The Square at Cape Quarter in Green Point. Photo courtesy Danie van der Merwe

It’s the end of the month, which means things may be a little extra festive in Cape Town this weekend! According to the South African Weather Service, Friday’s temperature should reach 19 degrees Centigrade and dry, while Saturday should reach 15 degrees Centigrade with a 30% chance of rain. Sunday’s temperature forecast is 17 degrees Centigrade with partly cloudy skies.

There are two big sporting events taking place in the city on Friday evening. The Premier Soccer League double header at Cape Town Stadium kicks of at 18h00 with a match between Vasco da Gama and Orlando Pirates. This will be followed by Ajax Cape Town vs Bloemfontein Celtic. For rugby fans, Western Province host the Cheetahs in a Currie Cup first round match at Newlands. Kick-off is at 19h30.

Tickets for both these events are available at Computicket.

Here are some of the other weekend highlights:

Cape Quarter food promotion

Various restaurants at the Cape Quarter lifestyle shopping centre in Green Point will be offing special promotions until September 30, 2010.

From 16h00 until 19h00 on Friday, August 27, Fairview will be putting on a cheese and wine tasting on The Square.

Within easy walking distance of the iconic Cape Town Stadium, the Cape Quarter is a modern, trendy centre with a variety of eateries on ‘The Piazza’ and ‘The Square’.

Call +27 (0)21 421 1111 for more information.

Marc Lottering - Not in 3D

Popular South African comedian, Marc Lottering, will be performing his latest stand-up act at the Newspace Theatre in Long Street at 20h30 on Friday and Saturday night. If you miss it on the weekend, be sure to catch it any night next week except Monday. Tickets are R80. See our event entry or call +27 (0)21 424 1194 for more information.

Cavendish Square Charity Book Sale

Book lovers are invited to stock up at the Cavendish Square Charity Book Sale this weekend. The sale runs for the entire weekend in the Edgars Court and promises some excellent bargains for bibliophiles. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to 32 charities in and around Cape Town.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

The weather on Sunday is expected to be decent, so a day out at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is highly recommended. This world heritage site is home to thousands of different plant species, a large expanse of lawn, superb views of Table Mountain, as well as trickling streams to add to the serenity.

The Sunday lunch buffet at the Silver Tree Restaurant is excellent value for money and there are plenty of picnic spots for those who enjoy lunching in the great outdoors.

Skip the traffic and walk to Cape Town Stadium. Photo courtesy smee.bruce

A number of roads in Cape Town will be closed on Friday, August 27 due to the Premier Soccer League double header being played at Cape Town Stadium.

The first match, Vasco da Gama vs Orlando Pirates, will kick off at 18h00, but spectators are advised to arrive well in advance. The Fan Walk to the stadium will be open and is highly recommended. See the City of Cape Gateway website for details about Park and Ride options.

A list of road closures appears below:

Fritz Sonnenberg Road (between Vlei Road and MacDonalds entrance): 06:00 – 24:00

Fritz Sonnenberg Road (between MacDonalds entrance and Granger Bay Boulevard): 15:00 – 18:00 and 22:30 – 23:30

Fritz Sonnenberg Road (between Granger Bay Boulevard and Portswood Road): 06:00 – 24:00

Granger Bay Boulevard, northbound carriageway (between Western Boulevard and Fritz Sonnenberg Road): 15:00 – 18:00 and 22:30 – 23:30

Granger Bay Boulevard, northbound carriageway (between Fritz Sonnenberg Road and Beach Road): 15:00 – 23:30

Somerset Road, westbound lane (between Chiappini Street and Ebenezer Road): 15:00 – 21:00

Somerset Road (between Ebenezer Road and Buitengragcht): 22:30 – 24:00

Hertzog Boulevard (between Jan Smuts Street and Heerengracht): 16:00 – 18:00

Popular Cape Town band, I Scream and the Chocolate Stix, need your rating to boost their chances of winning the Global Moguls band competition.

To rate their hit song, My Cape Town, visit the Global Moguls website.

The feel-good music video for this catchy song features scenes of Cape Town’s most popular attractions, including Table Mountain, Two Oceans Aquarium, Camps Bay and Long Street, to name but a few.

Below is the YouTube video of the song.

If you enjoyed this, show your appreciation.

Greenpop sets up at the top of Long Street today. Photos by Ingrid Sinclair

It’s Friday in Cape Town and the sun is shining so it’s no surprise that Long Street is a hive of activity – shoppers, students, tourists … They typically take to Long Street for some drinks, or a visit to Greenmarket Square, or simply to take in the weekend vibes.

But we were surprised to see a group of young people take to one of the sidewalks and plonk down a park bench on some kind of synthetic grass-like carpet. Then we heard guitars, harmonicas and drums … And we simply had to investigate.

The group are volunteers with and friends of Greenpop, a new initiative that aims to have planted 1 000 trees in the most “under-greened” communities in Cape Town by the end of September.

It’s a springtime initiative and, with the good weather we’ve been having in Cape Town lately, this is the best time to get awareness out there – which is why Greenpop are taking to the streets.

So why did they choose the top of Long Street today? “We wanted to make a statement so we chose a spot in the city that isn’t that green – lots of cars, traffic and buildings here,” said volunteer and Greenpop’s “PR person” Lauren O’Donnell. 

Greenpop was started by Misha Teasdale, a documentary filmmaker. He wanted to offset the carbon emissions that his production team generated from almost 400 000km of long-haul flights during 2010. Joined by Devin Herd, an entrepreneur with a focus on environmental management, the idea sprouted into Greenpop.

Speaking of their timing, which coincides with September’s Arbour Month, Lauren said: “We want to bring back an awareness around Arbour Month. [International sustainable-development agency] Heart Global helped us identify schools and orphanages on the Cape Flats that not only need trees but will be able to look after them, too.”

Greenpop hosts weekly fun days where underprivileged children are invited to learn about trees, paint murals, get creative and take part in a guided walk of Newlands forest.

While planting trees are at the top of the volunteer-driven initiative’s agenda, it is also invested in creating a green consciousness, and educating and inspiring children to think green.

You can assist Greenpop by making a donation on their website (“We’ve already sold 200 trees,” said Lauren), by offering your time as a volunteer … Or simply by helping them create awareness around the project.

Local muso and “Cigarettes & Cinnamon” creator Jax Panik has been tweeting about the project … Isn’t it easy enough to do the same? You can tweet this article by clicking the “tweet” button below these pictures of Greenpop on Long Street.

Fatima Borez with one of The Big Issue vendors

Cape Town Tourism’s continued support of The Big Issue magazine got a boost today when Cape Town Tourism (CTT) staff members put themselves in the vendors’ shoes, hit the streets and spent the morning selling The Big Issue to Cape Town motorists.

Local radio station Heart 104FM did a live broadcast from the Somerset Road/Buitengracht intersection and there was a colourful array of helpers egging the CTT team on – including a Burmese python and belly dancers!

“It was good fun and we learnt a lot about prejudice,” said CTT Marketing Services Manager Wendy Van der Byl.

CTT Events Coordinator Fatima Borez was the star sales rep and the her sales pitch of “I have no change” doubled the profits.

“We are looking forward to working with The Big Issue again during the My Cape Town Weekend in September,” said Wendy.

Here are some more responses from the CTT team:

“I’ve always been on the other side of the car window at a busy intersection surrounded by vendors of one kind or another with irritation and annoyance in my demeanour. Being on the street trying to convince a member of the public that I am not poor and desperate, and that I will not rob you – I merely want to convince you that your contribution of R14 will make a difference to someone less fortunate – was one of the biggest challenges I have faced in a while. The lack of eye contact and quick roll-up of a window shouts ‘Go away!’ louder than words ever could. I now have a greater respect and empathy for vendors trying to make an honest living and I value the contribution The Big Issue makes to our society at large. It’s an experience I’d recommend to anyone who needs a touch of reality to put life back into perspective.” Wendy Van der Byl – Marketing Services Manager, CTT

“I have new-found respect for The Big Issue vendors and will make a point to greet them, search for any change and make them feel special in future. This morning was heartbreaking, to say the very least. It was sad that the owners of sporty cars, who quite frankly could afford R14, were the ones who were annoyed, on their phones, rolled up their windows and dodged us.” Fatima Borez – Events Coordinator, CTT

“Stepping into the shoes of The Big Issue vendors was an eye-opening experience. Apart from a few motorists who very kindly refused, most were like robots programmed for their destination and not willing to divert or make a stop for a worthy contribution along the way. I have great respect for the vendors who are trying to make an honest living. I wish more motorists would open their hearts and help make a contribution. R14 will not dig a deep hole in your pocket.” Thirumerni Naidoo – Events & Business Tourism Coordinator, CTT

Halle Berry. Photo courtesy digitalshay

Academy Award-winning Hollywood actress, Halle Berry, has been in Cape Town, working on her latest film, Dark Tide, along with co-star, Oliver Martinez.

According to Times Live, she was filming in Simon’s Town, much to the delight of naval officers based there. There are also reports that she visited Kitima restaurant in Hout Bay this week.

The respected Internet Movie Database website, Berry plays an adventurer who is drawn toward sharks. During a voyage to the isolated Guadalupe Island, she faces an “escalating series of terrifying underwater confrontations and gut-wrenching emotional challenges.”

The film is due for release next year.

If you are interested in diving with Sharks in Cape Town, see our list of relevant tour operators.

The Cape Town Tourism blog will be competing for the title of South Africa’s Best Blog 2010 in the following categories:

• Best Photographic Blog
• The Kulula Best Travel Blog
• The News24 South African Blog of the Year

Featuring a range of photographic and informative content demonstrating the diversity of the city, the blog boasts some truly amazing posts from over the course of the year, with tales of a whale breaching onto a yacht, accounts of winter restaurant specials and a J&B Met photo essay.

To nominate the Cape Town Tourism blog, click the button below or the following link: http://website.sablogawards.com/2010/nominate?blog=www.capetown.travel/blog&category=1,8,22

When you are on the nomination page, look for this box in the top right, after which you:

• Enter your e-mail address and the security code that appears on your screen
• Click the submit button

Thanks for your support in letting all of South Africa know that Cape Town is the place to live, love – and blog.

More than 100 000 people are fans of the “I ♥ Cape Town” Facebook page

Cape Town Tourism’s Facebook fan page, “I ♥ Cape Town”, reached 100 000 fans today.

The page was created in May 2009, and has become hugely popular with internet users from around the world.

Some 40 000 fans joined the site between May and July 2010.

“It is well documented that the tourism and travel playing fields are rapidly shifting online,” says Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold. “It’s the fastest, most direct way to gather information, search for the best deals, book trips, and read about other people’s travel experiences on citizen journalist sites such as TripAdvisor.com”.

You too can become a fan.

Kitesurfing in Blouberg. Photo courtesy Marti McFly

Cape Town is becoming one of the most popular kitesurfing destinations in the world, with thousands of enthusiasts from countries such as Germany, Italy and the Netherlands flocking to the Mother City every summer.

Some of Cape Town’s most popular kitesurfing spots are Blouberg, Muizenberg, Big Bay and Melkbosstrand.

Cape Town Tourism spoke to kitesurfing experts Olaf Martin and Vaughan Harris to find out more about the sport that is literally taking off in the Mother City. Martin, a keen kitesurfer and well-known equipment supplier, has done extensive research into the benefits of kitesurfing, while Harris runs the website Kitespotters, which provides information about the best kitesurfing spots in Cape Town, as well as accommodation options. Harris also produced a DVD entitled Cape Reels, in which former world champions Kevin Langaree and Aaron Hadlow enjoy Cape Town’s excellent kitesurfing conditions.

Martin explains that, in addition to its superb kitesurfing conditions, Cape Town is on the same time zone as many European countries, meaning travellers needn’t suffer from jet lag and lose time when they visit. The city also offers a range of extra activities for the partners andas much. children of kitesurfers. “There are plenty of great kitesurfing spots around the world, but they are often far out. Cape Town offers great shopping, a variety of restaurants and coffee shops and so on.”

The kitesurfing season runs from November until April, when Cape Town is warm and windy. Harris explains that some professionals will come and stay in Cape Town for those six months, and many have bought property in the region as a result.

Harris estimates that kitesuring already brings in R40-million a year to the South African economy and hopes that with increased interest, sponsorship and local events, the sport can develop even further. “I think there is potential for that revenue to double,” he says.

Kitesurfing could become an Olympic sport by 2016 and Martin believes this would give Cape Town a boost, should they bid to host the 2020 games. “Imagine if Cape Town wins the bid to host the 2020 Olympics and we produce an 18-year-old kitesurfing medalist for those games,” he says.

The Kitesurfing World Cup has not yet been held in South Africa, but Martin and Harris both believe Cape Town is the right city to change all that.

Kitesurferes in Europe who are planning to visit Cape Town this summer can search Cape Town Tourism’s accommodation database to find establishments in kitesurfing areas.

A brand new sound recording studio, San Sound Records, was officially launched at !Khwa ttu San Education and Culture Centre on July 17 near Yzerfontein on the West Coast. The festive event was filled with music, laughter and a few surprises, including an interactive game where the audience became the stars of the evening, recording the studio’s first song.

!Khwa ttu, less than an hour’s drive on the R27 from Cape Town, restores and displays items of San heritage, culture, folklore, visual arts, cosmology and languages in an effort to educate the general public about the world of the San. They also provide training to the San themselves in literacy, entrepreneurship, tourism, health issues, community development, craft production and marketing, and gender awareness.

Massi Jabbari, who worked as a volunteer at !Khwa ttu through weltwärts, the volunteer-support programme run by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, is the man behind San Sound Records. With the help of his friends at !Khwa ttu, he developed a pristine sound recording studio from scratch in under six weeks.

But why a recording studio? “In the life of the San, dancing and singing play a very important role,” says Jabbari. “It’s a meaningful free-time activity because people here don’t have much to do, especially on weekends when they’d like to go out but can’t because they don’t have much money or easy access to transport.”

Jabbari’s dream took an impressively short time to come true. About five months ago, he had the idea of creating a recording studio. The lack of resources in the music field at !Khwa ttu made a significant impression on him, and he decided to put his experience in the industry to good use.

CEO of !Khwa ttu San Education and Culture Centre Michael Daiber (left) thanks Massi Jabbari (right) for his dedication and hard work at the launch of San Sound Records

He started writing letters to his friends and family in Germany, and enlisted the help of fellow German and !Khwa ttu volunteer, Manu Nicklaus, who also spread the call for funds among his acquaintances. “Soon I got some money together and bought the electrical equipment like loudspeakers and cables, which I found mostly on Gumtree.” 

Jabbari and Nicklaus managed to raise R13 000 and German audio equipment manufacturer Musikhaus Thomann donated a microphone and headphones worth about R2 000.

They enlisted the help of four San community kids – Riven Dala, Mukose Kabembe, Andre Antonio and Stefans Paolo – for the building process. The group would work late into the night but, says Jabbari, “for them it wasn’t work anymore. They were helping me voluntarily because a dream of theirs was coming true. We had a lot of fun and they even learned some do-it-yourself skills.”

Jabbari is very optimistic about the long-term benefits of a project like this. “The kids will feel that they’ve achieved something in life; from the first beat to the lyrics and finally the finished songs, [recording] is a long process. To finish your own song is a big success and it enhances your confidence.”

The studio will be open to anyone who is interested in recording, and Jabbari envisions it as a space for the youth. “I don’t want the studio to become a place where !Khwa ttu makes a profit, but I wouldn’t say that there won’t be a fee attached,” he says. “All the money we may get will mainly go toward improving the quality of the studio.”

He continues: “It would be great if the kids from Darling, Yzerfontein, Cape Town or anywhere else could have the chance to record their songs here. Then, this would go beyond just doing music. It could become a youth centre where the San can make friends with the outside world.”