IS S UE T WENT Y-FO UR 2nd Quarter 2017
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Century City launches an Arts Trail for the public
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a thriving community When I first arrived at Century City in 2005, a major challenge facing us was to create a community for those living and working within the precinct; to create a heart and soul for our City and a heritage we could build on. Bit by bit we have tried to do this through establishing sports clubs and organising community and sports events and the like. Some of these have grown into major milestones over the years, not only on the Century City calendar but for Cape Town as a whole. There is now also a thriving array of schools and churches, and a plethora of meeting places from hotels and conference facilities to restaurants, coffee shops, parks and even a public square. Many have contributed, and continue to do so, to Century City’s metamorphosis and we are very proud to welcome the latest addition to our landscape – an Arts Trail around the precinct for all to enjoy. See pages 9–11. The Arts Trail currently comprises 24 exhibits, and we plan to add to this. In this regard we would urge corporates and individuals to get involved so that we can create a truly awe-inspiring art component to our City.
chris’s corner
Chris Blackshaw
ceo | century city property owners’ association
welcome... An increasing number of international brands are relocating to Century City, with recent newcomers including Thomson Reuters, Mastercard and Derivco. They join the likes of Liberty Life, Absa, Vodacom, Aurecon, Citi Bank, Fusion, MTN, FNB, Philip Morris, Old Mutual, Mazars and Chevron to name a few. Marriott International, the largest hotel group in the world, has also recently announced that the Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa (which previously traded under Protea Hotels’ African Pride label) now constitutes part of its family – the first hotel in South Africa to be rebranded a Marriott! That is not all. Lamborghini is set to open its new Cape Town showroom in the Matrix building in the Bridgeways precinct, where 8,300 square metres of new prestige offices for Discovery are also under construction. With another 300,000 square metres or so to go before Century City is fully developed, one can expect many more brands – both global and domestic – to make our city within a city their home.
Maggie Rowley
ccpoa communications manager
EDITOR: Maggie Rowley | 021 550 7000 | maggie@rabie.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER: Tatum Sieni | 021 552 6889 DESIGN & LAYOUT: Elinore de Lisle | 083 574 8937 | elinore@iafrica.com COVER PHOTO: Home is where the heart is by artist Right Mukore PHOTOGRAPHER: Michel Dei-Cont
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our growing city R460m new offices under development at Century City
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new development of 16,300 square metres of premium offices, which will include new regional offices for Discovery, is to be built on a prime gateway site at Century City. Being developed by the Rabie Property Group at a cost of R460 million, Sable Park will comprise two four-storey buildings of 8,000 square metres and 8,300 square metres respectively, each with two levels of underground parking. Designed in a contemporary vernacular by the awardwinning dhk Architects, the buildings will front on to Sable Road, providing high visibility and offering uninterrupted panoramic views of Table Mountain and Table Bay. Discovery’s Cape Town staff, who will be relocating from elsewhere at Century City due to their existing lease expiring, will be occupying the larger of the two buildings. The second building, which is ideally suited for a large
user looking to make a strong corporate statement, is being designed to be flexible and, if needs be, could be subdivided to accommodate smaller users, says Rabie director, Colin Anderson. David Pierre-Eugene, head of Group Facilities at Discovery, said: “With our existing leasing commitments coming up for renewal, we were on the lookout for new premises whereby we could be consolidated into one building and have options for future growth. “As part of our assessment for new premises, we surveyed other developments outside of Century City and found that from a location, convenience and amenities point of view, Century City was still the best location to meet our requirements.” Sable Park is situated in the all-green Bridgeways precinct, which has become the new commercial and hospitality hub of Century City. The precinct is home to a number of other
blue chip companies including the new Absa regional offices, Chevron, Philip Morris, the Business Centre, Thomson Reuters, Mastercard, Derivco, Northfund, Glad Africa and the Rabie Property Group among others. Also located in the precinct is the mixed-use Century City Square, which comprises the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel, 15,000 square metres of offices, 51 apartments and five restaurants, pubs and coffee shops surrounding a public square and served by 1,330 parking bays in a super basement and a structured parking garage. Century City Square development was recently awarded a 4-Star Green Star – Custom Mixed Use Design rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa, the first development in the Western Cape to achieve this. Five other office buildings in the precinct have also received Green Star ratings. Anderson said Sable Park was also being designed as a green development and it was their intention to register it with the GBCSA, aiming for a 4-Star Green Star rating in both the Design v1 and As Built v1 categories. The Bridgeways precinct also boasts a Virgin Active gym and is within easy walking distance of convenience retailing, spas, three other hotels and the Canal Walk Shopping Centre.
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our growing city Waters Edge show flat now available for viewing
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beautiful, furnished show flat is now available for viewing at Waters Edge, Rabie Property Group’s spectacular new residential development overlooking Intaka Island at Century City. The extremely spacious three-bedroom, two-bathroom show flat offers uninterrupted views of the award-winning wetlands reserve. Only nine of the 144 apartments in Waters Edge – all three-bedroom units – remain to be sold more than six months before scheduled completion. “And we expect these to go very quickly now that buyers can see the quality of the development, the superb finishes and the unparalleled vistas on offer,” says Brian Usher of Property
World, the specialist on-site sales agents. Being built at a cost of R385 million, this high-rise development will offer a unique lifestyle combining the natural wonder of Intaka Island with the first-world convenience of Canal Walk on the doorstep.
The pedestrian walkway in front of Waters Edge to Canal Walk has been temporarily closed until the end of September to enable construction. The entire development is due for completion by the end of November this year.
please note that the viewing of the show flat is strictly by appointment. if you are interested, please contact property world on 021 555 0105. for further details, go to www.watersedge.cc
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our growing city Final apartment block in Oasis now selling
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he sixth and final block of apartments in the Oasis Luxury Retirement Resort at Century City, Palme Vue, has been launched. The 11-storey building, comprising 42 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, is being developed in a joint venture by the Rabie Property Group and a Harries Projects consortium at a cost of R270 million. It follows the success of Palm Brook, the fifth block in the resort currently under construction, where 44 of the 52 apartments have been sold seven months ahead of completion. Rabie director Colin Green said Palme Vue would comprise fewer but on average larger apartments than had been offered in previous blocks to meet strong demand for even more spacious units. Apartments, which range in size from 94 to 247 square metres, including terraces, are priced from R3.4 million to just over R10 million, VAT inclusive. No transfer duty is payable. All the apartments have terraces or balconies ranging in size from 19 to 77 square metres. All apartments will have luxury finishes and a minimum of one basement parking bay. Many will also have a second bay and a storeroom included in the price. As with the three most
“it follows the success of palm brook, the fifth block in the resort currently under construction.” recent blocks (Palme d’Or, Palm Royale and Palm Brook), Palme Vue will be linked to the extensive Oasis Club facilities by an undercover passage. A satellite recreational room is also planned to add to the communal facilities for Oasis residents and their guests in
the new garden court. Palme Vue will be served by two lifts and have a 24-hour dedicated concierge at the entrance lobby. Construction is due to start in May/June this year, with transfer anticipated in the third quarter of 2018.
for further details, phone cindy on 082 495 7168, lorenda on 083 270 4755 or linda on 082 785 6160, or visit the website www.oasisretirementresort.co.za
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our growing city Canal Walk events for June and July THE COSMO JEANS FASHION SHOW presented by Canal Walk Thursday 8 June, 8:30pm, Canal Walk Centre Court Cosmo will showcase the latest in denim trends at this annual spectacle. Enjoy an evening of incredible fashion and rub shoulders with Cape Town celebs.
MANDELA MOSAIC Tuesday, 18 July Once again celebrating Madiba’s legacy, members of the public are invited to help create a giant mosaic made out of tins of food.
CANAL WALK THEATRE 1 to 22 July, Canal Walk Centre Court J M Barrie’s classic, Peter Pan, returns in a spectacular showcase with original music by award-winning duo Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer, who regularly have their work presented to critical and public acclaim. A talented, star-studded cast, breathtaking sets, magnificent costumes, and a gathering of beautiful puppets will bring Peter Pan to life.
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our growing city Crystal Towers now a Marriott hotel
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frican Pride Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa has been converted into a Marriott-branded hotel known as as the Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers. It is the first in the country to be branded a Marriott. Alex Kyriakidis, President, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International, said hotel guests will for the first time in South Africa be able to enjoy the Marriott-brand facilities they know so well from around the world: the familiar taste of the Marriott burger; the Greatroom where one can work, play, discuss, enjoy a top-quality snack or drink, and try out the latest in technology available to guests. Chief among the technology tools are the Marriott App that Marriott Rewards members can use for mobile check-in – with keyless check-in to follow in the near future – and the Meetings Imagined digital tool for conference organisers.
The roll-out of the conversion means new décor – a look and style that reflects Marriott Hotels’ appreciation of its guest identity. “The hotel interiors tap into the need for places to work that offer easy connectivity, while at the same time providing a variety of spaces for relaxation and enjoyment,” says the hotel’s General Manager, Carolyn Jones. “The hotel lobby, the Greatroom, has been redecorated, as have the Orah Bar & Lounge and the Acara Pool Bar & Terrace. The spaces are ideal for networking, working and having fun.” Implementing the new brand also means that the well-known Towers Restaurant will soon have a new menu, to be designed by recently appointed Executive Chef, Henrico Grobbelaar, a leading chef with a dynamic career in the local food industry and a following among food-lovers. Owned by the Rabie Property
Group, the 180-room Crystal Towers Hotel was opened in 2009. Leon Cohen, Managing Director of Rabie Property Group, the developer of Century City, said they were delighted to welcome such a strong international brand to Cape Town, and Century City in particular. “The Marriott brand complements all that Century City has to offer and further cements our position as a leading hospitality and commercial hub in the Western Cape. “Our recently opened Century City Conference Centre is performing way ahead of our most optimistic expectations, attracting a growing number of national and international conferences. Having a Marriott-branded hotel substantially increases our offering and will no doubt appeal in particular to our international delegates.”
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our growing city Century City office vacancies drop to 7.4%
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he continued strong take-up of offices at Century City has seen almost all new stock being mopped up and overall vacancies dropping to 7.4% in April from just under 10% in January this year and 12.1% in the fourth quarter of last year. Jason Elley of Rabie Property Group, the developers of Century City, said of the 45,000 square metres of new office space that had come on stream in the precinct since November 2015, only 1,040 square metres remained to be let. He said the total lettable area of offices at Century City is currently just under 350,000 square metres, of which only 25,800 square metres is currently vacant. “And most of this vacant space is in older buildings, with 11,000 square metres in one building alone – the old PriceWaterhouseCoopers premises – where we understand a number of options are being explored going forward which do not involve offices. If this building is taken out of the office equation, it will reduce vacancies to 4.6%.” Elley said recent lettings of new premises in Century City included the entire fourth floor, comprising 1,158 square metres, in the Apex building in Century
City Square to Mastercard, and 446 square metres in the same building to Storetech. “This iconic building, which is also home to Thomson Reuters, Derivco, Northfund and Nocks Oil, has only 296 square metres out of 8,100 square metres left to let, and this is under offer.” The other new buildings in Century City Square are the Matrix and the Annex. Of the 24 sectional title offices in the Matrix, only two remain to be let, while the Annex is fully let. Tenants here include Rabie Property Group, Glad Africa, Tal Insurance, IT Lab and Xzibit. Elley said other new office space that had come on stream in Century City recently had also been snapped up. “At Mayfair Square, where 18 units totalling 3,050 square
metres were brought to the market, only one remains to be let, and this is under negotiation. Similarly, at Grosvenor Square only two units are still available.” Strong demand has also been seen for some of the older buildings in Century City. Last year Nordic Light Properties embarked on a R7m redevelopment of two prominent Century City buildings – 15 and 17 Boundary Road – which have a combined Gross Leaseable Area of over 4,000 square metres. The two buildings were beautifully restored and modernised, resulting in five new leases already being signed with Bond Str. Property Solutions, Tarsus Distribution, Aspen Pharmacare, R-Data and MIP Holdings. Elley said a number of factors were driving demand at Century City. “The first rule of property is location, and this remains true. It is now very hard to better Century City as a location simply due to its proximity to the greater metropolitan area and the incredible lifestyle and amenities Century City offers those living and working in the precinct, from restaurants and sports clubs to retail and other leisure opportunities. Every conceivable need is catered for right on your doorstep.”
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city life Upcoming events at Century City CENTURY CITY NIGHT MARKET 26 May, 30 June, 28 July, Intaka Island Eco-Centre Held on the last Friday of the month from May through August, the Century City Night Market makes for a perfect Friday night out. Cuddle up under a heater in our tented seating areas or find a cosy spot inside the Eco-Centre and enjoy the live music, food and ambience of the Century City Night Market.
FATHER’S DAY ADVENTURE 17–18 June 2017, Intaka Island The ultimate adventure for kids and dads! Based at Intaka Island, kids are treated to 24 hours of non-stop fun, including canoeing, wall climbing, a night hike and a camp-out at Intaka Island.
CENTURY CITY PAINT NIGHT 16 & 17 August, Intaka Island Eco-Centre Sip wine and jam to music while you create your masterpiece led by a professional artist. An evening of pure fun and creativity at Intaka Island Eco-Centre.
WOMEN’S DAY LUNCHEON 5 August 2017, The Towers Restaurant, Crystal Towers Hotel Always a favourite on the Century City calendar, aside from getting up close and personal with our guest speaker of the day, ladies are treated to a three-course meal, complimentary wine and spoilt with gifts, goodie bags and prizes. for information on events, go to www.centurycity.co.za or contact tatum@centurycity.co.za
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city life New aquatic harvester to help improve water quality in canals
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entury City has acquired a second aquatic plant harvester to manage the aquatic plants in its 7km of canals. Manufactured by Aquarius Systems in the United States, the new harvester is a model H-430, which has a carrying capacity four times that of the existing harvester, and it has been at work since it landed in March. Alan Liebenberg, Environment and Amenities Manager for the CCPOA, said the new harvester represented a significant investment in maintaining the Century City waterways. “The number of aquatic plants needing to be harvested has increased dramatically over the past year, and the new addition will help improve the water
quality and the recreational benefit of the canals. The new harvester is being used in the
larger open-water canals while the old one is being deployed on the smaller canals.�
Century City boasts a brand new, cutting edge website that includes an online event booking system as well as the latest news and events. Check it out!
www.centurycity.co.za
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city life Century City launches an Arts Trail for the public
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entury City has launched an Arts Trail, initially comprising 24 exhibits, in and around the 250-hectare precinct. Most of the exhibits are outdoors and range from the Impromptu Pavilion in Century City Square, celebrating South Africa’s diversity and its 11 official languages, to sculptures by Right Mukore, to the Station Walkway and its graffiti artwork welcoming pedestrians from the Century City Station. There are also a number of scientific and technological exhibits. Some of these exhibits have been commissioned by various corporate citizens of Century City and executed by community-based and other artists. The only inside works of art at this stage are four exhibits, including two sculptures in Canal Walk and the Century City Conference Centre Art Collection, and an exciting array of Afro-centric art pieces from sculptures to photographic works and vibrant oil paintings which are united around a loose theme of people and communication. Some of the pieces were acquired at charity auctions, and the entire collection was donated by the developer of Century City, the Rabie Property Group. The Century City Arts Trail is being spearheaded by the Century City Arts Foundation, an independent Public Benefit Organisation (PBO non-
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Photos by Michel Dei-Cont
profit company) formed by Rabie Property Group and the Century City Property Owners’ Association (CCPOA), the nonprofit company responsible for the day-to-day operations of Century City which represents all stakeholders in the burgeoning Century City precinct. The Arts Trail is open to the public free of charge. At a function to launch the Arts Trail, John Chapman, a director of both Rabie and the CCPOA and chairman of the Century City Arts Foundation, said the Rabie Group had a strong commitment to giving back to the community. This was evident in both the work and resources it has ploughed into Sinenjongo High School in Joe Slovo Park (an RDP housing estate and informal settlement down the road from Century City) in the past decade as well as its commitment to the Intaka
Island Eco-Centre in the heart of Century City, which runs an outreach environment education programme. “We also believe art is an essential component of any city as it helps provide a soul to the bricks and mortar, and in recent years we have worked closely with the CCPOA to form the Century City Arts Foundation to promote both performance and visual arts within Century City.” Chapman said while still in an embryonic stage, the Arts Foundation had achieved some milestones with its support, not only limited to the visual arts. “Over the past couple of years, the Arts Foundation has organised and run Art on the Island, which comprises a variety of exhibitions and creative kiddie activities, as a complementary attraction to the Century City Natural Goods Market which is held during the summer months. These
community art events have ranged from fine art, African art and Curro Century City school art exhibitions to pottery and music workshops, Easter egg painting and puppet shows, to mention just a few. “In addition, for the past two years Rabie has sponsored the spectacular Valentine Under the Stars concert with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and top South African musical talent on Century City Square. This year, Absa joined Rabie and the Conference Centre as a cosponsor, a partnership we would love to see extended into other art areas.” Chapman added that additional exhibits and partnerships were being sought so that they could continually add to the Century City Arts Trail, keeping it alive and fresh to encourage members of the public to return again and again to enjoy the exhibits.
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city life Century City Arts Trail launch event The Century City Arts Trail was formally launched at a recent function at the new Century City Hotel attended by Century City dignitaries including directors of the CCPOA, corporate sponsors, the local ward councillor and contributing artists. The gathering was addressed by John Chapman, a director of both Rabie and the CCPOA, who also chairs the Century City Arts Foundation.
Above: Exhibit One, Impromptu, the Language Pavilion. Below, from left to right: 1. Fabian Ah-Sing (Ward Councillor), Maureen Jangle and Chris Blackshaw (CEO of CCPOA). 2. John Chapman (Rabie Director). 3. Viv Gutsche (CCPOA Director) with Miguel Rodrigues (Rabie Director). 4. Ayesha Danyal (Architect) with Tafadzwa Ncube (Rabie Project Manager). 5. Artist Right Mukore pictured with wife Angeline Madzima. 6. Father and son artist duo, Hardi and Calvin Raubenheimer.
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Natasha Lassen / Cocodash Photography
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city life A flying history of note
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ave you ever wondered where Ratanga’s Dakota aircraft came from? Well, it has a fascinating history. The aircraft was built in December 1943 as a Douglas C-47A-DK in Oklahoma City for the United States Air Force. It later became the property of the United States Army Air Force and was issued with a military serial number 42-92408. This serial number was left unused and the aircraft was transferred to the Royal Air Force under the lend-lease programme as FZ647 “H” (the “H” was the radio call sign). On being inducted into the Royal Air Force, the aircraft was known as a “Dakota
Mark 3”. It was a glider tug with No. 512 Squadron RAF and was used in “Operation ‘Coup de Main’ / Operation Tonga”, the first stage of the airborne assault in the Normandy landings in June 1944. In between the main airborne operations of D-Day, Arnhem and the Rhine crossing, it carried out casualty evacuation and general transport duties. Following the end of hostilities it flew missions to the Middle East before moving to Egypt in early October 1945, and later to Italy. In February 1946, it returned to the UK, was taken out of military service and sold to THY (Türk Hava
WINTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN With the drought having taken a hefty toll in the Western Cape, the region is collectively willing a wetter than usual winter to provide muchneeded relief. In preparation for the hoped-for rains, staff of the Century City Property Owners’ Association has been hard at work clearing the storm-water system. Gordon Ralph, the CCPOA Facilities and Infrastructure Manager, says this work was being done to help prevent blockages and consequent flooding and to ensure that pollutants do not enter the canal system during the first heavy winter rainfall.
Yolları) Turkish Airlines as TCEKE. It served THY faithfully for 12 years before being sold to Ethiopian Airlines, which it served for 33 years! As one of the longest-serving of Ethiopian Airlines’ DC-3s, it was eventually sold in April 1991 to a Swaziland-based Mozambican airline, Scan Transportes Aéreos, as C9-STF, and carried food throughout Mozambique during the devastating civil war. In mid-1996 it was removed from service, stripped of useful components, and later transported by road to Cape Town for static display at Ratanga Junction. Quite a story, quite a history.
As part of the CCPOA’s winter preparedness plan, more than 250 CCPOA and City of Cape Town storm-water inlets, catch pits, drains and channels have been checked and cleaned of litter, sand and plant debris. “Owing to the hot, dry conditions since last winter, we have had to remove a lot more debris and sand than usual. We have also paid particular attention to those areas where construction has been under way as this also contributes significantly to the dust and debris that has to be removed.” Ralph says the entire system will be re-checked after winter.
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city life Two new restaurants now open
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wo exciting new restaurants have opened at Century City – Bootlegger Coffee Company in Manhattan Park, and Square Café & Take Out in Manhattan Suites and Conferencing. The popular Bootlegger Coffee Company chain has opened a
100-seat restaurant overlooking Manhattan Park in Century City. Pieter Bloem, co-founder and director, said they had decided to open in Century City as they had been getting non-stop requests for a store in this area. “The people asked and we have answered. Century City is
Talana Wilkinson, general manager of Century City Bootlegger, with group operations director, Ricky Ruthenberg, and co-founder Pieter Bloem at the new store in Manhattan Park. www.bootlegger.co.za
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he second new restaurant to open in the precinct, Square Café & Take Out, is a sister restaurant to the Square Café and Wine Bar in the Century City Hotel, open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and supper. Breakfast is available from 7am to 10:30am; lunch from 12pm to 2:30pm and dinner from 5:30pm to 10pm. On weekdays, the restaurant offers its magnificent Harvest Lunch, which has proved extremely popular at the sister
restaurant. The menu for the Harvest Lunch changes daily, offering a choice of salads, protein and desserts. You choose what you would like and then your plate is weighed and you pay accordingly. Easy food like burgers, sandwiches and pizza are served from 11am until closing. The conference facilities at Manhattan Suites and Conferencing have also been revamped and can now accommodate up to 45 people.
such a vibrant hub, with young professionals and families as well as empty nesters and retirees. It offers a safe environment with a combination of offices and residences so there is the potential of daytime as well as evening and weekend clientele. Century City is also fairly densely populated with a high LSM community. In other words, it is a perfect location for us.” Like its other stores, Bootlegger Century City is open 6:30am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 7:30am to 9pm Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, offering café-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. “As well as early morning coffee specials, and craft beer to come when we get our liquor licence,” says Pieter. This is the group’s ninth store in Cape Town. The others are in Sea Point, Point Mall, Kenilworth, Tokai, Kalk Bay, Muizenberg, Cape Quarter and Bakoven.
to book, please email book@squarecafetakeout.co.za
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our sporting city Running in the fast lane Tanya PosthumusFox
Tanya Posthumus-Fox Century City brand ambassador Tanya Posthumus-Fox is continuing to take the running world by storm! In the first week of May alone, she won two SAMA medals and successfully defended her title for the Weskus Langebaan Half Marathon 21km. First up was the SAMA Track Championships 5,000m evening event, which she won overall in a time of 18 minutes 58 seconds, also picking up a gold medal in her age category (35–39). She followed this, the very next morning, by achieving her personal best time and a silver medal in the SAMA Track Championships 800m in a time of 2 minutes 31 seconds, in the same age category. And a day after that she successfully defended her title to take the win in 1:29:50 at the Weskus Langebaan Half Marathon 21km – a race which she has now won three times since 2014. She followed this up by
coming second in the 10km Slave Route Challenge in the second week of May. However, it is not just Tanya, winner of the Runner’s World 2016 cover search competition, who has been grabbing headlines. A number of other Century City Athletic Club runners have also been in the news of late. They include Aáron Adams, Marie Louw, Bertie Cloete and Andisiwe Lungisa.
Aáron Adams Twenty-two-year-old Aáron Adams recently returned from France where he ran the Paris Marathon, one of the world’s top races. What makes this even more special is that Aáron had an all-expenses-paid trip courtesy of Sanlam and ASICS after he completed his debut marathon last year, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. Aáron says running the Paris Marathon was an incredible experience. “I made up my mind I was
Aáron Adams
going to run it for fun and just enjoy the scenery and the ambience. I would have been happy with a 5-hour finish but a fellow South Africa egged me on and I ended the race in just over 4 hours 13 minutes.” But that will be his last full marathon for a while. “I have been advised, due to my age, to go for shorter races, so I will be concentrating on 10km and half marathon distances for the foreseeable future.”
Marie Louw and Bertie Cloete Century City was well represented at the Marathon (42.2km) Championships in Durban in April. Century City Athletic Club’s chairperson, Bertie Cloete, was the team manager, and Marie Louw, who joined Century City Athletic Club earlier this year, was chosen for the five-runner Western Province team which returned triumphant, bearing three gold medals and one silver. A police captain stationed at Bishop Lavis, 50-year-old Marie is a seasoned runner, having completed five Comrades Ultra Marathons and 11 Two Oceans. She also runs for the SAPS team when required, and in fact was chosen as National Police Sportswoman of the Year in Pretoria earlier this year. Marie has had a busy year so far, coming first in her age category in the Peninsula Marathon, and was busy training for the Two
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Bertie Louw and Marie Cloete
Oceans when she heard she had been selected for the WP team at the SA Champs which took place just a week before the Two Oceans. It was a tough call, but she opted for the Marathon Championships, coming second in her age category and 13th overall of all the ladies. Marie has an even busier six months ahead. Her next races will be FNB 12km, Fast & Flat 10km, Tafelberg 16km, Eersterivier 15km, Brackenfell 21km and then the Cape Town Marathon in September 2017. In between these she will also participate for the police in Track & Field and Cross Country at the National Championships in Bloemfontein.
runners in the half marathon. Not bad for a young man who started running less than a year ago. Andisiwe is one of 15 or so junior development runners from Sinenjongo High School being mentored by the Century City Athletic Club who attend weekly time trials on a Tuesday, practice runs on a Thursday and a weekly Saturday morning parkrun. And, according to “Uncle” Steve Akester, one of the club mentors, Andisiwe has a serious drive and passion to run and rarely if ever misses an opportunity to train or run. Living in a shack in Joe Slovo Park with his mother, this quiet, unassuming young man runs to
Andisiwe Lungisa Andisiwe, a Grade 11 learner from Sinenjongo High School in Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton, is a rising star of the Century City Athletic Club, completing his first Two Oceans Half Marathon in one hour, 31 minutes and 26 seconds. In fact Andisiwe, or Mrita as he is known to his friends, came 274th out of a field of 16,000
Andisiwe Lungisa and Steve Akester
the weekly Century City parkrun every Saturday. “He always arrives at the very last minute, literally scrambling in at the last few seconds and then launching himself to the front. He is consistently in the top 10 at the parkrun, showing improvement week on week,” says Steve. Although his longest race to date, this is not his first. At the Century City 10km Express, which forms part of the annual Century City Sports Festival in March, Andisiwe came home in the first 40 runners behind the elites in a time of 38 minutes. “There is no doubt he has the heart of a racehorse. We certainly have not seen the best of him yet. Watch this space!” says Steve. Felicity Mabuzve, a teacher at Sinenjongo who runs with the learners, said they were all very proud of Andisiwe. “We are very thankful to Uncle Steve (as the juniors fondly call him), Century City Athletic Club chairman Bertie Cloete and all the club members for the great opportunity and support they are giving all the juniors.” A total of 84 runners from the Century City Athletic Club took part in this year’s Two Oceans Marathon. Tanya PosthumusFox achieved a silver medal and was in the top 30 runners home, with a time of 1:28:02, while four other Century City runners received Sainsbury medals in the Ultra. They are Samson Gulubela (4:22:26); Jono van Wyk (4:50:36); Alastair Rabe (4:52:33) and Takunda Taderera (4:57:23).