CITYVIEWS July 2011
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
YOUR FREE CAPE TOWN CENTRAL CITY PAPER
BEST FOOT FORWARD
Cape Town as a
WINTER CITY
>> page 2
Show you care
by giving responsibly >> page 8
Great things to do when it’s
chilly outside
>> page 6&7
CLEAN | SAFE | CAR I NG
Mother City
makes World Design Capital shortlist >> page 4
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about
town
CityViews
July 2011
FROM TASSO
Making Cape Town a more caring winter city
I
t’s winter in Cape Town, bringing with it the rain and reduced sunshine hours. But a drop in temperature doesn’t mean a drop in activity. After all, our city had just been shortlisted, together with Bilbao and Dublin as World Design Capital 2014, an incredible honour – for Cape Town and the continent. This is, after all, the first time an African city has been shortlisted. And there’s much work to be done. The panel of judges will be visiting Cape Town in late July, before making their final decision and announcement in October in Taipei. We hope that they will get to enjoy the city’s unique winter charm. With the turn of the seasons, our thoughts also turn to those
FLOOD-FREE CBD
Spot fines for litterbugs
we are challenging businesses in the Central City to give of their time and resources to a local charity or an NGO that works with the homeless. For more ideas on how to Give Responsibly, turn to page 8, where you can find the names and contact details of charitable organisations we’ve
For more info: Judith Browne: 021 419 1881 judith@capetownpartnership.co.za Website: www.capetowncid.co.za Design: Infestation 021 461 8601
“We can all contribute to making Cape Town a more caring, inclusive, liveable city.” partnered with, together with their needs. While the organisations profiled there are vastly different, you’ll find many of the needs at this time are the same: shoes, warm clothes, and food. We at the CCID have already given out 1000 bags containing personal care items and 500 pairs of men’s shoes as part of our winter readiness programme, but these
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.
items can only go so far. Partner with us to create a more caring city, one with opportunities and alternatives for all. I’d welcome your thoughts and ideas on how to do this, and details of what you’re already doing, at info@capetownpartnership. co.za. I look forward to hearing from you. Tasso
SAVE THESE NUMBERS ON YOUR PHONE CCID Security Manager: 082 453 2942 CCID Deputy Security Manager: 082 442 2112
Tasso Evangelinos is the COO of the CCID
CCID 24-hour number: 082 415 7127 SAPS Control Room: 021 467 8002
Cape Town CBD, despite the heavy rains in winter, is 98% flood-free. How? Straatwerk are employed by the CCID to clean out over 1 200 stormwater drains so you don’t have to wade your way into work.
The City of Cape Town’s solid waste management team are handing out heavy fines for all waste-related offences, in accordance with new city by-laws. If you work in the city and
generate waste, you have to have an adequate contract for its removal. Putting business waste into a street litter bin or putting rubbish bags or boxes out on the pavement will cost you a minimum
of R1000 if you’re caught. Likewise, a cigarette stompie thrown on the ground may become the most expensive smoke you’ve had – at R500 each. Even more reason to reduce,
Social Department 082 563 4289
reuse, recycle. Help keep your city clean: Report illegal dumping by calling 021 400 6157 or emailing solidwaste.bylaw@capetown.gov.za.
Eight electricity-saving tips in the workplace
SAFE STREETS
It’s winter, when the electricity bill for your building rises sharply – along with the price of electricity itself. What can you do to save on consumption and cash?
Photo: Supplied
The CCID receives many thank you notes for good work, but this particular one from Kirsten Nortje stood out: “I would just like to commend the CCID on the good work they are doing! I walk down Long Street every morning in the early hours when it is still quite dark and the CCID guards provide me with such a sense of safety and security! Keep up the good work!” Thanks, Kirsten! The CCID is committed to clean, safe, caring streets – for you and all those that live, work and invest in the Central City.
Published by: The Central City Improvement District (CCID)
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
Tasso
who live through the worst of the weather. The numbers of homeless in our city swell in winter, when floods and fires displace so many across the metropole. Cape Town as a business centre and economic hub naturally attracts a range of people looking for opportunities – including the impoverished, the homeless and foreign nationals looking for a better life. They congregate on the streets, under bridges, and where there’s high foot traffic. We at the CCID are heartened to hear that the City of Cape Town, under the leadership of new Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille, is putting more money into social development and addressing the needs of those on the street, and we look forward to working with the new Mayco member for Social and Early Childhood Development Beverley Cortje-Alcock. But we can all contribute to making Cape Town a more caring, inclusive, liveable city. New city by-laws make it illegal to sleep on the streets. There are shelters that offer alternatives, but charities and shelters need your support to ensure alternatives are adequate. Instead of giving a few rands at a traffic light, we’re asking that you Give Responsibly and give where it counts. As the CCID
CITYVIEWS
CCID in the city’s artscape Urban and industrial landscape painter Mary Visser’s most recent exhibition, Along These City Streets, featured many of the people, places and buildings of Upper Long Street, Cape Town – including CCID cleaners. Walk on over to www.maryvisser.co.za for more.
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Switch off all equipment and lights if you’re the last to leave the office, as well as computers: Screensavers don’t save electricity
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Install energy-efficient lightbulbs: They use significantly less energy than incandescent bulbs and last much longer
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Switch equipment off at the wall when not in use: Standby mode still consumes electricity
Turn off non-essential lighting: Use daylight or task lighting instead
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Unplug chargers and adapters: They use electricity even when not in use
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Photocopy in batches: Less stopstarting means less electricity consumption
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Cold? Put on more clothing rather than use a portable heater
Set the thermostat between 20°C and 24°C: Setting it outside this band results only in over-cooling or over-heating, which uses excessive electricity
For more information, visit www.savingelectricity.org.za.
July 2011
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“Inner-city living is catching on in the Mother City – for both investors and those who see it as the ultimate place to live, work and play.” – Kathy Malherbe, Live Out Loud, June 2011
Photos: Shaen Adey
S OPEN FOR BUSINES
Foreshore and Central City development at the forefront
Speakers from the Central City Partners’ Forum at Strand Tower Hotel
“Cape Town is open for business,” was the strong message coming out of the most recent Central City Partners’ Forum on 14 June, co-hosted by the Cape Town Partnership and the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners.
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hree panel members – Wayne van der Vent from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), Gerhard van der Merwe from dhk Urban Concepts and Rashid Toefy from the CTICC – updated a packed gathering of Central City stakeholders on their respective developments in the V&A Waterfront, Culemborg Quarter and CTICC. The three projects, besides representing considerable investment in the Central City, are also key developments towards changing the face of the city and integrating the Foreshore with the city. The projects signify strong confidence in the future of the Central City and surrounds, particularly in terms of high-end, mixed-use urban spaces. The PIC, together with Growthpoint Properties, recently acquired the V&A Waterfront for R9.7-billion and will now begin to develop and redevelop facets of the property. Said Van der Vent, “Cape Town is a global city in Africa. It made sense to acquire an asset here.” He called on the property development sector to propose ideas for the reshaping of the space, which will happen over the next 10 to 12 years. Addressing the divide between the Central City and the Waterfront, Van der Vent said, “We want to see the Waterfront become more integrated with the city of Cape Town. We want to make the Waterfront, in the psyche of Capetonians, part of Cape Town again – a place where not only international tourists go, but local tourists and also tourists from our own city. We want them to utilise it more fully than they have to date.”
He said that the Waterfront developments the highway entering Cape Town Central. would play a catalytic role in job creation in All the project developers spoke of the the city and surrounds. need to ensure that their projects are inIn his presentation on the new urban retegrated with the CBD – with links to the generation project funded by the City of integrated rapid transport system, pedesCape Town, the Provincial Government of trianised hubs and green spaces – and the Western Cape and sustainable. Toefy pointed the Cape Town Internaout that his new develtional Convention Cenopment would not put “We want to make tre, Rashid Toefy said the further strain on the grid the Waterfront, project is due for compleas it planned to generate in the psyche of tion by the end of 2014, much of its own electricCapetonians, part beginning of 2015. ity and water. Job creation of Cape Town again Toefy said the CTICC and lower income housing is the only convention were essential to the eco– a place where not centre in the world that nomic sustainability of only international makes an operating all the projects. tourists go, but local profit, adding that the Cape Town Central City tourists and also expansion is happening Improvement District COO tourists from our in response to the boomTasso Evangelinos said own city.” ing conference and expo that the integration of the – Wayne van der Vent business. The developNorthern Foreshore and ment also speaks to the Waterfront areas promincreased profile of Cape ised to further enhance Town as a business tourism destination. Cape Town’s profile as the country’s Toefy said the CTICC currently hosts 49 premier CBD. conferences every year, but that, to get into Said Cape Town Partnership CEO Andrew the global top ten of convention centres, it Boraine, “We have experienced very sucwould have to double that figure. “I believe cessful public-private partnerships in the we can do that,” he said. Toefy also spoke city in the past and we are hoping to conpassionately about a six-star green buildtinue this trend, with public transport and ing as an important component of the expedestrian infrastructure supporting these pansion. new developments to form an integrated, The Culemborg Quarter was the third easily accessible city. We are pleased to mega-project on the agenda. While the report that the City of Cape Town is very project is at the planning and urban design proactive in this regard. The systems must stages, it is hoped that the eight-block area sustain the whole as we move towards will become the new gateway to the city, a more liveable city for its citizens and transforming the landscape as seen from visitors.”
town
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City says “Stay” Why we want to keep Independent Newspapers in the City Centre Cape Times columnist Tony Weaver has wondered aloud how journalists will keep their finger on the pulse of the news far away from the heart of the city – bemoaning the impending sale of Newspaper House and the possible move of Independent Newspapers from the buzz of the Cape Town CBD to the sleepy suburbs. Cape Town Partnership and Accelerate Cape Town agree, and have lobbied for Independent Newspapers to stay – in Newspaper House if possible, given the building’s historic importance, but failing that in the economic and judicial hub of Cape Town, the City Centre.
“We’d like to identify several potential creative solutions to ensure that the building remains Newspaper House, a historical Cape Town landmark, and that Independent Newspapers remain headquartered in the building.” – Guy Lundy, Accelerate Cape Town
“It’s the advice I always give young journalists – go hang out on the streets. Stories seldom come to you over the telephone … Somehow I don’t think I’m going to pick up any stories in Canal Walk or Cavendish Square.” – Tony Weaver, Cape Times “Newspaper House, home of the Cape Argus and Cape Times, has always been regarded as a key part of the city’s heritage. We, together with other significant stakeholders in the city, stand ready to assist Independent Newspapers in finding a creative solution that will benefit both themselves and Cape Town.” – Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, Cape Town Partnership
The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) has won the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Recognising Industry Success and Excellence (RISE) Award for organisational achieve-
ment, in acknowledgement of the centre’s innovation, influence, global transferability and impact on complete sustainability. CTICC is one of the few convention centres around the world
that runs on a profit, netting more than R13-million and contributing about R2.3-billion to the national gross domestic product last year, directly creating around 3000 jobs in the Western Cape.
“Winning the award is not just an accolade for the CTICC but for Cape Town, as it raises the global profile of the destination as a leading business tourism destination,” says Toefy.
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
CTICC raises the global business profile of Cape Town
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CityViews
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
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Cape Town shortlisted for WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014
“We are building an inclusive city, one based around five pillars: the opportunity city, the safe city, the caring city, the inclusive city and the efficient city. Design is a tool for all of these areas of building a truly inclusive city. It is able to inform us as to how we can best provide employment and upliftment to improve the quality of life of our citizens.”
Mzi Mbane
“I live in the
central city
– Mayor Patricia de Lille
What are some of your favourite places in Bree Street? MM I love &Union and Caveau. &Union has brilliant beer and live music. Caveau has wonderful patrons, mostly Capetonians. The food is always evolving and tasty. CV
What do you plan to do in the Central City CV
NEWS FLASH
From Cape Town with love In Diamonds are Forever (1971), 007 Sean Connery first expressed his desire to visit South Africa. Now, thirty years later, he gets his wish: The new James Bond novel Carte Blanche is set in Cape Town – with film rights pending. Author Jeffrey Deaver reportedly chose the Mother City because it is “beautiful and exotic and appealing”.
this winter? MM I plan to go to cosy places like Caveau, Asoka and Fat Back Soul. Asoka is a sexy bar with sexy people and brilliant tunes all the time. Fat Back Soul is also sexy and cozy in winter. CV What are some of the highlights of Central City Cape Town, in your view? MM I enjoy the live performances, the nightlife and the fantastic restaurants.
What music best sums up Cape Town for you? MM Happiness by Claude Challe. CV
Cape Town Partnership’s Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana and Andrew Boraine with Mayor Patricia de Lille and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille
C
ape Town is one of three cities to be shortlisted for World Design Capital 2014, alongside Bilbao and Dublin. It is also the first in Africa to come this close to taking the prestigious title, awarded biennially by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to cities that are dedicated to using design for social, cultural and economic development. “Just as the World Cup was a coup for Africa, this is a significant moment for the entire continent. Being shortlisted for World Design Capital 2014 is a unique opportunity to change perceptions and to position Cape Town, South Africa and Africa for the knowledge economy,” says
Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, MD of the Cape Town Partnership, the bid’s curator on behalf of the City of Cape Town. At a World Design Capital event in Khayelitsha on 13 June 2011, both Mayor Patricia de Lille and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille came out in strong support of the bid – emphasising how Cape Town has already won, by using design to reconnect people and places, to rebuild communities, and to reposition the city for the knowledge economy. “We are building an inclusive city, one based around five pillars: the opportunity city, the safe city, the caring city, the inclusive city and the efficient city. Design is a tool for all of these areas of building a truly in-
clusive city. It is able to inform us as to how we can best provide employment and upliftment to improve the quality of life of our citizens,” said De Lille “Even if we don’t win, we can’t lose,” emphasised Zille, speaking nonetheless of the “wonderful confluence of circumstances” if Cape Town should be designated World Design Capital: “2014 marks the 20th anniversary of our democracy.” What next? The city can expect stiff competition in the upcoming months: The ICSID judges will arrive for a site inspection in late July, and World Design Capital 2014 will be announced in Taipei in October. Cross fingers, cross thumbs, but know that, regardless of who takes the title, Cape Town has already won. What can you do? Support Cape Town’s bid by writing and blogging about it, downloading the support button from www.capetown2014.co.za, joining the Facebook fan page, and dreaming up your biggest and wildest plans for 2014.
Cape Town, get ready to Name Your Hood You might not live in New York, but you might’ve heard of TriBeCa in Lower Manhattan, a district peppered with artists and celebrities and home to a world-famous annual film festival. What makes the Triangle Below Canal Street any more significant than Upper Long Street or Greenmarket Square?
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randing, says Bruce Good, the founder of a new Cape Town campaign, Name Your Hood. And brand Cape Town neighbourhoods based on their distinct local flair and public participation is precisely what he is looking to
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Photo: Andrew Brauteseth
Why do you choose to live in the Central City? MM I love the buzz, the energy and the convenience of being in the Central City and enjoy having easy access to everything – the town, the waterfront and the highway.
Photo: Anita Reed
Mzi Mbane is a marketer for a cosmetics house and lives in what he describes as “rustic but chic New York-style loft apartment” in Bree Street. City Views caught a few minutes of his time CV
July 2011
Bruce Good
do. Why? “It’s about reclaiming Cape Town. It’s about igniting community pride,” says Bruce. “The capture and labelling of a hood’s distinctive ethos … leads to a clustering effect,” he explains, speaking of how those who respond to the character of an area
in turn help enhance that character: In this way, Long Street becomes even more lively, Green Point more green (take the new urban park by way of example), Heritage Square’s history more accessible. And clear signposting makes for a more navigable
city: “At present one is forced to trawl through extensive lists of properties in the City Bowl when in fact you’re just looking for a property in a particular neighbourhood. There is a massive advantage for the property industry and those looking to sell or buy homes in each hood.”
Think about what makes your particular neighbourhood, your part of the city, special – and then come up with a name that captures its character. Names can be submitted at www.nameyourhood.co.za or via pamphlets distributed throughout the city, and a panel of experts will compile a shortlist of the best and most appropriate names, on which all of Cape Town can then vote. Two neighbourhoods will be named per month, and the campaign kicks off on 4 July. Voting will take place online and via SMS. Watch www.nameyourhood.co.za for details.
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The Freeworld Design Centre on the Fan Walk, which offers design consultation services to the industry, was only launched in March this year, yet is already a hive of creative energy. Director Lauren Shantall spoke to City Views about the significance of the centre.
Lauren Shantall
“We have become a living, breathing, world-class inner city. Hallelujah!” – Neil Stemmet
Fired up at Freeworld Design Centre What’s happening at the Freeworld Design Centre? LS The Freeworld Design Centre is a marvellous resource for Cape Town. Its auditorium and rooftop venues have been used for a number of exciting events that contribute to the cultural life of the city. Just this week alone we’ve had a TV and magazine shoot, a debate about modern development versus heritage preservation, a gala event for two international speakers on architecture, and a discussion around the future of the Fan Walk. The Freeworld Design Centre also offers an excellent colour consulting service to the trade and houses South Africa’s only dedicated gallery space for the promotion of interior design. CV
CV The centre backs onto some fairly historic buildings – the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Dutch Embassy, the Gold Museum. Does the design of your centre speak to this heritage? LS Yes, very much so. If you recall what was there before, it
EXHIBITION
CV How is Cape Town beginning to apply design intelligently to the urban landscape? LS It is incredible to see the
Openness to Explore is a winter décor exhibition on at the Freeworld Design Centre until the end of July 2011. City Views spoke to some of the creatives behind the inspiring design concepts.
Tracy Lynch CV Any local creatives that are capturing your attention at this moment? TL I love how new designer stores are popping
up all over Woodstock and the City Centre. Pedersen + Lennard are truly inspiring, with flatpack furniture and reconditioned bicycles being their focus, as well as a
– Neil Stemmet
was an ugly facebrick building – the Cape Waters Hotel – that totally obscured the vestry of the church. Our architect opened up the whole existing structure with glass, demolished existing structures in the courtyard like toilet blocks and stairwells, removed the clutter of garbage bins, and upgraded the courtyard into a space that the public can now visit and admire. We love the fact that all this history, which was previously hidden and inaccessible, has been opened up for people to appreciate.
CV You’ve said that design is the response of an open mind to opportunity. Could you then say that Cape Town is full of open minds AND opportunity? TL Yes, absolutely! Capetonians are wonderful creatives and very resourceful. We have a unique mix of cultures and I find that expressed on the street in the way people dress, in the way street vendors make items from discarded waste and trendy areas are filled with designer boutiques and new galleries.
Neil Stemmet’s pod
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“I love cities in winter. You can see the buildings, as all the trees are stripped bare, and cities are more affordable and real.”
The courtyard at Freeworld Design Centre
wonderful coffee shop and showroom called the Field Office.
town
Safe Spaces for women at Freeworld Design Centre inner-city rejuvenation that is happening in our street. I love the Prestwich Memorial and the public space surrounding it. It has been handled both sensitively and beautifully, and I would really like to see more spaces like this in the city. CV What’s your favourite winter activity in the city? LS Catching rainbows. Seriously! I have just started photographing them and hotfrogging the images to the Freeworld Design Centre’s twitter feed, #FreeworldDC. Rainbows are the ultimate, gobsmacking, jaw-dropping lesson from nature about the colour spectrum.
Neil Stemmet CV What do you think Cape Town can learn from its past as inspiration for its future? NS Look at the Company’s Garden, the Bo-Kaap, the beautiful Koopmans-De Wet Huis, Iziko National Gallery, Mount Nelson, Long Street, Kirstenbosch, Rhodes Memorial – all visual relics of the past. People travel to experience a new country in all forms: food, music, architecture, heritage, gardens. Update, yes, but always stay true to Mother Cape Town. CV Where does winter find you in the city? NS In bed working on my laptop, or catching a movie at the Labia, or coffee at one of the many inner-city coffee houses – I think we should support them more. We really have wonderful spaces to escape to and we should support them. We have become a living, breathing, world-class inner city. Hallelujah!
Liam Mooney’s pod and Bacchus Chair
Liam Mooney CV You moved your showroom into the city centre, from Woodstock to Wale Street. Why? LM Woodstock is wonderful, but I needed to move to slightly larger premises and also wanted to be closer to my clientele, who mainly operate from the City Centre. It’s wonderful here. The energy is great and I love being so close to everything. CV Tell us more about the Bacchus Chair featured in your pod. LM My Bacchus Chair is manufactured from the
Freeworld Design Centre will be hosting a Women’s Day event on 4 August, at which they’ll be unveiling a Rock Girl bench, promoting Safe Spaces for women. Mayor Patricia De Lille will be speaking, the new interior design exhibition Spring Break will be launched, and soccer balls designed by acclaimed creatives like Zapiro, Skinny laMinx and Lauren Beukes will be auctioned. Be there! Freeworld Design Centre 71 Waterkant St T: 021 427 8918 www.freeworlddesigncentre.com
staves of a single wine barrel. As we live in wine country, getting my hands on these barrels isn’t very difficult. What is difficult is seeing 200-year-old French oak being hacked in two and used for pot plants. I was convinced there was a new way to use the staves. The Bacchus Chair is part of my range that only uses micro industries. The micro craftsmen in our country very often work in techniques and use materials that are unique to Southern Africa, so it’s about being creative with the materials around us and encouraging manufacturers to continue working in traditional methods. CV The theme of the exhibition is Openness to Explore – which parts of Cape Town do you think should be explored more? LM It may sound strange, but African curio shops (of which the inner city has plenty) are interesting to me at the moment... They’re a hotbed of inspiration.
Photos: Supplied
July 2011
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special
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CityViews
July 2011
8 GREAT REASONS TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE THIS WINTER Winter in the Mother City has its own charm… and this July there’s ample to keep you occupied. Here are eight great reasons to get going.
This original bathhouse, dating back to 1908, is an old world experience with modern convenience – the 25m pool is heated, and the baths are open between 07h00 and 19h00 throughout winter, meaning you can fit in a 45-minute swim before or after work, or even during lunch. When City Views last checked, the lanes were full of winter swimmers … but take time before you take the plunge to read the rules, which forbid “animals, running, pushing, ducking, petting, pushing, bombing, shouting, horseplay, inflatable mattresses, playing of radios and preparation of food”. When you’re done, wander into any good Long Street café, whether to warm up or cool off. Long Street Baths Cnr Long & Orange Street T: 021 400 3302
2. Lunch at the Fabulous French Friday Market
Every Friday between 10h00 and 14h00, a little market magic transforms the Alliance Française in Loop Street. Run by Suzanne Himely – a champion of the subtleties and history of French food – the market sells a large range of French products, from pâtés and rillettes to mustards, vin-
egars, cheeses and breads. Foodies who have discovered this marvellous market range from students who buy 50g of cheese to fine dining restaurants who buy kilos of it. Alliance Française 155 Loop Street T: 083 300 6725
3. Take the kids to the top
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Photos: Richard Aaron, Muti
1. Swim at the Long Street baths
Take advantage of Table Mountain Cableway’s Kidz Season, when two children ride the cableway for free when an adult return ticket is purchased. Included is a treasure hunt and a special offer on pizza and hot chocolate at Table Mountain Café. Kidz Season, which ends on 30 October, applies on weekends, public holidays and during the school holidays, and a special entertainment programme for kids will run during school holidays. The cableway operates weather permitting.
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Table Mountain Cableway T: 021 424 8181 www.tablemountain.net
4. Make time with Tretchikoff
Don’t miss the retrospective exhibition of controversial self-taught artist Vladimir Tretchikoff (nicknamed the “King of Kitsch”) at the Iziko South African National Gallery, which runs until 25 September. Tretchikoff might have been maligned by members of the established arts community, but he was a firm favourite amongst many South Africans, and spent much of his life living and working in Cape Town. The exhibition, enti-
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NEWS FLASH
Get your fashion fix from 13 to 16 July when Cape Town Fashion Week comes to the CTICC
South African playwright Athol Fugard was honoured with a Tony Lifetime Achievement Award in New York last month, alongside two graduates of the Michaelis School of Fine Art in the Central City, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones, of the Handspring Puppet Company. In keeping with such award-winning company, the Fugard Theatre is showing silver screen classics almost every night until 16 July, including Brokeback Mountain and All the President’s Men. Screenings will start at 20h00 every night, with hot soup, fresh garlic bread, Thelema Wines and a warm atmosphere awaiting you from 19h00. Tickets are R40 each, and bookings can be made on www.computicket.com or by phoning the box office directly. The Fugard Theatre Cnr Caledon & Lower Buitenkant T: 021 461 4554 www.thefugard.com
Photos: supplied
Fugard receives a Tony Lifetime Achievement Award
Cape Town Fashion Week
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or trendspotters, the highlight of Cape Town’s winter events schedule is undoubtedly Cape Town Fashion Week (CTFW), which takes place from 13 to 16 July 2011 at the CTICC. This year, apart from dishing up a healthy
serving of glamour, Cape Town Fashion Week means business. In a first for South African fashion, organisers African Fashion International (AFI) have partnered with SA Tourism to develop tourism through fashion. AFI sees fashion as a business platform that
can grow tourism, steer development in upcoming designers, grow the commercial viability of the fashion sector and highlight new trends such as “sustainable luxury”. With the support of the Cape Town Fashion Council, SA Tourism and Cape Town Tourism, AFI have invited selected design powerhouses to present their Summer 2011/12 collections – the impressive lineup includes Thula Sindi, Stefania Morland, Leigh Schubert, Abigail Betz, Gavin Rajah and David Tlale. Other designers invited to showcase their collections are Danielle Margaux, Doreen Southwood, Habits, Undacova, Dax Martin, Lisp, Nucleus, Lalesso, Tart, Michelle Ludek, House of Monatic, Fabiani and Strato. Cape Town Fashion Week Cape Town International Convention Centre 13 to 16 July 2011 www.afisa.co.za
July 2011
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CityViews
ciated with cooking, it also stocks top ingredients (the stuff you see in cookery books but cannot find in stores – like dried porcini, gelatine, truffle vinegar, vanilla beans and Iranian saffron) and doubles up as a cookery school, regularly featuring some of Cape Town’s top chefs as guest teachers. Check out the designer chopping boards, the Egyptian cotton uniforms and the custom-designed mise en place table (which literally translates as “putting in place”, with space for everything needed by a cook). And if you want to get your knives sharpened, a professional sharpener comes in every Monday. Liam Tomlin, originally from Ireland, has lived in South Africa for six years. He’s one of those people who came on holiday, loved it, and decided to stay. The Easy Entertaining Evenings course will be held over five evenings and aims to show you how to put a quick meal together and make entertaining easier. The next course kicks off on Thursday, 4 August at 18h00.
4 tled The People’s Painter, was curated by Andrew Lamprecht and contains a range of unpublished works as well as reproductions of many of Tretchikoff’s most popular paintings. Tickets are R20 and under, and the gallery is open daily between 10h00 and 17h00. Iziko South African National Gallery Government Ave, Company’s Garden T: 021 400 3065 www.iziko.org.za
5. Have a looksee at the Labia
Place your order for a steaming cup of Milo and take in an arty movie at that wonderful independent movie house, the Labia. It’s well worth a visit just for being the oldest independent art-repertory cinema in South Africa and for the fact that the original building was once an Italian embassy ballroom. The theatre has two locations: the original 68 Orange Street location with four screens and the Lifestyle Centre at 50
Kloof Street with two screens. Watch out for movies screened by the group While You Were Sleeping, a Cape Town-based non-profit collective committed to bringing progressive, non-mainstream documentary films with important social and environmental messages to audiences in South Africa.
Liam Tomlin’s Chefs Warehouse 50 New Church Street T: 021 422 0128 www.chefswarehouse.co.za
The Labia 68 Orange Street T: 021 424 5927 www.labia.co.za
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7. Visit the South African Jewish Museum The museum’s architecture alone will make the visit worth it, for the skill with which it has assimilated the Old Synagogue into the complex. South Africa’s first synagogue was built in Cape Town in 1863, but, by 1905, the growing Jewish congregation needed something larger. The Gardens Shul was then built next door and, in 1958, the Old Synagogue was converted into the Old Jewish Museum of
6. Get cooking at the Chefs Warehouse
South Africa. In 1996, a larger building was erected, bringing into being the South African Jewish Museum. Exhibits include paintings by Irma Stern, a study of human rights activist Helen Suzman, and Japanese art collected by the Isaac Kaplannet. A highlight of the museum is a display of a reconstructed shtetl, the Yiddish word for village. South African Jewish Museum 88 Hatfield Street T: 021 465 1546 www.sajewishmuseum.co.za
8. Grab afterdinner drinks
Relative newcomer to the Central City, Fat Back Soul, is upmarket yet unpretentious, retro-cool, and reportedly a hang-out spot for an international celebrity or two. It is small and intimate, no cameras are allowed in, and by the look and the feel, you might be anywhere once inside – Los Angeles, New York or London. If soul classics are your style, then this is the place for you.
Book yourself into a cooking class – and what better place to go than the Easy Entertaining Evenings course offered by celebrated Central City chef Liam Tomlin of the Chefs Warehouse. The Chefs Warehouse, which opened about seven months ago, is a treat for any cook, aspiring or otherwise. Not only does it sell a range of goods asso-
Fat Back Soul 289 Long Street T: 021 422 4086 www.fatbacksoul.com
6
FOCUS ON
CV What direction is Strato’s Cape Town Fashion Week range going to take? MM Strato will launch Summer 2011 at Cape Town Fashion Week with bright colours and contrast trims on structured, fresh silhouettes. The collection shows a sporty replay of French Riviera, with some highlights of grey denim. CV Why did you choose the Cape Town Station as the site for your Strato store? MM Accessibility ... it’s the only place everybody goes through to get in and out of the city.
What was your biggest career break to date? MM Opening the store in May has been a highlight.
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
CV
City Views caught up with Maloti Mothobi, Cape Town Fashion Week designer, entrepreneur and owner of Strato, a new fashion store on the Cape Town Station deck in Strand Street.
focus
CV What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? MM Ambition, hard work and consistency. CV Where does the Strato name come from? MM It’s South African slang for “street”.
CV What about the Cape Town CBD inspires you? MM The diversity of the people walking about the city. CV Who are your favourite Cape Town designers? MM Darkie, Stiaan Louw, Tart, Craig Native.
Describe your style. MM I maintain a colourful streeturban lifestyle. CV
CV MM
Who are your customers? Trendy urban youth.
CV What are your favourite hangout spots in the CBD? MM My store, plus Deluxe in Long Street, Cappello in Riebeeck Street, the Executive Club at the Westin Grand Hotel and Cubaña in Green Point.
Where do you shop in the CBD? MM I don’t shop for clothes, I make them. CV
What are you listening to? MM Deep House Sounds Vol. 8 mixed by Vinny da Vinci. CV
CV What have been your most significant career milestones? MM Starting a business from nothing as well as the ability to have conceptualised a simple idea and developed it into an amazing brand. CV Which Capetonians do you admire? MM Those that have left comfortable jobs and followed their dreams – it’s those that live for a living and those that are in constant pursuit of a better life. CV Where do you see Strato in five years? MM In a path of progression, across South Africa, Africa and the world. CV If you weren’t a fashion designer, what would you be? MM A DJ. Music is life.
Strato 19 Strand Street T: 021 447 7337 www.wearstrato.com
town
CityViews
R CITY CARING WINTE
HOMELESSNESS high on city agenda
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efore being elected, Mayor Patricia De Lille pledged to put homelessness high on her agenda, outlining a six-point programme to “build a caring city in which everyone who needs help receives it and an inclusive city where everyone has a stake in the future”. This programme included a onestop assessment centre to help people get access to necessary service and expanding and reorienting the Displaced Persons Unit (DPU) to a social development response before law enforcement enters the picture. Now that she’s been inaugurated as mayor, she’s included a new portfolio – for social and early childhood development – in her mayoral committee and appointed Beverley Cortje-Alcock at its head. The City of Cape Town budget has been approved, and this portfolio, together with economic development, is to receive approximately R300-million. Furthermore, from
“Only by helping the most vulnerable can we speak of a city that is truly inclusive and cares for all.” – Mayor Patricia de Lille
R25-million available from rates income, De Lille has allocated an additional R2-million to help the city’s homeless, emphasising, “Only by helping the most vulnerable can we speak of a city that is truly inclusive and cares for all.” While more specific plans for allocated resources might take time, winter has already arrived, and with it the increased risk of fires and floods in the metropolis – meaning more homeless and destitute people. In anticipation of this increased need during the coming months, the Central City Improvement District has distributed 1 000 care bags – containing personal care items such as soap, deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush and a facecloth, together with a winter beanie and socks – and 500 pairs of men’s shoes, to local charities who work specifically with the homeless and the destitute in the city. Says Tasso Evangelinos, COO of the CCID, “The CCID’s social development arm works with the homeless year-round, but winter is a particularly hard time to be on the streets. We’re challenging businesses in the Central City to follow our lead and to give responsibly – by giving of their time and resources to a local charity. It’s important that everyone works together to make Cape Town a more caring and inclusive city.”
“We’re challenging businesses in the Central City to follow our lead and to give responsibly – by giving of their time and resources to a local charity or shelter. It’s important that everyone works together to make Cape Town a more caring and inclusive city.” – Tasso Evangelinos
The CCID donated 500 pairs of men’s shoes to shelters across the city
INSPIRING THE CITY 18 July is Mandela Day. What are you doing with your 67 minutes – in honour of Mandela’s 67 years committed to social justice – to inspire change in your community?
Give Responsibly Where homelessness remains a reality in city centres around the world, and Cape Town is no different, what can you do? Give a helping hand up, not a hand out. Giving a few rands here and there might help soothe your conscience, but did you stop to think you might be condemning someone to perpetual life on the street? There are various initiatives in place and a number of organisations working to provide alternatives to those who need it. Channel your donation effectively and help break the cycle of poverty and dependency. So, what do I give? Many city NGOs are in need of shoes and clothes this winter. Here are the details. The Ark gives temporary
refuge to those in need. To continue doing this, they need maize meal, soup mix, blankets, warm socks, and cement and roofing sheets for the completion of their dining room. They also need help finishing their website. 5 Old Faure Road, Eersterivier T: 021 843 3927 www.theark.org.za
The Carpenter’s Shop provides rehabilitation services and skills training for adults. They urgently need warm clothing for men in particular (pants sized 28 to 32, shoes sized 5 to 10, as well as jackets
and caps), clothing for women (clothes sized 28 to 34, shoes sized 3 to 6) as well as computers. Clients of theirs also need sponsorship for their studies. 14A Roeland St T: 021 461 5508 www.tcs.org.za
Catholic Welfare and Development puts together crisis relief basins in winter, for families made homeless through fires and floods. They need blankets, soap and tinned food to put in these basins before they are distributed. 37A Somerset Road T: 021 425 2095 www.cwd.org.za
July 2011
Photos: Richard Aaron, Muti
around
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The Community Chest has launched its Keep Cape Town Warm campaign, to help provide emergency relief to those who experience the worst of the weather across the Western Cape. Donations of blankets, warm clothing and non-perishable food can be made at any Absa branch, the SABC studios in Sea Point, or the Community Chest offices at 82 Bree Street. 82 Bree Street T: 021 424 3344 www.comchest.org.za
The Haven helps get the homeless home. They are in need of men’s clothing – socks, shoes, pants and beanies – and jackets
and jerseys for men and women, as well as tinned food and ingredients for soup. 2 Napier Street, Green Point T: 021 425 4700 www.haven.org.za
The Homestead provides residential care and family integration for boys. They’re in need of long pants and warm tops (sizes 9/10 to medium) and shoes (sizes 3 to 8) for their boys, and well as a general handyman who is willing to give of their time and expertise. 150 Strand Street T: 021 419 9763 www.homestead.org.za
Dine out to donate: Add a StreetSmart donation onto your restaurant bill It’s hardest not to give to those in need when you’ve just enjoyed a hearty meal yourself, but StreetSmart has a solution: They’ve partnered with city restaurants to add a minimum donation of R5 to your bill. Donations go to reintegration, education and skills training initiatives for street kids. From 18 to 24 July, furthermore, they’re running a Winter Restaurant Week. Participating Central City establishments include 6 Spin Street, Aubergine, Fork, Frieda’s on Bree and Savoy Cabbage. StreetSmart Cnr Buitengracht & Riebeeck Street T: 021 418 0621 www.streetsmartsa.org.za
July 2011
from the fringe
CityViews
9
ing the clubbing Oh! Café started by serv day to Friday open in the mornings, Mon
crowd – but is now
Oh! It’s a treat!
O
ne of the many places delighting visitors to Cape Town’s innovation district – The Fringe – is Oh! Café et Gourmandises (which translates as “Oh! Coffee and Tasty Treats”). The café, which was established late last year to service the clubbing crowd, started off by opening only on Friday and Saturday nights – and occasionally on Wednesdays – from 20h00 until about 04h00. More recently, the café has been opening in the mornings until after lunch, from Monday to Friday. Oh! Café is the brainchild of French-born Stephane Gibourdel, who works as an assistant director in the film industry, and casting director Rae Goodwin. Rae says the concept of the café was to create a sensual “1958 Paris street kiosk” experience. The café plays retro French music, has French-speaking staff and features French cooking, as well as fabulous coffee and shakes, prepared by Congolese barista George Tamfuri. Asked what prompted her to open the café, Rae says, “I bought the building in 2001 to house my casting studio. Despite the fact that it was a bit of a rundown neighbourhood at the time, I fell in love with the area. I renovated, included
a swimming pool and moved into the apartment above the studio with my two kids.” “Over the years, with the remarkable input by the Central City Improvement District chaps, the neighbourhood has become quite abuzz.” On living in the fast-revitalising Fringe district, Rae says, “I’ve always been drawn to this area. The Diaz Tavern is an old favourite of mine –
“With the remarkable input by the Central City Improvement District chaps, the neighbourhood has become quite abuzz.” – Rae Goodwin
I actually spotted the ‘for sale’ sign on my building from their window. Charly’s Bakery makes the world’s best lamb pies and The Assembly rocks.” Oh! Café 46 Harrington Street
Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti
ATION DESIGN INNOV
Creative Wendren has it IN THE BAG
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endren Setzer, a Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) graduate, didn’t think much of corporate life, so she started her own business – making bags. And hasn’t looked back since. Her bags – handbags, totes, purses, pouches, sling bags, shoppers and laptop bags – are made out of grain sacks and linen, with laptop bags made out of discarded cement packaging. They are sold online at www.etsy.com (an online shop for people who produce handmade goods) and can be found in select stores, such as The Fringe Arts in Kloof Street and the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. She also exports to Sweden, the UK and Germany. A graduate in textile design (and now a lecturer in design foundation, also at CPUT), Wendren ascribes a large chunk of her entrepreneurial success to the skills she learnt there: “At CPUT, I learnt a different way of thinking – that design is not just about creativity but how you ask questions and how you find answers. I learnt that skills can be temporary – for instance, painting for design is now generally computer generated – but the way you think and approach things is timeless. If you know how to think, you can adapt.” Wendren grew up in Botswana, Namibia and Mauritius and has lived in Cape Town since 1997. After completing her four-year design diploma (with a distinction) she took up a position as a designer in the corporate world. “It didn’t work out. There was not much space for creativity. I realised I wanted to go out on my own and be creative.” At the time, she was looking for a new bag that was “special, simple and practical” and couldn’t find one she liked.
“So I decided to make one ... ” It wasn’t long before she was taking orders, and had to call in the help of two independent local seamstresses. Asked what drives her, she says, “Finding new materials of natural origin, both obviously beautiful and not, then finding ways to challenge the perceptions held by people about the boundaries of these materials.” Wendren is a regular blogger – about her journey as an entrepreneur and about the inspiration she finds along the way. She also loves lecturing at CPUT, saying it allows “time out” while
Wendren Setzer
“At CPUT, I learnt a different way of thinking – that design is not just about creativity, but how you ask questions and how you find answers.” – Wendren Setzer
still allowing her to be involved in the design-thinking process. As for time off, she enjoys the cupcakes at Charly’s Bakery, walking up and down Long Street and the surrounding side streets, and is a regular at Café Royale and the Book Lounge. Wendren considers herself a big fan of the Central City and The Fringe, for the creative potential evident in both: “Young designers with an idea, talent and passion are opening shops. They start small and they are growing. I love recognising the names and knowing how they, like me, started off.” For more information about the WREN design, see www.thewren design.com.
COMPETITION Goematronics, a national remix competition held in conjunction with BPM magazine, Mutha FM, Creative Cape Town and African Dope Records, is launching 1 July 2011 and prizes over R40 000 in value are up for grabs, including Red Bull Studio time and studio software Cakewalk from Paul Bothner Music. To enter, create your own track of new music drawing on Cape Town’s musical legacy, goema. (You can create your own samples or draw from those on SoundCloud.) Competition closes on 28 August 2011 and winners will be announced during Creative Week Cape Town. See www.goematronics.co.za for more information.
Photos: Ricardo van Lingen and Mike Thomson (artist)
Get mixing it’s Goematronics
10 on the
town
CityViews
July 2011
RESTAURANT
Great Chefs
of the Central City, Cape Town A series featuring chefs who are doing great things in the Central City. Laurent Deslandes, Bizerca Bistro
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ward-winning French chef Laurent Deslandes opened his restaurant, Bizerca, on the Foreshore in late 2007 and has already built up a dedicated clientele.
Where does the name Bizerca come from? LD When my South African wife Cyrillia and I moved to South Africa after living for 17 years in France and Australia, our friends told us we were “bizerca” (berserk). We kept the name – if only to show them how our move has paid off! CV
Who comes to Bizerca? LD Regular customers from all over. When we opened, we thought nobody would come here at night, but we’re full virtually every night. Business people come for lunch. For dinner, we see more couples and families. We know many of our clients CV
by name and many of them have become part of the Bizerca family. CV What’s on the menu? LD Our basic cuisine is French. We have a small main menu and a blackboard with daily specials. The menu could feature anything from braised pig trotters with seared scallops to homemade sausage or Karoo lamb stew – and a range of desserts like apple sorbet. We use a lot of vegetables and fish, fresh from the sea. I call my fishmonger every morning and he tells me what he has. We’re so
“When we opened, we thought nobody would come here at night, but we’re full virtually every night.” – Laurent Deslandes
lucky because we can easily find beautiful rabbit, duck, buffalo and the best quality meats and vegetables throughout the year. CV Do people feel safe coming to the Central City at night? LD I believe they do. It’s wonderful here at night. The hotels around us buzz with activity, we have beautiful lights in the square, and we look out on artist Ralph Borland’s ghost shark sculptures. CV What brought you to the Central City? LD There were very few stand-alone restaurants in the Central City when we first opened. The Central City needed good restaurants. That’s why I came here! We’ve been busy from the first day we opened. CV What can Cape Town’s Central City learn from other cities? LD Sydney has a far more
active CBD than Cape Town. I would love to see our Central City become more active. In Sydney, as well as Paris, where I lived for 17 years, you get beautiful restaurants where the owner is a chef, so they cook and host. It’s a wonderful concept. CV What’s your philosophy on food? LD I believe a chef should enjoy every day at work. We should take pleasure in cooking. That way we bring pleasure to our customers. CV What are some of your favourite ingredients as a chef? LD I love figs. I also love working with ginger and lemongrass. This probably sounds funny for a French restaurant – but they are wonderful ingredients and not too strong to overpower the French cuisine.
14 Jetty Street, Foreshore T: 021 418 0001 www.bizerca.com
Photo: Supplied by SJM Architects.
Hot on the heels of his New Orleans-styled Down South Food Bar at 267 Long Street, renowned Central City chef Giorgio Nava has opened the Down South Pie Bar right next door. This brings to six Nava’s tally of food outlets in and around Cape Town – four of which are in the Central City.
Roast figs, goats’ cheese, crispy Parma ham and rocket salad 4 large ripe figs 50g goats’ cheese 4 slices Parma ham 30ml red wine vinegar 50ml olive oil 10g pine nuts Baby rocket salad Method: Cut the tops off the figs. Stuff with the goats’ cheese and season with black pepper. Wrap each slice of Parma ham around the stuffed fig. Cook in the oven at 180°C for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the Parma ham crisps. Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar. Strain this liquid, add the olive oil for the dressing, and season well. Toss the dressing over the baby rocket and pine nuts. Top the rocket salad with the warmed fig.
Skinny Legs & All, these girls are going to make it! hannesburg, took up their undergraduate studies at the University of Cape Town and fell in love with the city. “We’ve always wanted to have our own café, to spend our days involved in intimate conversations revolving around food. When this spot, with its pressed ceiling and wonderful sense of space, became available, we snatched the opportunity,” they say. “We wanted to create a place where the design is timeless and the quality of our dishes shines – real food, unadulterated and unadorned. Here, the boundaries between kitchen, counter and dining area are blurred.” The name of the restaurant has a literary reference: “Tom Robbins’ novel Skinny Legs and All is one of our favourites. We like the feeling the name evokes of a quirky, street element – a fitting title for the axis around which spins a fun-loving, alarmingly provocative, yet tasty,
lemon and rosemary chicken and Moroccan-styled meatballs, while the soup changes daily. Drinks include lime, grapefruit Jesse and Jamie Friedberg are hooked on the “hustle and bustle” of the Central City
culinary experience.” Jamie is in charge of the food, while Jesse operates as coffee barista and manages the floor. The lunch menu features a range of salads and sandwiches, main courses like Franschhoek trout, charred
Photos: Adriaan Louw
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win sisters Jesse and Jamie Friedberg are turning heads in Loop Street with their luxury café, Skinny Legs & All. The former site of the João Ferreira Art Gallery, Skinny Legs & All opened in April – and the sisters say business has been steady, with an excellent return rate. Big on atmosphere, the café has retained the gallery feel by continuing to feature works on loan from Ferreira – who has moved to Hout Street – and display Art Deco objects and art books. When City Views visited the first time, works by Beezy Bailey stood side by side on one wall, while books on the likes of Marlene Dumas and Robert Hodgins graced the shelves alongside an old LP record player and some LPs. (“Our parents sent them down. We have a good selection of James Taylor, Carole King, Janis Ian, Paul Simon, Bread, Simon and Garfunkel … ”) The sisters, who grew up in Jo-
and ginger juice; homemade lemonade; a green shake and a raw chocolate shake – as well as a warmed cup of almond or sesame milk. Asked to describe their philosophy on food, they say, “In our food preparation, simplicity is key – allowing the honest flavours to simply be. Our food resonates afterwards.” Their favourite ingredients are extra virgin olive oil, Maldon sea salt, blackstrap molasses and thick Greek yoghurt. As for experiencing the Central City, the twins are hooked. “The hustle and bustle is contagious and the colourful characters make for good company,” says Jesse, who lives on top of the Eastern Food Bazaar, between Longmarket and Darling streets, and cycles to the restaurant every day. 70 Loop Street T: 021 423 5403 www.skinnylegsandall.co.za
July 2011
on the
CityViews
town
VINTAGE STORE, AFRAID OF MICE, OPENS IN LONG STREET
the shop we wanted to call our own.” Afraid of Mice has been raising the eyebrows of trendsetters and hipsters since it first opened its doors in the Runwell Building, Woodstock, in February last year. One year later, the sisters decided it was time to move – from a studio to a
shop with dedicated trading hours and higher foot traffic. Stocked with all the clothes you wish your mother had kept for you, sourced ahead of season to keep up with current trends and runway styles, the shop doesn’t feel second-hand or second-rate. It’s not cluttered or dusty, with overstocked rails, and
A STREET AT A TIME In this series, City Views takes a closer look at some of the Central City streets and why we love them. This month Marc Zandhuis, owner of Cape Town Magazine, the city’s largest internet magazine, tells us about Long Street.
“You get to experience al fresco shopping amongst authentic old buildings. That beats any airconditioned mall.” – Bianca and Simone Brandi
you don’t have to battle to find your dream dress. The sisters have done all the hard work for you. “Women have realised the
value of integrating vintage into their everyday style. It adds to originality and it’s fashion recycling. We stock a combination of vintage, second-hand and a few firsthand items of designer clothing. In the next month we will also be stocking local women’s wear brand, Christopher Strong. “Part of what we sell is a fantasy,” says Bianca. “There are dresses that seem like they could tell stories of nights spent doing the Char-
leston and jackets worn by 80s Wall Street types. Every piece feels special. “ The girls stock labels that cannot be found anywhere else in South Africa. “We have one-of-a-kind pieces from Chanel and Oscar de la Renta to Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney. Our secret desire is that a Chanel collector leaves everything to us in her will. So here’s hoping.” Interestingly, neither of the sisters has a background in fashion. Bianca studied copywriting at the Red & Yellow School and worked in advertising for two years, and Simone has her master’s in organisational psychology and consults part-time. The sisters are thrilled to have made the move: “Cape Town has a lively, well-established street culture. You get to experience al fresco shopping amongst authentic old buildings. We love the people, the energy, the way everyone interprets style so differently. That beats any air-conditioned mall.” 86 Long street T: 021 423 7353 http://afraidofmice.com
“Why I love Long Street”
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e operate from 210 Long Street, and I chose to work in Long Street because I want to be at the heart of the action. I’ve always thought of myself as a traveller – but, when I first arrived in Cape Town in 1999, I put down my bags, looked around and said, “I’m home.” Cape Town activates all parts of a person – the social development, business, creative and artistic sides as well as the wine-drinking and living well sides. South Africa is a stunning country. In 1999 there was this feeling of a “glass half-empty”, since then it has changed to a “glass half-full”. I love the bits of trivia which continually emerge about this city. For instance, if you turn off Long Street and walk up a little into Bloem Street, there’s a row of metal tubes that have been constructed on the side of the building. Run your pen
“I chose to work in Long Street because I want to be at the heart of the action.” – Marc Zandhuis
Photo: Desmond Louw
Photos: Lari Meyer
L
adies, does this sound familiar: You’ve seen a picture of your mother, dating back to way back when. She’s young and dressed to kill in a jacket and boots that you would give anything to have in your wardrobe right now. But … she didn’t keep it for you. Help is at hand – in the form of a new store in town, Afraid of Mice. Run by sisters Bianca and Simone Brandi, the store brings yet another burst of energy to the muchloved Long Street. “We always dreamed of having our own store in Long Street. But not just any space. It had to be just right,” said Bianca in an interview with City Views. “It took us a year of shop-hunting joys and sorrows until we finally found
along them and you’ll hear the first line of the song Mannenberg by Abdullah Ibrahim. I love it! Did you know that the original name of Long Street was Olifant Street? Go to the building called Langham
House in Long Street, opposite On Broadway. There’s a placard explaining. My favourite part of Long Street is from Fork restaurant upwards. There you can find some of my favourite spots – there are too many to mention – and I frequent all of them! There’s Fork, Cape to Cuba, Lola’s, Long Street Café and Maremoto … Fork epitomises life in Cape Town. I go there with friends for the pieces of kudu fillet, the pancetta-wrapped prawns and the other delicious tapas treats – and generally find that before we know it, it’s midnight. That’s when we make our way to places like the bar at the back of Cape to Cuba. Nobody knows about it. Or to the Julep Bar – another gem of the Cape Town Central City, just off Long Street in Vredenburg Lane. Or to Fatback Soul, which has such an easy-going vibe, it feels as if you are at a spontaneous house party thrown by a friend. There’s also Ragazzi, the bar for trendsetters who don’t want to be trendsetters. For me, Maremoto has incredible character – with the influence of the poet Pablo Neruda and other special touches. I go there for meetings, for lunch or to meet a friend for a drink. For a coffee break, I go to YoursTruly. It’s so sincere. And U & Me Coffee to pick up a beanie or something like that! Rcaffé makes the most wonderful Emmentaler
11
by Marc Zandhuis
sandwiches. For music, where else to go but the wonderful African Music Store. It’s impossible not to go in when you hear the sounds coming out of there! For exercise, the Long Street Baths, of course. For shopping, one of the best places for a guy like me is Imagenius. If you have no idea what to buy for somebody’s birthday, go there. You’ll feel like a genius when you walk out. Then there’s Second Time Around, which I love for special items. For anything related to the skateboard culture, there’s Bonafide. For über-cool clothing items, there’s Thulare Monareng’s Collage Fashion Deli. Did you know she brings out a different design for a t-shirt commemorating Soweto 1976 every year? Then there’s Wag and Darkie, two wonderful shops. I am not one of those people who wants to see Long Street pedestrianised. Stand on any balcony in Long Street and see the ice lorries, taxis, trucks, cars and people. That is Long Street. Maybe take away one row of parking, but don’t destroy the whole nature of the street. After we turn 21, we forget how to wander into a place … I always say to people, “Go to Long Street and walk around for two or three hours with no objectives. See what you find.” For more inspiration on what to do in Cape Town, go to www.capetownmagazine.com
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my
town
CityViews
July 2011
FOCUS ON
My Cape Town:
Themba Mngomezulu Themba Mngomezulu, designer and founder of Darkie Clothing at 159 Long Street has, besides making a name for his funky clothing, worked on projects like the design of the Nando’s uniforms, clothing lines for government, and private and corporate design. He prefers not to be photographed.
CV What trends will you bring us next summer? TM For us, summer will be about African prints – Ndebele, Zulu and others – and a lot of twill fabrics. We’re moving away from big, bold prints to subtle prints.
What’s inspiring you at the moment? TM The dividing factors, cultural clashes and disparities between rich and poor in our society – the fact that I can feel I’m black, that you can feel you’re white, that an Indian and a coloured person can feel they’re Indian or coloured. It inspires me to wear statement t-shirts. Creative people break the rules. I try to raise what’s happening underground up into people’s consciousness through shows, slogans and window displays. The tourists who come into our city also inspire me. I love the way they don’t see the difference between black, white, coloured and Indian. CV
been invited to live in cities in Europe, Asia and the United States, but none of them offer what Cape Town as a city and the Western Cape as a province do. The creativity and the nature keep me here. Nothing comes close to that. CV Where do you go for coffee in the Central City? TM YoursTruly, also in Long Street. CV What’s your lunch spot of choice? TM Café Royale for a burger. CV What do you do to relax in the Central City? TM I like walking in Church Street and Wale Street. I also love going through the antique mall in Long Street.
CV What are some of the highlights of being based in the Central City? TM I like the fact that our brand is exposed to such a range of different people. Being in the CBD we get inspired by what’s going on and by the people around us.
CV Could Cape Town be the World Design Capital? TM We could be, but I think we need to be more unified in order to do so. Rather than everybody doing their own thing, I feel if we can work together – and get rid of that hesitation and fear about being copied, etc – then we can win anything we want in the world. If Cape Town wins the bid, we must involve Johannesburg and Durban. It is not nice to celebrate without your neighbours. We are all South Africans. You can be the most creative city in the world, but if you don’t have unity as a country, then what’s the point?
CV Is Cape Town an inspiring city? TM Very. I love Cape Town. I have
CV What would you change about Long Street if you could?
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
Photos: Richard Aaron, Muti
CV What’s in your store for winter? TM Beautiful college and baseball jackets.
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
TM One of my biggest dreams for Long Street would be to close it off from cars and parking. I’ve been to Sweden and other countries, where the roads are shut down, and no vehicles, except bin trucks, are allowed in the street. It brings people to a city centre and makes them want to be part of it. I will never forget last year, during the opening of the World Cup, when the whole of Long Street was closed to cars. Everybody was walking up and down the street. We were all so happy. They don’t even have to shut down the whole of Long Street – just part of it. I’d also like to keep Long Street busy by encouraging people to trade until early evening, like 18h00. Sometimes, on a Saturday, if I am in Long Street at about 15h00, I am ashamed in front of the tourists. The only shop that’s still open then is Darkie. We stay open ’til 17h00 on Saturdays. We used to open ’til 23h00, but we were the only ones. You can’t tell the tourists to go to a mall.
“The creativity and the nature keep me here. Nothing comes close to that.” – Themba Mngomezulu CV What aspects of design do you love about the Central City? TM The architecture. There are so many buildings I love in Cape Town. I just wish they could stay like that and be occupied by creative young minds. Some of the most beautiful buildings are not used for the right reasons. It is very important to preserve these old buildings. CV What building would you happily demolish in the CBD? TM Some of these new “lookalike” buildings should be demolished – those ones made of glass and stainless steel. I hate it when they demolish a beautiful old building and put one of those up.
CV If you could pass any law in the city, what would you do? TM I would get rid of parking guards. They kill our business. People don’t want to drive into town, and then pay R4.50 to park for half an hour. You can’t try on a pair of jeans or a t-shirt in half an hour. If our public transport was sorted out, there might be a case for charging for parking. I still can’t get over the fact that, every time I deliver stock to my own shop, I have to pay a parking guard. CV Which other international cities do you love? TM Amsterdam CV What can Cape Town learn from Amsterdam? TM How to shop! We don’t have a shopping culture.
Darkie Clothing 159 Long Street T: 021 424 2993
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