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Century City Carols 4 December 2016
IS S UE T WENT Y T WO 4th Quarter 2016
Ratanga Junction Theme Park
Summer is here!
OPEN: 25 - 27 Nov Daily: 2 Dec - 10 Jan
*Closed Christmas Day
Tickets may also be bought on-line at Webtickets.co.za Look for special dynamic ticket promotions and discounts at Webtickets.co.za Over 27 attractions for the whole family!
Info line: 0861 200 300
www.ratanga.co.za *Terms and conditions apply
wrapping up 2016 The results of this year’s service improvement survey, which showed that more than 82% of stakeholders at Century City rate their overall experience of the precinct as excellent or good, is very encouraging. (See page 7.) We have taken note of issues of concern, and will continue to strive to improve these areas in the interests of our stakeholders. What was very interesting was the percentage of respondents who said they would like to see more restaurants, outdoor markets and nightlife. Twelve years ago, our marketing consultants told us Century City was just about bricks and mortar and lacked “community gees”. We have worked hard to change that and it has been very pleasing to see how our sports clubs and leagues have taken off, and also the incredible turnout at our regular events, which have become firm favourites on the community calendar over the years. We will continue to build on that with a few surprises – including the first Summer Night Market on The Square on Wednesday 7 December – up our sleeve. Hope to see you all there! From all of us at Century City, we wish you a joyous festive season!
chris’s corner
Chris Blackshaw
ceo | century city property owners’ association
welcome... As 2016 draws to an end, our Century City community continues to grow in leaps and bounds. At the recently completed Century City Square, almost all the new office space has been let and some big-name corporates are moving in, bringing further life to the bustling Square and all the restaurants and coffee shops that spill out on to it. The Century City Conference Centre, which also forms part of the Square, has been an unbridled success since opening early this year, with bookings pouring in and hundreds upon hundreds of delegates bringing additional life to the precinct. Meanwhile there is still plenty on the go in the Square and elsewhere at Century City before year end – see our events listed on page 13 and 14. Enjoy! We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours all the best over the festive season.
Maggie Rowley ccpoa communications manager
EDITOR: Maggie Rowley | 021 550 7000 | maggie@rabie.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER: Bianca Church | 021 552 6889 | bianca@centurycity.co.za DESIGN & LAYOUT: Elinore de Lisle | 083 574 8937 | elinore@iafrica.com COVER PHOTO: Century City Carols PHOTOGRAPHER: Michel Dei Cont
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our growing city Iconic Axis at Century City to offer breathtaking views
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xis, an iconic high-rise residential development offering spectacular views of Table Mountain and Table Bay into perpetuity, is to be built on a prominent site at Century City at a cost of R400 million. Being developed by the award-winning Rabie Property Group, the landmark 11-storey building will lift the bar on Century City residential developments by providing unparalleled vistas, luxury and convenience. It will comprise a total of 83 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments including six deluxe penthouses which will exude unashamed luxury and boast entertainment-sized terraces of up to 80 square metres. John Chapman, a director of Rabie, said the building has been orientated to maximise moun-
tain and sea views, providing a front seat to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The 10 one-bedroom apartments will vary in size from 58 square metres to 74 square metres, the 60 two-bedroom apartments will range from 82 square metres to 102 square
metres, while the nine threebedroom apartments will vary from 108 square metres to 128 square metres. The large penthouses range from 166 square metres to 222 square metres, with configurations varying to include a combination of study, TV
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lounge, fourth bedroom and scullery. All the above-mentioned areas exclude balconies and terraces, the smallest of which is 8 square metres. One-bedroom apartments are priced from R2.12 million to R2.5 million and two-bedroom units from R3.45 million to R4.6 million, while the three largest penthouses are priced between R9.5 milion and R12.7 million. However, according to
Chapman, the majority of units are priced between R3.5 million and R4.5 million. All apartments will boast high-end finishes, Smeg appliances and will have Fibre To The Home providing them with access to high-speed connectivity, the last of which has become synonymous with Century City. Basement parking will be provided on a ratio of one bay for each one-bedroom
“the building has been orientated to maximise mountain and sea views, providing a front seat to one of the seven wonders of the world.”
Left: an interior of one of the penthouses with spectacular mountain and sea views; above: a deluxe bathroom; below: the ground floor restaurant flowing on to an open terrace.
apartment and two bays for all two-, three- and four-bedroom units. Basement stores are also available. The building will have a state-of-the-art external cladding façade, double glazing on all windows on the outer perimeter, and all 29 sea-facing apartments will have the lounge air conditioned. The ground floor will also comprise a niche restaurant/ cocktail bar flowing out onto a terrace, as well as a boutique retail and office component. A 24-hour concierge in the entrance court will complete the exclusive nature of the development. Axis is to be built on a highvisibility corner site adjacent to the vibrant R1 billion Century City Square development, the new commercial and hospitality hub of Century City with its popular restaurants, bars and bustling public square as well as the Century City Conference Centre & Hotel and Virgin Active gym. Brian Usher, Sales Director of Property World, the exclusive sales agents for Rabie’s new developments at Century City, said Axis would be in a class of its own. “There is no doubt the location of the building, the quality of the development and its superb mountain and sea views will ensure buyers in the Axis will also enjoy the same amazing capital appreciation that buyers in earlier developments at Century City have.” Construction is to commence in the New Year and completion is anticipated for October 2018.
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our growing city Rabie named Most Tech Friendly Property Company
Mayfair, one of the 14 residential developments at Century City that has Fibre To The Home available.
discussions with the remaining Body Corporates and Home Owners’ Associations to get approval to roll out fibre to these developments as well.” De Swardt said the 20 or so Internet Service Providers (ISPs) tied in with Century City Connect were offering FTTH packages from as little as R299 per month to residents who were able to choose their preferred ISP. “There has been this misconception that fibre is so much more expensive than copper but this is not the case. In addition, fibre offers faster speeds and it is a real enabler, allowing data, voice and multimedia connectivity as opposed to copper which allows for only voice or data.” According to Brian Usher, Sales Director of Property World, the on-site sales agents for Rabie’s new residential developments at Century City,
FTTH is a major contributing factor to the burgeoning demand for homes within Century City from both buyers and tenants. “This is particularly evident when it comes to the younger market, for whom high-speed internet connectivity is as important as electricity or water connectivity, and has been a driving force behind the high demand for rental accommodation within Century City as tenants generally tend to be younger than investors or owner-occupiers. “At the same time it is also a prime consideration for investors, as FTTH future-proofs their investment and makes it more likely they will find a suitable tenant at their asking rental.” De Swardt said the Century City Connect network’s average connection speed is 39Mbps against the average South African connection speed of 5.6Mbps.
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abie Property Group, the developer of Century City, received an award for the Most Tech Friendly Property Company at the 2016 annual conference of the FTTH Council Africa held at the Century City Conference Centre recently. Fibre To The Home (FTTH) is currently available to residents at 14 of the 18 residential developments within Century City, while 95% of businesses in the precinct are now also able to connect to Century City’s openaccess fibre optic network. Hein de Swardt, Operations Manager for Century City Connect, the company that operates a carrier neutral “last mile” open-access fibre optic network within Century City, said in the past couple of years fibre had been deployed to all new residential buildings coming on stream, and many of the older buildings had been retrofitted. “We are currently in
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our growing city Oasis sales top R157m Palm Brook, the fifth building in the Oasis Luxury Retirement Resort, currently under construction.
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hirty-one of the 52 luxury apartments in Palm Brook, the fifth block to be built in the Oasis Luxury Retirement Resort at Century City, have been sold to date for a total of R157million, 13 months ahead of scheduled completion. Oasis is being developed in a joint venture (JV) by the Rabie Property Group and a Harries Group Consortium. Owen Futeran, a spokesman for the JV, said the tempo of sales in the resort in the past couple of years had been
nothing short of extraordinary. “We sold out of the most recent block, Palm d’Or, long before completion and we look set to do so again with Palm Brook. “There is still strong interest in the development, with a number of other sales close to finalisation, and we expect interest to pick up further as construction advances. “This is the penultimate block in this development and people are realising that if they don’t get in soon they may well miss the boat.”
Futeran said strong demand for Oasis units was also evident in the resale and rental markets where there has been a flurry of recent activity. “So much so that we currently only have two apartments for resale and three units to rent on our books out of over 280 completed units.” He added that exciting extensions to the Clubhouse were expected to get under way in the New Year, along with a new Home Care Centre and attending doctors’ consulting rooms.
for further details go to www.oasisretirementresort.co.za.
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city life Century City readies for bumper festive season
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2016 festive season. Representatives from Canal Walk, Ratanga Junction, SAPS, City Law Enforcement, City Traffic and Century City Security recently met with CCPOA management to update the plan. In terms of traffic, all the signalised intersections are on the SCOOT system, which results in signal timings changing automatically according to realtime traffic patterns. Blackshaw said the Century City Control Centre would be working closely with the Goodwood Traffic Management Centre (TMC) to monitor the situation and to remotely adjust signal timings if required. “And for the first time, the Century City Control Centre will be able to view selected freeway traffic cameras via a new fibre
link with the TMC. “Real-time traffic information on the surrounding freeways is useful as Century City traffic flows are directly affected by freeway traffic congestion. We will then be able to advise Century City motorists of trouble spots via our Variable Messaging System (VMS).” Blackshaw said extra parking assistants will assist with the flow of traffic into and out of Canal Walk, and there will be temporary parking signage guiding traffic both off the Boulevard and within Canal Walk parking areas. In addition, Century City’s two traffic officers will work split shifts from 6am to 10pm and an additional traffic marshal will be placed at the Lion Arch entrance to assist with traffic >
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entury City is gearing up for yet another bumper festive season, with millions of visitors expected to grace the precinct over this period. Canal Walk alone is expected to attract more than 2.4 million shoppers in December, of which more than 100,000 are anticipated on Christmas Eve, according to Vanessa Herbst, marketing manager for the mall. Chris Blackshaw, CEO of the Century City Property Owners’ Association (CCPOA), says the Operational Management Forum, which is driven by the CCPOA and which coordinates and facilitates law enforcement, security, traffic and disaster management issues within Century City, has been proactively preparing for the
Chris Blackshaw, CEO of the Century City Property Owners’ Association (sixth from right) and Marinus Boshoff, Century City Security Manager (second from left) with members of SAPS Milnerton, Century City Venue Hosts, Milnerton Traffic, ER 24 and City Law Enforcement.
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city life management. Century City’s two contracted law enforcement officers will also work the busiest shifts so that they can help with traffic management if necessary. Blackshaw said to accommodate the anticipated parking demand on peak days and on Sundays (when Hillsong Church requires parking), Ratanga Junction will be using the parking garages at the Square and again VMS will be used to guide motorists. Regarding public transport, he said that MyCiTi and Golden Arrow will operate until 10:30pm to accommodate the extended Canal Walk trading hours, and minibus taxi services had also been advised. He said all Century City security service providers, including the 24/7 CCPOA Control Centre, CCTV surveillance operators and the two Metro law enforcement officers deployed to Century City, will be on heightened alert, and Canal Walk and Ratanga Junction had both stepped up their security. “SAPS has included Century City in their Festive Season Plan. Foot and mounted horse patrols will be implemented on and around Century Boulevard, in Canal Walk and its parking areas.” Blackshaw stressed that in the event of an emergency the Century City Control Centre should be contacted first. They in turn would contact SAPS, City Traffic Control Centre and other emergency services. 24/7 Control Centre: 021 202 1000
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Recycled waste water keeps Century City green
ith Cape Town facing the toughest water restrictions in years, you may be wondering how Century City is managing to look so beautifully green. The answer is simple. Thanks to a major infrastructure investment by the original developer, Century City has a supply of recycled water from Potsdam waste water treatment works which it uses for all its irrigation. Alan Liebenberg, Century City’s environmental manager, explains that Century City has its own pump station at Potsdam. “The recycled water is pumped along our 7km
pipeline – which was paid for by the developer – to a large holding reservoir (one million litres) under Intaka Island at Century City. From there it is pumped along an irrigation ring main, with all the different properties within Century City able to draw off that main for their irrigation. “Likewise the CCPOA draws off the main to irrigate all common areas.” Liebenberg says the fact that Century City is using this recycled waste water doubly benefits the environment, as it also prevents this treated effluent water from being fed into the Diep River and Milnerton Lagoon.
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city life Century City gets the thumbs up from most stakeholders!
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ore than 82% of stakeholders at Century City rate their overall experience of the precinct as excellent or good, according to the sixth service improvement survey which was undertaken recently. The biennial survey forms part of the Century City Property Owners’ Association’s (CCPOA) strategic planning and is used to inform its business planning and budget process. CCPOA CEO Chris Blackshaw says it is also used to check whether the CCPOA’s internal assessment correlates with stakeholder perceptions, and to build relationships with them. The online survey was completed by a wide range of stakeholders including commercial property owners and tenants, residential property owners and tenants, retail tenants, those working at
Century City as well as a range of visitors including shoppers. What respondents most like about Century City is its central location and convenience, its high level of safety and security, that it is clean, neat and well managed, the landscaping and green environment, all its amenities and facilities, and its “upmarket feel and community”. The major concern highlighted was traffic congestion, which
the CCPOA and the developer, Rabie Property Group, have and are addressing on a number of levels, says Blackshaw. “There has been a very noticeable improvement in traffic flow since the upgrade of Sable Road, which provided an additional permanent left lane out of the Bridgeways precinct into Sable Road with a dedicated free-flowing left turn onto the collector distributor road (the road running parallel to the N1); a queue jump lane for the MyCiTi Bus on Sable Road to improve travel time to the railway station, and a free-flowing left-hand turn from the N1 Exit 10 off-ramp into Sable Road going west towards Century City.” Blackshaw said the results of the survey were again very encouraging. “However, there can be no room for complacency and we will continue to improve on our delivery and to meet the needs of all stakeholders.”
to read the full results of the survey go to www.centurycity.co.za
VETERINARY SERVICES
Ixia St Animal Hospital & dental clinic
Tel: 021 555 4040
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9 Ixia St Milnerton
Dr Natalie Bosman BVSc, Dr Cato Müller BVSc & Associates
We are a 15-year established, well-equipped, modern Veterinary Hospital, offering a broad range of medical, surgical, high-care and dental services. The Doctors and staff of Ixia St Animal Hospital are committed and equipped to provide up-to-date, caring, professional, efficient and high-quality care for dogs, cats and other small pets. Our long opening hours offer convenience and availability, accommodating the time pressures of almost any pet owners’ lifestyle! Veterinary Services Include: •Consultations & Vaccinations •Medical Diagnostic Investigations •Radiology & Ultrasound •Surgery-General & Orthopedic •Hospitalisation & High-Care •In-house Laboratory Services •Veterinary Dentistry •Weight Management
our loooong opening hours Monday-Friday : 7am - 8pm Saturday : 8am - 5pm Sunday/Publ.Hol : 9am - 12pm modern medicine ~ old fashioned care
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city life Unsung hero - Preacher: helping keep Century City safe
Peter “Preacher” Jacobs.
waste. I got down on the ground and helped guide the baby – a little boy – out. “I wrapped him in some warm things his mom had in her bag and laid him on his mom’s chest to await the ambulance, which took about 10 minutes to arrive. The umbilical cord was still attached as I did not have a sterile instrument with which to cut it.” Then there was the time an inebriated driver came speeding through Century City from the Bosmansdam Road gate, lost control of the vehicle at the second circle near Liberty Life and plunged into the canal. “On the way the driver had knocked over one of our traffic cones which was lodged under the vehicle, leaving a trail on the road. “This was in the days before we had such extensive CCTV coverage so we followed the trail and found the car in the water. I
and another venue host, Chief, called for backup before jumping into the water to try and rescue the driver. Sadly the driver passed away at the scene.” A level 3 first-aider, Preacher has helped save more than a few lives through CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). He says at around 20 he lost count of the number of people from all walks of life he helped save at the taxi rank, bus stops, homes and offices within the precinct. “But I have not lost count of the ones we were not able to save in spite of every possible effort having been made. That stands at a very sad six.” Preacher, who hails from Blue Downs, has been married to his wife Susan for 33 years and they have a daughter, Joflyn, a qualified nurse who is following in the footsteps of her mother and aunts by studying midwifery.
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entury City venue host, Peter Jacobs, who goes by the handle “Preacher”, has been an important cog in Century City’s security operations for the past 15 years. Preacher started his career as a security officer in Canal Walk Shopping Centre before being promoted to senior inspector. In 2003, when a chance arose for him to join the Century City Property Owners’ Association as a venue host, he jumped at the opportunity and has not looked back. “I love my job, I love the people and I love working in the outdoors, in the fresh air. “No day is the same. When I get up in the morning I am excited for work not knowing what the day will bring.’’ Over and above his core responsibility of keeping Century City safe and secure for all its stakeholders, Preacher is often required to go the extra mile. One event that stands out in his mind is when he was radioed and told there was a pregnant woman at the taxi rank complaining of cramps. He rushed there to find the woman lying on the floor shouting that the baby was coming. “Initially I panicked as I had never seen a baby being born, but I told myself to calm down and I ran back to my vehicle to get my bag and gloves. “I was away for only a few seconds and when I returned the baby’s head was already crowning. There was no time to
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city life Endeavour opens second Century City crèche
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ndeavour Educare Centre, part of the Shuttle Kidz group, has opened its second preschool within Century City to cope with very strong demand for nursery facilities in the burgeoning suburb. Manager Adam Gale says they had outgrown their first Century City nursery school in Central Park, into which they moved five years ago, and at one time had had as many as 600 on the waiting list.
“So we jumped at the opportunity to open a second school in the precinct – Endeavour Too! – in beautiful new premises around the corner in the new mixed-use Manhattan Quarter development.” He said Endeavour Too! had opened on November 1 with an enrolment of 70, but a further 100 children were expected to be enrolled in January when the school reopens after the festive season break. The new school has seven
classrooms, each of which will accommodate around 25 learners, and three staff members per class – one teacher and two assistants. Children from 15 months to five years old will be accommodated, with a Grade R facility for six-year-olds provided in the original school. Fees for 2017 are R2,915 per month for a full day, including breakfast, a cooked lunch and an afternoon snack, with half days costing R2,700 per month.
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Adam Gale with some of his star learners.
if you are interested in enrolling your child/children you can download an application form on their website www.shuttlekidz.co.za or you can phone adam on 021 5550037
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city life Sinenjongo gets a new permanent home
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the keys to which were handed over in November – will open in January 2017. It comprises 33 classrooms, 8 specialist classrooms, 4 science laboratories, ablution and storage facilities, an administration block, a computer room, school hall, and media centre and a dedicated sports field. The school is being built to accommodate more than 1,200 learners who mainly reside in the surrounding areas of Milnerton. While construction has been under way, the learners of Sinenjongo High School have been
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inenjongo High School in Joe Slovo is set to graduate from containers to a fully fledged bricks and mortar school. Since its inception around 15 years ago, the school has struggled without any proper amenities or facilities – there is no hall, no staffroom, a shortage of ablution facilities, no fields and the three laboratories they have (one science and two computer) have been donated by the private sector, most notably Rabie Property Group, the developer of Century City. The new R47million school –
accommodated at a temporary school site under the very capable leadership of their principal, Ms Kuselwa Nopote. Under Ms Nopote’s leadership and with the assistance of the Rabie Property Group, the school’s matric results have more than doubled from 43.9% (in 2009) to 90.6%. Ms Nopote says staff and learners are very excited about the move. “We can’t wait to get into the new school building and are looking forward to having a school hall and a sports field.’’ The Department of Education says the development of this school is a wonderful example of how the private sector can invest in education “Rabie Property Group has become a valued part of the Sinenjongo High School community, having adopted the school as its major Corporate Social Investment beneficiary in 2009. They have continued to provide support for the school, sponsoring additional teaching posts in maths and science.”
Above left: Some of the team from the Departments of Education and Public Works, Rabie, Sinenjongo staff and the community who have worked on the project.
Intaka island The natural heart of the city!
Bring the family for a stroll or guided tour of our sprawling 16ha wetlands, have a picnic at the lapa or enjoy a boat trip down the canals and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Intaka is open 7 days a week 7:30am- 7pm (Summer months) info@intaka.co.za | 021 552 6889
www.intaka.co.za
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city life Canal Walk events EAT OUT THURSDAY Every Thursday until 24 November Canal Walk’s Eat Out Thursday campaign promotes unique restaurant specials to attract food lovers to the centre, specifically on Thursdays. Shoppers have the opportunity to enter the gourmet feast competition and stand a chance to win a dining experience every day for a week, which will include meals for four, complete with complimentary beverages. All participating retailers’ special offers are listed on our website at www.canalwalk.co.za
THE WEDDING SHOW 24–26 February, Centre Wide If you are planning a wedding, Canal Walk’s Wedding Show is especially for you! This beautiful show is all about helping you create your dream wedding. For any further information or to book your stand, please contact Cheryl Wade on 083 456 2879.
ICE ADVENTURE 2 December to 8 January Venue: Centre Court Times: 10am–10pm (sessions start every hour on the hour) Tickets: Full Rider R80, Mini Rider R60, Non-Rider R20. Tickets available soon at Computicket The Ice Adventure at Canal Walk this holiday offers fun for the whole family to enjoy. See animals of the Ice Age and take a thrilling ride down ice slides. Experience the Ice Adventure in a sub-zero ice chamber. Be sure not to miss this exciting adventure.
RATANGA SUMMER SEASON Ratanga Junction theme park, the Wildest Place in Africa, will be opening for the last weekend in November and then daily from 2 December to 10 January for the Summer Season. The only day the park will be closed during this period is on 25 December. Adults and children over 1.3m pay R179p/p, while children under 1.3m pay R95. Entry with a Fun Pass ticket (non-rider) costs just 70p/p. Please note ticket specials are available from time to time. For details on ticket specials and opening periods beyond 10 January, go to ratanga.co.za or webtickets.co.za
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city life Upcoming events at Century City
CENTURY CITY NATURAL GOODS MARKET AND ART ON THE ISLAND 27 November Held on the last Sunday of the month on Central Park field until April (no December market) this is the perfect way to spend your day. Relax and sample the delicious fare on sale while the kids take advantage of a range of free activities on offer.
CENTURY CITY SUMMER NIGHT MARKET @ THE SQUARE 7 December
CENTURY CITY CAROLS 4 December Bring your picnic baskets and blankets and laze on the lawns of Central Park while you soak up the festivities with an hour of carol singing and a range of kids’ activities which include rides on the ever popular Ratanga Train and a visit from Father Christmas!
Following the success of our popular Summer Natural Goods Market and our Winter Night Market, we are excited to introduce our first ever Summer Night Market. Set to be held at the new Century City Square, the market will boast an array of food and drinks, goodies and gifts for some Christmas shopping, and some great live music. With convenient parking right below and a one-of-a-kind setting, this is not to be missed!
GALILEO OPEN AIR CINEMA 9 December The Galileo Open Air Cinema is back for its second season at Central Park, and is set to be bigger and better. With a sterling line-up of cinematic delights, what better way to spend a Friday night than catching a movie under a canopy of stars at Century City? for information on all century city events please contact bianca at bianca@centurycity.co.za
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our sporting city How to get up and active in Century City Century City offers a wealth of outdoor activity options, from sporting clubs to fitness classes. For the runner in you, there is no better place to be than the Century City Athletic Club. With a 5km time trial every Tuesday evening, this friendly club is open to all fitness levels and ages. For more information, contact the club chairman, Bertie Cloete: bertiecloete007@gmail.com | www.centurycityathletics.co.za. Century City also boasts its very own parkrun along a scenic 5km route around the canals, taking place every Saturday morning at 8am at Central Park. www.parkrun.co.za/centurycity Central Park field is also home to our Om Revolution Sunset Yoga classes as well as our Adventure Bootcamp for women, with yoga taking place Mondays and Wednesday at 6pm, and Adventure Bootcamp every morning and evening. Contact yoga@theomrevolution.co.za regarding yoga, and 021 447 2746 to book your spot on a bootcamp! For the water babies, you can take your pick between our Century City Canoe Club and our newly launched Century City Stand Up Paddling Club. Canoe time trials are every Tuesday evening, meeting at Intaka Island. For further details, contact Chairman Richard Kohler: richkman@gmail.com | www.centurycitycanoeclub.co.za Stand Up Paddling time trials are every Monday evening, with SUP Social Saturdays offering anyone the opportunity to hop on a board and give this exciting sport a bash. Contact Elleni: info@centurycitysupclub.co.za
For those who prefer ball games, you have the choice of either the Century City Social Touch Rugby Club or the Century City Touch Rugby League, taking place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings respectively. Contact In2Touch: capetown@ touchrugby.co.za. Alternatively, if you’re in the mood for a game of footie, Fives Futbol Century City – open for both leagues and social soccer games – is the place to be! Contact: centurycity@fivesfutbol.co.za
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our sporting city Century City Athletic Club - A team of stars!
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he Century City Athletic Club (CCA) boasts some star performers among its more than 100-strong membership, including two Century City sports ambassadors who are sponsored by the CCPOA. They are 30-year-old Samson Gulubela and 36-year-old Tanya Posthumus-Fox. What an exciting year 2016 has been for Tanya, who has won five races since April. The first win of the year was the Weskus Langebaan Country Estate Half Marathon, followed by the Run the Vines Spice Route 10km Trail in July. Since then Tanya has been winning a race a month – the PPC Cement Riebeeckberg Half Marathon in August, the Franchhoek ACVV French Corner 10km in September, and the Hermanus Total Whale Half Marathon in October. Her race diary until the end of the year is packed: the West Coast Half Marathon and Edgemead 10km both in November, with a further two races – the Avbob 15km and Onrus 10km – in December. What is extraordinary about this achievement is that five days before the Weskus race, Tanya was involved in a head-on car collision and has been suffering from severe whiplash for the past six months, having weekly physiotherapy to treat it. Tanya says she looks forward to having her race times start reflecting a full recovery. Her immediate goal is to improve her 10km personal best.
“And I am also aiming to further improve my 15km and 21km PB’s (long-term goals). “In a nutshell, I am always striving towards reaching my full running potential, while proudly representing Century City.”
Above: Tanya Posthumus-Fox Below: Samson Gulubela
In spite of also being beset by injuries this year, Samson has achieved a number of significant milestones including a silver medal in the Comrades Marathon, running the 89km in 7:25:17. He also did well in the Cape Town Marathon, running the
42.2km in 2:50:35, and achieved the Sainsbury medal for the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, running the 56km in 4:02. But no doubt the highlight of his year was the birth of his first child, a beautiful daughter called Kamva. This year he also plans to run the Velocity Marathon in December and is looking forward to beating his personal best at the Two Oceans next year. But these are not the only stars in the CCA. This year 20 runners of the club participated in the gruelling Comrades Marathon, with the team bringing back 18 medals including one silver, one Bill Rowan, nine bronze and seven Vic Clapham medals – a remarkable achievement for such a young and relatively small club! “Participation was more than double this year, but most remarkable was the high number of first-time runners”, said CCA committee member, Claire Mathieson. “The club has become a breeding ground for a ‘can do anything’ attitude, and people are! “Five years ago, we had three or four runners at Comrades. This year we had 20% of the club there (the club has since grown). It was a phenomenal journey for all involved and one that has inspired others.” In other news, Aaron Adams will represent CCA in next year’s Paris Marathon – a prize he won at the Cape Town Marathon where the Club had 40 participants.