease the top three floors of the building for the next twelve years. How important was it to you to retain the publisher of the city’s oldest newspapers – the Cape Times and Cape Argus – as a key tenant? We definitely didn’t want to see the newspapers move out. So many cities lose their hearts when business moves out. It’s important to us that Newspaper House remains an integral part of the city’s unique landscape.

Photo: Lisa Burnell

“We definitely didn’t want to see the newspapers move out. So many cities lose their hearts when business moves out. It’s important to us that Newspaper House remains an integral part of the city’s unique landscape.”

Ingenuity CEO Arnold Maresky encourages businesses to make Cape Town their place of choice

CV Could you talk us through some of the features of the development? The ground floor – which was previously the printing works – is being converted into

Photo: Lisa Burnell

CV What was Ingenuity’s primary motivation for purchasing Newspaper House, and how have Capetonians responded to the sale? The property has always been a strategic component of the publishing industry and St George’s Mall, and it’s an integral part of Cape Town’s heritage, but it needed a facelift, and we were attracted by the opportunity to upgrade existing office space, and convert what is mainly old industrial space into an attractive retail and office space. Overall the response from Capetonians has been extremely positive.

Work has already begun on the historic home of local press

a retail space that will include an attractive double-volume mall. This area will house original artefacts from the building and points of interest relating to the city’s history of newspaper publishing. We’re in discussion with some major national retailers for the bulk of the retail space, and a few selected niche players for the balance of the area. Part of the building is being redeveloped for parking and there’ll be a new walkway linking Greenmarket Square and the Mandela Rhodes complex. CV Where is property development in the city centre headed? What is your vision for Cape Town in 2040? There has been a dramatic change to the face of the city over the last few years and a number of key developments are still planned. The transport and infrastructure has been upgrad-

ed, making the city a unique place to work and play. It’s a city of great beauty and character. The city officials have certainly played their part to make things happen and to ensure that we will have a sustainable and attractive destination for people to work and live in. I hope that many corporations will recognise this and choose to make the city their place of choice.

Ingenuity is also the property group behind the Atlantic Centre on the Foreshore. For more information, find them online: www.ingenuityproperty.com

Sandy Naudé, acting general manager of Independent Newspapers Cape, speaks about the signiﬁcance of the Cape Argus and Cape Times editorial teams staying in the city centre: Parliament, and advertising staff can walk out into St George’s Mall and rub shoulders with their clients from the business world.”

Watch the transformation of Newspaper House for yourself at 122 St George’s Mall, and take the opportunity to pick up a Cape Argus or Cape Times for yourself, and read it cover to cover at a local coffee shop.

Photo: Lisa Burnell

“T

he Cape Argus is more than 150 years old, and the Cape Times nearly 130, so it goes without saying that they’ve been fundamental to the evolution of the city and its publishing industry, and it makes sense for their headquarters to remain in the city, at Newspaper House. Around 300 members of our editorial, advertising and management staff have stayed on in the building, while our presses have moved out, and printing has been outsourced to a plant in Parow. We are very pleased to be staying in the city where our journalists have easy access to the provincial and city government buildings, the High Court and

Sandy Naudé says the Cape Argus and Cape Times editorial teams are delighted to be staying in the city

about

town

CityViews

June 2012

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

CAPE TOWN’S

publishing landscape With a book publishing industry that accounts for approximately 70% of South Africa’s total, translating to more than 140 publishing houses and a net turnover of more than R2-billion Cape Town is one of the biggest publishing cities in Africa – and that’s not even counting newspapers, magazines and digital publishing. Here’s a rough guide to the city’s publishing establishment and the landscape in which it operates. By: Benita Kursan

THE PAST

Photos: Lisa Burnell

he start of Cape Town’s publishing industry coincided with the arrival of the colony’s first printing press from Europe in 1800. An official newspaper press was established and the government ordered the publication of the weekly Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser. In those days, freedom of the press was forbidden, and anyone who attempted to publish independently was faced with a heavy fine. Despite this, the South African Commercial Advertiser launched in 1824, laying the foundation for a tradition of vig-

The Mother City has a vast publishing landscape, that spans books to newspapers, magazines to digital

“Naspers and Cape Town’s media landscape are synonymous ... Despite its extensive global footprint, the group remains headquartered in Cape Town and continues to play an instrumental role in the economy of the country as a whole.” Esmaré Weideman

orous resistance to government or commercial interference in the press, and in 1828, freedom of the press was recognised at the Cape, heralding the launch of the Cape Argus (1857) and the Cape Times (1876). “The uniqueness of Cape Town’s publishing industry lies in our place in South Africa’s history. As the site of the first colonial settlement and the first conflicts with indigenous people, the development of the nation can be traced back here, and as publishers we’ve tracked that development,” says Sandy Naudé, acting general manager of Independent Newspapers Cape, the publishers of the Cape Times and the Cape Argus today. “South Africa’s first newspapers were published here and have been keeping people informed and telling the city’s story for over 150 years.” Foreshore-based Naspers, Africa’s leading publisher, printer and distributer of newspapers, magazines, books and related digital products also has its roots here: “Naspers and Cape Town’s media landscape are synonymous. The group’s history dates back

to 1915, when De Nasionale Pers was established and the first print publication, De Burger – now Die Burger – a daily newspaper under the curatorship of DF Malan, saw the light, and 1916, when the first monthly, De Huisgenoot – now Die Huisgenoot – was published,” explains Esmaré Weideman, CEO of Media24, Naspers’ print and digital media arm. Cape Town was also the first South African city to embrace book imports, and this is how the country’s first book publisher – Jan Carel Juta – started out in 1853. “He recognised the need for local publications (particularly books that documented legal information and readers for school children), supported local authors, and helped to create a book buying public,” says Lynn du Toit, CEO of Juta and Company. Juta has come a long way since it’s first shop on the corner of Burg and Wale Street: Over 160 years later, it continues to play a vital role as South Africa’s largest publisher of legal and regulatory information, textbooks and other educational material.

June 2012

about

CityViews

THE PRESENT

iven that printing presses were too heavy and expensive to move further inland, Cape Town’s publishing industry continued to thrive for some time, attracting international publishers to set up offices in the city, and supporting a web of local suppliers – from printers, to writers, illustrators and designers. The internet and advanced technology might’ve eroded that advantage, but Cape Town is still known for being home to an abundance of creative talent – and it’s for this reason that many of the biggest publishing houses in South Africa continue to be based here. “The magazine industry adds a great deal to the fabric of the city. It employs an amazing variety of talented creative people who are generally inquisitive and have a yearning to know more about the world around them. And the industry benefits greatly from being in Cape Town’s unique CBD environment – it’s practically convenient in terms of location and transport, and boasts some of the best locations and talent, including writers, photographers, stylists, illustrators and models,” says Andrew Nunneley, business development manager of Bree Street-based New Media Publishing, the country’s leading custom publisher.

Lynn du Toit of Juta and Company adds, “The publishing industry reflects the mind and soul of the nation and the people who are drawn to it. They’re committed people who want to make a contribution. This is what makes Cape Town’s publishing industry unique.” Other industry professionals agree: “Cape Town is unique as a backdrop to any kind of hard-working lifestyle. Magazine people work under harsh deadlines, so they’re often under pressure and when they do take time off it makes a huge difference to be able to do so in such great natural beauty. People say that Capetonians don’t work hard, but I don’t believe that’s true,” says MD of Gardens-based Associated Magazines, Julia Raphaely. Elan Lohmann, MD of Avusa’s digital arm, lives here and travels to Joburg for work most weeks, and although he acknowledges that “one often has to travel to Joburg to clinch the deals,” he’s quick to add that “there’s a definite concentration of digital skills, talent and innovation in Cape Town. The coffee bar culture and outdoor lifestyle is conducive to young entrepreneurs and digital publishers wishing to pursue a Silicon Valley-type lifestyle while they generate cool products.”

town

“Cape Town is unique as a backdrop to any kind of hard-working lifestyle. Magazine people work under harsh deadlines, so they’re often under pressure and when they do take time off it makes a huge difference to be able to do so in such great natural beauty. People say that Capetonians don’t work hard, but I don’t believe that’s true.” Julia Raphaely

THE FUTURE Photo: Lisa Burnell

embers of the publishing estabBrian Wafawarowa, executive director of lishment seem to agree that two the Publishing Association of South Africa things are vital if Cape Town is to (PASA), feels that Cape Town’s publishing remain South Africa’s publishing hub: the industry has not yet realised its full potenability to continue developing and nurtur- tial: “Globally, when you talk about publishing local creative talent, and the ability to ing it refers to the likes of media, film, music harness new technologies effectively. and gaming, not only books. This is not true New Media Publishing’s Andrew Nunne- for sub-Saharan Africa. We have a great ley elaborates: “The big issues at the mo- opportunity to grow the industry here, but ment are around finding different ways of first we need to look at issues of cultural delivering content and different ways of development, particularly literacy and the monetising that content. But, even more lack of reading activity in townships; techimportant, is the issue of understanding nology and publishing’s transition to digital, our readers better. We and government policy have so many more “The publishing industry around copyright laws.” advanced ways of unIndependent Newsin general is undergoing derstanding our readpapers’ Sandy Naudé a quantum shift and local ers now and they have reiterates the issue of publishers are evolving in literacy: “South Africa much higher expectations of us. It’s up to us line with their counterparts is a bit behind the rest to make sure that we internationally ... Publishers of the world and that understand our read- with content that readers has quite a bit to do need will continue to ers far better than ever with the fact that many prosper in the digital before and find ways South Africans do not to give them just what space – and Cape Town will read or have access to they want, at a time remain a publishing hub.” electronic media platthey want it and on the forms.” Lynn du Toit channel they want it. If Organisations like we can get this right then we can extend our PASA and the South African Book Developoffering beyond content and into physical ment Council are doing their bit to address products. With Cape Town at the forefront the issue with initiatives like National Book of our industry, these changes will be driven Week – which takes place from 6 to 13 Sepfrom here.” tember this year – and aims to increase Media24’s Esmaré Weideman concurs: awareness around literacy and promote “The wider Naspers group has ventured into publishing industry skills. The Centre for pay television and the internet to become an the Book, and NGOs like Help2Read and integrated multinational media group and Equal Education’s Bookery, aim to motivate one of the ten largest media companies in literate Capetonians to help children from the world. Despite its extensive global foot- underprivileged communities to learn to print, the group remains headquartered in read, or donate books to help stock school Cape Town and continues to play an instru- libraries. mental role in the economy of the country Juta and Company’s Lynn du Toit sums up as a whole. We’ll continue to invest in our what lies ahead: “The publishing industry employees as well as in technology and in- in general is undergoing a quantum shift novation, and community upliftment pro- and local publishers are evolving in line jects to enrich the lives of Capetonians.” with their counterparts internationally. The

Places like the Centre for the Book (top) and the National Library (bottom) are important anchors for Cape Town’s literary and publishing industries

purist notion of book publishing is no longer the norm, and the industry is now, more than ever, connected to the global industry. Publishing talent will evolve apace to meet the challenges of the future. It’s exciting and filled with opportunities. Publishers with content that readers need will continue to prosper in the digital space – and Cape Town will remain a publishing hub.”

Want to read more about Cape Town’s publishing potential? Turn to pages 10 and 11 for an insight into four exciting publishing ventures. Would you like to help grow a new generation of readers and writers? Get in touch with these great organisations: South African Book Development Council T: 021 914 8626 www.sabookcouncil.co.za Centre for the Book 62 Queen Victoria Street T: 021 423 2669 www.nlsa.ac.za Help2Read T: 021 685 8085 www.help2read.org The Bookery T: 021 461 4189 www.equaleducation.org.za/bookery

DID YOU KNOW? Afrikaans only started appearing in newspapers in the Latin alphabet around 1850. Until then, it was written mainly in the Arabic alphabet. Jan Carel Juta, the founder of Juta and Company, was married to Louise Marx, the sister of Karl Marx. In its early years, Die Burger, as mouthpiece of the National Party, supported apartheid, but in 1990, the National Party was officially informed that the paper would no longer serve as their political mouthpiece. The disaffiliation has continued and in 2006 Henry Jeffreys became the first black editor of the paper.

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Open book, open city

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of the castle. The Castle of Good Hope Corner of Darling and Buitenkant www.castleofgoodhope. co.za BU

Richard Rive’s short André Brink’s EXNE story, The Bench – apartheid-era thriller R which takes the story of An Act of Terror looks at one IA FREES civil rights activist Rosa ParksBE man’s plan to assassinate LLAIR RDELIK NOO and imagines it in apartheid the president outside the ST. JAM – starts era South Africa Castle of Good Hope. ES NA on the Grand Parade Herman CharlesBEBosman’s LLA DON during the 1952 Defiance A Cask of Jerepigo KR includes EU PaE tour E Campaign. CHELMSFORD a chapter on doing ALO LH

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Poet Imraan Coovadia lives in Gardens, and recently

Clarke Award winner Lauren Beukes lives in Tamboerskloof, and her first novel, Moxyland, is set on the streets of Cape Town.

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Moments from literature set in the city

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Alex la Guma’s third novel, The Stone County, is set in and was based on his time in the Roeland Street Prison, now the Archives. 72 Roeland Street www.national.archives. gov.za M AANDBLO

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Cameroonian writer and DJ Ntone Edjabe launched and continues to publish Chimurenga – a

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published The Institute for Taxi Poetry, a tragi-comic whodunit of taxis and poets. ME

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Cape Town playwright and arts activist Mike van Graan works from Commercial Street as executive director of the African Arts Institute. African Arts Institute 25 Commercial Street www.africanartsinstitute.org.za

magazine to stimulate Z original perspectives on RISNE G the contemporary African experience – from the Pan-African Market. Pan-African Market 76 Long Street A FLORID www.chimurenga.co.za

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for walking – and walking the city streets has long been part of crime fiction.

IA Make sure you’re in Cape Town from 20 to 24 GIN VIR September 2012 for the second Open Book Festival, featuring everyone from Alan Hollinghurst to Joanne Harris, Lionel Shriver to Kiran Desai.

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CHECK IT OUT: www.openbookfestival.co.za

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Crime writer Margie Orford lives in Oranjezicht, and many of her novels take place in Cape Town, apparently because the city is made

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Alexander Bar is an old-world style venue co-owned by local playwright Nicholas Spagnoletti – which itself looks like the set for a play. Alexander Bar 76 Strand Street www.alexanderbar.co.za

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Playwright Athol Fugard’s only novel, Tsotsi, was famously made into an Academy Awardwinning movie by Gavin Hood. The Fugard Theatre Corner Caledon and Lower Buitenkant www.thefugard.com

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Richard Rive and Alex la Guma – as well as “Jewel of District Six” Cissie Gool – all attended Trafalgar High School. (Cissie Gool was tutored by both Mohandas Gandhi and Olive Schreiner). Trafalgar High School Birchington Road www.trafalgarhigh.com

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Bessie Head – considered one of Botswana’s most influential writers – lived in District Six (on William Street) in the early 1960s, during which time The Cardinals was written. Novelist and leader of the South African Coloured People’s Organisation Alex la Guma also lived in District Six. Active in politics and publishing, he also created a political cartoon strip called Little Libby: The Adventures of Liberation Chabalala published in the newspaper New Age. District Six Museum 25 Buitenkant Street www.districtsix.co.za

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Nelson Mandela Foundation Chief Executive Achmat Dangor lived in a room above Hanover Street (now Keizersgracht) and attributes this time to the beginning of his writing career. His prose collection Waiting for Leila is set against the backdrop of the demolition of District Six. N

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Writer Richard Rive, known as one of the foremost District Six writers, was born on 1 March 1931 in Caledon Street, and grew up in the area.

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Former President Nelson Mandela famously readLEE Ingrid UKOP Jonker’s poem, The child who was shot dead by soldiers at Nyanga at his inaugural address to South Africa’s first democratic Parliament, on 24 May 1994. Parliament 90 Plein Street www.parliament.gov.za

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Explore our city streets through the pages of a book — using this literary map of Cape Town

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Select Books deals in rare, out of print and new books about southern Africa. Select Books 232 Long Street www.selectbooks.co.za

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The Bookery is a depot where books suitable for either primary or secondary school learners can be donated – to furnish understocked school libraries. The Bookery 20 Roeland Street

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UCT’s Hiddingh Campus is the seat of the Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts, which features many poets, playwrights and literary scholars as part of its debate series. Hiddingh Campus 31-37 Orange Street www.gipca.uct.ac.za

CTICC

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This literary map is the product of multiple contributions from both individuals and organisations – all of whom are thanked – and is a work in progress. If you notice anything missing, please do mail the editor at judith@capetownpartnership.co.za.

Playwright and a De Waal Park gardener, CHAPEL International Convention print books – and has whole academic Jane Michael K, who sets out from Centre (15 —17 June 2012) shelves dedicated to Cape Taylor’s whodunnit Of Wild Cape Town for Prince Albert Visit www. Town. Both Deon Meyer’s Dogs starts with the murder with his sickly mother in a capetownbookfair.com Trackers and Zoë Wicomb’s of an artist in the South wheelbarrow. The children’s for details. Playing in the Light feature the L EL ET SS SK African Museum. book Bonsai and Geronimo establishement. A RU B L Lounge The Book Iziko Museum Go to the Park by Jean Clarke’s Books H E RM Y is the 25 Queen Victoria Street Weinstein is also set in De 211 Long Street DO headquarters LE W O S LIP of Cape Town’s annual Open www.iziko.org.za C Waal. www.clarkesbooks.co.za I IN PH W LE Book Festival and hosts L L Y E A ON SS LS GR Writer and poet The National numerous book readings RU NE EN LITERARY E QU Stephen Watson – Library of South throughout the year. ET S R DO who lived all his life in Cape Africa is also a legal The Book Lounge K OO Places to plug into Cape BR deposit library – meaning it Town, and had a strong 71 Roeland Street ON LS Town’s literary life literary relationship with the has a copy of every book, www.booklounge.co.za NE city – reflects on a lover’s newspaper, government YN LW Cape Town Book Clarke’s Books experience living in the CBD publication and printed item SE Fair happens carries new, during the 1980s in his short published in South Africa biennially at the Cape Town second-hand and out of story Buiten Street. since 1842. AR

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MORE LITERARY LEADS

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The Alliance Française organises different cultural events ranging from cine-clubs to exhibitions, concerts and lectures. Alliance Française 155 Loop Street www.alliance.org.za

MARTIN

LOUIS GRADNER

THE CASTLE

JACK CRAIG

HARRINGTON

JAN SMUTS

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OLD MARINE

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Badilisha Poetry X-Change celebrates and platforms poetry – in a diversity of languages, cultures and styles. Check out their ongoing podcasting radio project online. Badilisha Poetry X-Change 28 St George’s Mall www.badilishapoetry. com

DUNCAN

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and hosts many of its own events. Central Library Corner of Parade and Darling Street

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The Centre for the Book promotes a culture of reading, writing and publishing in all local languages – and often hosts lunchtime writing workshops and book clubs. Centre for the Book 62 Queen VictoriaStreet www.nlsa.ac.za

The Cape Town Central Library is the biggest library in town,

ON RT BA

National Library 25 Queen Victoria Street www.nlsa.ac.za

Perhaps the first major recorded literary reference to Cape Town is in the Portuguese poet Luís de Camões’ epic, Os Lusiadas, which features Adamastor, the devilish spirit of the Cape. Other works set in Cape Town include zombie apocalypse novel Deadlands by mother and daughter duo Sarah and Savannah Lotz, Zoë Wicomb’s You Can’t Get Lost in Cape Town and David’s Story, Kabelo Sello Duiker’s Thirteen Cents and The Quiet Violence of Dreams, Nigerian architect and writer Yewande Omotoso’s Bom Boy, Liberian Hawa Jande Golakai’s crime novel The Lazarus Effect, Henrietta Rose-Innes’s Nineveh, Jonny Steinberg’s The Number and When in Broad Daylight I Open My Eyes by Greg Lazarus.

around about

town

CityViews CityViews

June 2012

Y LITERARY CIT

Photo: Lisa Burnell

Cape Town Book Fair is back

Brian Wafawarowa outside the Centre of the Book

Envisioning

our future

Cape Town, the Western Cape and South Africa are all engaged in developing a collective vision and implementation plan that paves the way to a better future for all. Here’s a quick overview of these plans, and how they relate to one another:

This year it coincides with one of the biggest events on the global publishing calendar: the 29th Congress of the International Publishers’ Association, being held in the Mother City for the first time, and in Africa for the first time in over 100 years. Brian Wafawarowa, executive director of the Publishing Association of SA (PASA) and Book Fair executive chairperson, gave us a few good reasons to check it out. CV Why does Cape Town host a book fair? English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa needs a concentrated place where book people – readers, writers, publishers, printers, policy makers, distributors and designers – can meet to share ideas and trade. Outside Egypt, Cape Town is the top publishing city in Africa, and it’s South Africa’s capital city of the book, so it makes sense to host the event here. CV So is the Cape Town Book Fair aimed specifically at the trade? It’s definitely not totally trade-oriented. If anything, this platform was created to demystify the publishing industry. We’re far more geared towards the public than our London and Frankfurt counterparts, and this year we’ve made a special effort to make the event even more accessible by providing communities and educational institutions that are likely to have not experienced the event before with free tickets.

South Africa 2030: National Development Plan The National Planning Commission has captured the challenges South Africa faces if it is to become a truly prosperous and equal society by 2030 – including the fact that we need to drive GDP growth (7% average over ten years) while reducing our carbon emissions (45% by 2025) and still improving our human development index (from 0.6 to 0.8 by 2025). Their diagnostics report is currently being turned into an implementation plan – and in turn informing the Future Cape plan for the Western Cape.

9 actions South Africa has to take: Create jobs and livelihood Expand infrastructure Transition to a low-carbon economy Transform urban and rural spaces Improve education and training Provide quality healthcare Build a capable state Fight corruption and enhance accountability Transform society and unite the nation

Where can I go to find out more? www.npconline.co.za

CV What are some of the main attractions that will appeal to the public at this year’s Cape Town Book Fair?

likes to read. I’m also pleased to report that one of the top authors in Africa, Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, will be one of our guest authors.

“Outside Egypt, Cape Town is the top publishing city in Africa, and it’s South Africa’s capital city of the book, so it makes sense to host the Cape Town Book Fair here.”

CV Cape Town is hosting the 29th Congress of the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) a few days before the Book Fair. What’s this all about? The IPA is a global body comprised of publishers from all over the world. The congress is held every four years and it’s a platform to identify, interrogate and deal with issues facing the industry.

Apart from it being a fun experiential outing for families, visitors will be able to get lost in, and shop for, a huge variety of books. There’ll be over 200 events – book launches, signings, interviews and workshops with authors, poetry readings, a dedicated ebook digital zone, a cookbook corner featuring a chef theatre, and a kids’ zone – that will appeal to serious bibliophiles and anyone who

Are there any particular issues you’re hoping to address at the IPA Congress? I’m looking forward to government and industry taking the opportunity to engage and strategise over policy-making. Also, host countries are encouraged to promote their own publishing industries, and with 600 to 1 000 delegates from 100 CV

Western Cape 2040: Future Cape Future Cape is a process, facilitated by the Economic Development Partnership and informed by key roleplayers in the economy, that will ultimately result in a long-term strategic plan for the Western Cape to ensure that, by 2040, we achieve higher rates of economic growth, while ensuring a more inclusive and resilient economy.

The point of the Future Cape process is to: Develop a shared vision of where we want to be as a regional economy Identify the current obstacles that stand in the way of achieving our vision, the things that we need to do differently, and the set of choices and decisions we need to make to give effect to the vision Develop a common economic agenda, a set of strategies and a spatial economic development framework to realise the vision in practice Make recommendations to improve the performance of the economic development system Make recommendations for the future work of the EDP and economic roleplayers

Where can I go to find out more? www.wcedp.co.za/our-work/futurecape-2040

countries attending the congress – including many local and international publishing heavyweights – it’s a great opportunity to showcase our city, and what we do, to the world. That said, delegates will undertake township tours and explore book-poor areas around the city and this might help to address issues around literacy.

Cape Town Book Fair is happening at the CTICC from Friday 15 June until Sunday 17 June. Entrance costs R60 per day for adults, R30 per day for students and pensioners, and is free for children under 12. Tickets are available at the door or via www.computicket.com. Go to www. capetownbookfair.com for more information.

Cape Town 2018: Central City Development Strategy

Co-authored by the City of Cape Town and the Cape Town Partnership, the Central City Development Strategy identifies five key outcomes for the Central City by 2018.

To transform the Central City into: A premier business location A high quality sustainable urban environment A popular destination for Capetonians and visitors A leading centre for knowledge, innovation, creativity and culture in Africa and the South A place that embodies the heart and soul of Cape Town

Where can I go to find out more? www.capetownpartnership.co.za/ programmes/strategy/

June 2012

around

CityViews

town

LIVEABLE CITY

I live in the Central City As editor of Mail & Guardian Online, no two days are the same for Chris Roper, and that’s precisely why he loves his work, and living between Cape Town and Joburg. We interrupted his “digital tomfoolery” to talk about Capetonians, the city centre and his favourite local authors. CV What made you decide to live in the heart of Cape Town? I’ve always lived in or near the city centre. My grandfather lived in District Six in the 50s. I grew up mainly in Woodstock and Green Point, and lived in Obs before we bought in Adderley Street in 2004. We looked at other developments, but settled on Cartwright’s Corner in Adderley Street because we liked the clean lines and simplicity of its design.

What are some of the things that make the city special? I come from a seagoing family. My dad had a boatbuilding factory on Hout Street. Cape Town is unique because it still has a lot of crafts-

CV Perhaps he felt intimidated by our hipster culture? Hipsters are the real unsung heroes of the city. They transcend all demographics, classes and shades. They’re like punk rock revolutionaries. They take the best of all the belief systems in the world and keep what matters. They’ve also helped to make pulled pork the new sundried tomato, unfortunately.

Do you think Capetonians are generally aloof? I’ve always found Capetonians friendly. Then again, I once met Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay when he was in Cape Town shooting a music video, and he said he couldn’t understand why nobody would speak to him. CV

How do our hipsters compare to hipsters in Joburg? In Joburg they don’t have as much traction because there aren’t enough of them; they don’t own spaces in the city like they do here. CV

“Hipsters are the real unsung heroes of the city. They transcend all demographics, classes and shades. They’re like punk rock revolutionaries. They take the best of all the belief systems in the world and keep what matters. ” Some visitors say that Cape Town feels different to the rest of Africa. You’ve travelled the continent extensively, how does the city compare? Cape Town feels like any great seaside town in Africa. People say it’s too European, but there are loads of cities in Africa where French is the language of choice! Yes, many people living here aren’t from here, but the city is cosmopolitan in an African way. For example, I was watching soccer at a bar in town the other day and a guy from the Ivory Coast was sitting next to me shouting for Chelsea. CV

Photo: Lisa Burnell

men – people who do one thing really well. I love the history of the city and its architecture. The other day I was standing on the corner of Wale and Bree, looking up and admiring the buildings, and a guy came up and asked if I needed directions. It was unsettling being mistaken for a tourist in my own city, but cool to see our locals are tourist-friendly.

Chris Roper outside YOURSTRULY in Long Street

CV Do you think people idealise Africa when they make these comparisons? To idealise Africa is one of the biggest mistakes someone can

make. To say that Cape Town isn’t black or African enough is bigotry, although racism is still a problem here, as in the rest of SA. I think it’s difficult for young black people who aren’t born here to move here and live in Cape Town, because they don’t have the traditional support structures – like family – that they have back home. You live between Cape Town and Johannesburg. How does each city influence the way you work? Both cities are inspirational in different ways. When I’m here I work from an office near the CTICC, and I have meetings at coffee shops like Origins in De Waterkant. I don’t know if it’s just in my industry, but people seem to work much harder here. CV

Do you have any favourite books set in and around the city by local or international authors? The Life and Times of Michael K by our Nobel Laureate JM Coetzee, poet Stephen Watson’s Song of the Broken String: After the /Xam Bushmen, and anything noir-ish by Deon Meyer and Mike Nicol. CV

CV What are some of the things you miss about Cape Town when you’re away? I love that people still skateboard down Kloof Nek Road. In December, Adderley Street is packed and crazy, but I love the traditional Christmas lights, and the Company’s Garden is great if the squirrels don’t attack you.

Is there anything you don’t miss? The flower sellers on Adderley Street. They can be aggressive. Tourists think they’re quaint local colour but they’re really hardcore businesspeople. I wouldn’t replace them for the world but I don’t have to like them. CV

CV Do you have any favourite places to eat in and around the city? Cape Town eateries are fickle. They tend to come and go. Miller’s Thumb has been around for years and their menu hasn’t changed. A Joburg couple that

have been here so long they’ve become Capetonian owns it, and they do really good caught-thismorning fish. The Pot Luck Club in Woodstock is brilliant. I also like the bar at the top of the Ritz Hotel in Sea Point and Twankey Bar at The Taj.

Visit the Mail & Guardian Online at www.mg.co.za and find Chris online at www.chrisroper.co.za and on Twitter: @chrisroperza. You can also experience Chris Roper’s Cape Town for yourself: Origins Roasting 28 Hudson Street T: 021 421 1000 www.originroasting.co.za Miller’s Thumb 10B Kloof Nek Road T: 021 424 3838 www.millersthumb.co.za The Pot Luck Club and Gallery 375 Albert Road, Woodstock T: 021 21 447 0804 www.thepotluckclub.co.za Twankey Bar at The Taj Corner Wale and Adderley Street T: 021 819 2000 www.tajcapetown.co.za The Top of the Ritz Revolving Restaurant Ritz Hotel Main Road Sea Point T: 021 439 6988 www.ritzrestaurants.co.za

“I love that people still skateboard down Kloof Nek Road. In December, Adderley Street is packed and crazy, but I love the traditional Christmas lights, and the Company’s Garden is great if the squirrels don’t attack you.“

from about

the fringe

CityViews CityViews CityViews

April June 2012

future-forward

local publishing initiatives

Meet four Cape Town-based initiatives – and the people behind them – who are navigating the new frontiers of the publishing industry

ANDY DAVIS MAHALA

Andy Davis, editor of Mahala

The editor of South Africa’s fearlessly opinionated music, culture and reality magazine, Mahala – who’s been based out of Roeland Street for the last two years – tells us how he’s managing to stay online, in print and afloat.

CV What sets Mahala apart from other local youth culture publications? Our unrestricted approach to editorial and the fact that we’re entirely focused on, and embedded in, original South African creative culture. Also, our primary touchpoint is digital. We

ARTHUR ATTWELL IGHT PAPER Arthur Attwell has developed a website that turns anyone with a printer and internet connection into a print-on-demand bookstore. He gives us his expert opinion on digital publishing in South Africa.

CV What inspired you to develop Paperight? In 2006 I started my own company and researched the best ways to use technology to publish and distribute books in developing countries: ebooks, the mobile web, and print-on-demand. The problem was always: people need books, yet the existing publishing industry isn’t meeting that need, so how do we fix that? Our research made it clear that photocopy shops – ubiquitous in Africa – distribute more books than any other channel, only they have to do so as illegal photocopies. If publishers could see copy shops as their allies and agents, rather than their enemies, we could print books for people anywhere.

What is Paperight and how does it differ from traditional book publishing? Traditionally books are printed in advance of people buying them and they sit in a warehouse waiting to be ordered. With Paperight the book only exists as a digital file until the moment a customer wants it. Then it’s printed right CV

“If you are imaginative enough to find ways to sell books to the 40 million people who’ve never bought a book before, you’ll do well, and South African literature will get stronger on the back of that.“

CV How has Mahala taken off in South Africa? We’ve had a lot of fun and built up a solid online audience of around 45 000 unique users a month. Our print mag is much loved, but hard to get hold of, which is not a bad thing. Generally the overall response has been positive, although our audience seems to challenge and contest us at every step of the way. CV Your largest audience is in Gauteng, so why are you based in the Mother City? I’m based in Cape Town because of the ocean. And you have to do something constructive when you’re not surfing, eating or making babies. But Mahala has a strong national

“We’re on the tip of Africa down here, which is cool because stuff takes a while to filter down and that buys us a bit more time to respond. The next big thing in digital publishing will be a model that actually works, or the apocalypse – whichever comes first.” CV How independent is your editorial content? It’s entirely unrestricted and independent. There’s no imperative to be warm and fuzzy to create

an environment that’s more palatable to advertisers, and that’s made it hard for us to attract a lot of the mainstream advertising. We’re a bit too edgy. CV What are your thoughts on Cape Town’s publishing landscape? Everyone’s kind of slogging away and there’s not a lot of collaboration or assistance offered. I think that’s a competitive South African thing. There’s certainly no government or NGO support or intervention. And that’s how it goes. On the flipside, at an individual level, all the writers and photographers we work with are incredibly supportive, understanding and willing to help. They’re just all broke.

Find Andy and Mahala online: www.mahala.co.za

in front of them – they can even choose to print only some of the book to save costs, since most students only need part of a textbook. Also, publishers don’t decide exactly how the book will look in a customer’s hands. The customer and copy shop decide that based on what they can offer and afford. CV What kind of material is currently available on Paperight? Past Matric exam papers, setwork novels and plays, classic science fiction, philosophy and psychology, classic children’s books, healthcare textbooks and even sheet music. CV Are Paperight books cheaper than conventional books? On average a book is 20% cheaper at a Paperight outlet than in a South African bookstore. Customers pay the cost of printing the book out at the copy shop outlet, plus any rights fee the publisher charges the outlet.

A sound revolution at City Hall Photo: Yasser Booley

focus and our writers are spread around Mzansi’s metropoles.

City Hall Sessions is back, with a three-day minifest launching on Thursday 5 July 2012, to add a little heat to your Cape Town winter.

Photo: Lisa Burnell

venture into print because I come from a print background, but we’ll always be a digital platform primarily with real world extensions like print, events, books, etc.

“In Cape Town we’re lucky to have amazing bookshops like The Book Lounge close to where we live and work.” With Paperight, Arthur Attwell aims to make books accessible where bookshops don’t exist: “Everyone should be able to find books within walking distance of their home.”

Find Paperight online – www.paperight.com – then find out more about Arthur online: www.arthurattwell.com. When you’re done, be sure to visit Paperight’s print shop partners in the CBD:

Opening night is for lovers of South African jazz, with a big band experience directed by Silent Revolution Music. The spectacle includes several guest instrumentalists, and follows last year’s acclaimed Winter Jazz Series. On Friday 6 July, groove to Closet Snare, complete with a 12-piece string section and guest Inga Beckmann, before vocalists Joe Nina and MXO take the stage. A contemporary African music

The Bookery 20 Roeland Street 021 461 4189 Rainbow Copy 82 Sir Lowry Road 021 461 0125

session wraps up on Saturday night, with the driving maskanda of Madala Kunene. A project of Creative Cape Town, City Hall Sessions is made possible through the support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

Visit www.cityhallsessions. co.za for more details and bookings.

April2012 June 2012

about

CityViews CityViews

GAVIN WEALE LIVE SA Live SA is a magazine written, designed and produced by South African youth, many of them from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, with the help of industry mentors. Founder Gavin Weale explains how this project is helping to bridge the gap between town and township, and create opportunities where there seemed to be none before.

on to study full-time. Our core team is a mix of kids from diverse areas like Khayelitsha, Mannenberg and the Northern Suburbs. Some were unemployed and unemployable, some involved in drugs and crime, or in prison, or doing nothing, before they came to us, and it’s been awesome to see how they’ve changed.

Your vision for the South Africa-based version of Live magazine – the UK youth culture magazine you founded – won you the British Council’s UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2010. How close are you to making this vision a reality? We’re in year one of a three-year project and it’s going well. Twelve of our contributors have landed full-time jobs and nine have gone CV

CV Who puts the magazine together and what are the logistics of recruiting people to work at Live SA? In the past year around 85 contributors have worked on the first three issues. There’s usually a core team of around 25 kids per issue, recruited through a call to action in the magazine, and through targeted physical outreach via a network of local partners. We’re inundated with people wanting to get involved so we safeguard opportunities at the magazine for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds that need the opportunities the most.

kids facing far greater challenges and obstacles. There’s sometimes a sense of apathy here – the kids aren’t nearly as competitive as I’d like them to be – but they’re surprisingly open and unencumbered by the previous generation’s issues. CV What made you decide to base the initiative in the city centre, as opposed to within the communities where most of the young people taking part in the project live? We intentionally decided to establish Live SA in a neutral space in the CBD to help prepare kids for the reality of working in the city. We were fortunate enough to be offered space within BBDO’s De Waterkant headquarters, and it’s been cool to see our mainly townshipbased contributors integrating with the traditional ad agency world.

What are some of the similarities and differences you’ve encountered between running the initiative in the UK and here in SA? Young people definitely have similar aspirations but there’s a gulf between the levels of aspiration here and in the UK, with South African

Photo: Lisa Burnell

Gavin Weale looking out from the BBDO headquarters in Cape Town

To cRIbE SubS ubE & youT

WIn

CV How does mobook publishing differ from conventional book publishing? Mobooks are published on mobisites and partner platforms like Mxit. There are costs to this, but not in the league of traditional print publishing. A mobook is typically published one chapter per day and readers vote and comment daily as the story rolls out live, which is exhilarating and nerve-wracking!

Apparently Yoza’s pilot project attracted 300 000 complete reads in its first year? Yes, Yoza’s uptake figures reflect the undeniable hunger for good reading material in SA. Millions of people can’t afford books, but want to read stories of every kind. Free stories accessible on cellphones make this possible.

Photo: Lisa Burnell

Cape Town is South Africa’s publishing hub. Is it the mobile publishing hub too? It is. It’s also the pioneer city for mobook or cellphone story publishing in SA, with credit due to Michelle Matthew’s Novel Idea project, Karen Brooks’ publication of the first book sold on Mxit, and Steve Vosloo’s Yoza.mobi, a teen cellphone library, for kickstarting the industry.

Find out more about the Live SA team by reading the backpage interview with editor Ndu Ngcobo. Then visit the publication online at www.youtube.com/livemagSA and learn more about Gavin’s work at www.livityafrica.com.

So WhAT IF I’m WEIRD?

lookS mADE hER moolA cARmEn SolomonS on hoW hER

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FIRST yEAR SuRvIvAl 2012/02/10 3:40 PM

CV Isn’t it difficult to read a novel on a mobile phone given the size of the screen? Not for teens. A recent story was the equivalent of an 80-page paperback and had more than 7 500 complete reads in its first month on mobile.

Editor-in-chief of Yoza, SA’s first cellphone library launched in 2009, tells us about Yoza.mobi and why teens reading books on a cellphone is a good idea.

CV What plans are being put in place to make Live SA sustainable? We’re set up as an NGO funded primarily by the Shuttleworth Foundation, but we’re working towards generating our own income through advertising revenue. We’re currently distributing 50 000 copies per issue throughout urban and township areas nationwide, but with SA being so mobile rich, we’re launching our mobi site too this month.

Summer Issue Two

The fiercest mag for all SA youth

bution here. Yoza advocates that access to books is not an elitist luxury, but a human right – and has set an example of how this can be practically addressed through mobile. The project has had a knock-on effect, with newer projects mobilising for the same cause. A thriving local mobook culture with more mobooks in more languages for more people would make a profound impact on literacy in SA. What types of stories are currently available on Yoza.mobi and who creates these? Genres include romance, action, drama and horror – everything CV

“Until now, print publishing hasn’t managed to reach or make a consistent effort to empower young people, so we’re trying to connect with and influence them in a meaningful and positive way.”

(Final) LIVE0212cv001s.indd 1

LOUISE MCCANN YOZA

Louise McCann, editor-in-chief of South Africa’s first cellphone library

FREE! ‘12 SA

town

Do you think access to these free stories will positively impact literacy in South Africa? There is a direct link between the amount of books a child has direct access to and their achievements in later life. Yoza’s 38 constantly read books make a small contri-

that appeals to emotionally intense teenagers. Contributors have included the likes of local literary stars Lauren Beukes, Sam Wilson and Charlie Human. I also recently ran a story workshop for teens in Khayelitsha and we collaboratively plotted and developed a mobook set there.

Check out Yoza.mobi online: www.yoza.mobi

SA is book poor and mobile rich Louise explains:

of households own no leisure books of households have more than 40 titles on their bookshelves of public schools in South Africa have functional libraries

BUT

of urban youth own their own cellphone – hence the birth of the made-for-mobile book in SA

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CityViews CityViews

April June 2012

My Cape Town: Ndu Ngcobo Ndu grew up on a cattle farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands before making a snap decision to relocate to Cape Town. Now, when she’s not cruising the neighbourhood around her Buitenkant Street apartment, you’ll find her editing the latest issue of Live SA at the magazine’s Cape Town headquarters.

CV Tell us how you got to be the editor of Live SA. Did you always want to work in publishing? I made a vision board three years ago and one of the things on it was my desire to be an editor. When I was little I used to make storybooks and magazines about Barbie for my family, and I recently took up blogging because there is just so much to write about. My friend told me about Live SA when it started up and I’ve been there since the first issue, so yes, I guess I have always wanted to be in publishing. CV It’s amazing that you manifested that dream. What are some of your other hopes and aspirations for the future? I aspire to be an inspiration to young girls; to be a positive person and challenge people to think out of the box. Things aren’t black and white and I love challenging people to see the colours in between. I would love to travel the world. I’m fascinated by different cultures and how they’re depicted. I would love to pen novels: one about my Zulu culture, and a fiction novel or three. I would love to see my blog progress and evolve into an online zine or something. I love the magazine world and the creative process behind it. Perhaps one day I’ll be a quirkier version of Khanyi Dhlomo, the founding editor of Destiny magazine.

What do you love most about living in Cape Town? The freedom to be yourself. There’s something in the water here that makes you want to be true to yourself. From the creative vibes we get from nature, to seeing the creative types hanging out in coffee shops – there’s always something going on to thrill a part of your soul. And the sushi is amazing too.

Photo: Lisa Burnell

Ndu Ngcobo at the Stepping Stones Pre-school playground on Harrington Square

“There’s something in the water here that makes you want to be true to yourself. From the creative vibes we get from nature, to seeing the creative types hanging out in coffee shops – there’s always something going on to thrill a part of your soul.”

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 Straatwerk has job rehabilitation projects for men and women. 021 425 0140 Salesian Institute Youth Projects provide education, skills training and rehabilitation to vulnerable youth. 021 425 1450

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

CV What are some of the stories about Cape Town you’d most like to tell? My issue with a lot of stories set in the

city is that they’re about upper class whites and impoverished blacks. I feel that there aren’t enough stories that cater to middle class black people. I would love to read and write stories about people like me. CV Talking about stories, what are you currently reading? I’ve just picked up Zoo City by Cape Town author Lauren Beukes. CV How would you describe the smell and taste of the city to a foreigner? It smells of dreams and mermaids, and tastes like ambition and red velvet cupcakes.

Talking about taste, where do you go for excellent affordable food? The City Bowl Market on a Saturday for everything fresh, including freerange meat and fat-free ice cream that’s too amazing for words. I’m also a fan of Beluga’s half-price sushi, and Active Sushi’s all you can eat, and Rafiki’s is my favourite laid-back spot to go with mates. CV

CV And fashion? Babette Clothing is a must, although I’m more of a flea market and secondhand store lady – but not over-advertised secondhand stores; the ones you stumble upon by accident and wouldn’t even tell your best friend about – and I’m always on the lookout for vintage sales and antiques markets.

CV Is there anywhere special you go for inspiration? I walk around the city looking up. It’s amazing what the tops of buildings look like – the old alongside the new, with the mountain peeking out from behind can spark crazy ideas that lead to interesting blog posts. When I read I like to hear waves crashing, so I’ll often take a book and head to a secret seaside spot.

CV Make believe you’re the mayor of Cape Town for a day. Is there anything you’d change? I’d create more bicycle lanes and a recycling initiative with vans travelling around the city to pick up household recyclables. CV What kind of Cape Town do you imagine for 2040? I see a place where everyone speaks at least four languages. Where art is a way of life not a pastime, and looking after the environment is something that comes naturally to us.

Find Ndu on Twitter (@ndufairy) and experience her Cape Town for yourself: Active Sushi First Floor, Nedbank Centre 63 Strand Street T: 021 422 0462 www.activesushi.com Babette Clothing 41 Church Street T: 021 424 4457 www.babetteclothing.co.za Beluga The Foundry, Prestwich Street T: 021 418 2948 www.beluga.co.za City Bowl Market 14 Hope Street Open Saturdays from 09h00 to 14h00 www.citybowlmarket.co.za Rafiki’s 13 Kloof Nek Road T: 021 426 4731 www.rafikis.co.za

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