Cape Town website owner and editor, Alison Beere, advises visitors to consider Cape Town’s villages when planning their visit. Kalk Bay, pictured above, within 20-minutes drive of Cape Town central. Photo courtesy Ian Junor

Name: Alison Beere

Profession: website owner and editor, work-at-home mom

Age: 39

I live in: Pinelands

Capetonians are: laid-back, outdoor-loving and passionate about their incredibly beautiful city.  They know it’s the best place in the world to live and they’re happy to tell you so!

What I love about Cape Town:  the variety and versatility of the Cape Town lifestyle; the sheer number of fun things to do with your youngsters; the fact that although it’s a city it still feels like an intimate, easily-navigable series of villages each with their own charm; the family-friendliness of Capetonians in public places. 

Visitors should not miss: steering away from the bog-standard tourist attractions and haunts of CBD, Camps Bay and the Waterfront, and getting out there to enjoy the real Cape: this means considering staying on the South Peninsula, venturing beyond the old, established wine routes and discovering the small towns within easy reach of the city limits.

In my leisure time: I hike in the mountains, walk my dog and children in the forests, spend weekends away in tranquil places and have regular sundowners on the beach.

For more information on family friendly activities in Cape Town please visit Cape Town Tourism’s website http://www.capetown.travel/visitors-like-you/family or call Cape Town Tourism on +27 (0)21 487 6800 for more information on family-friendly events, accommodation and activities.

Alison Beere is a Cape Town mom and the owner and editor of Cape Town Family Holiday Magic, a website dedicated to family-friendly holidays in and around the Western Cape.

Name: Bianca McKechnie

Profession: Assistant editor

Age: 23

I live in: Kuils River, Cape Town North

Capetonians are: Incredibly unfazed by a lot of things, including cruising in the fast lane of the highways!

What I love about Cape Town: Summer, sun and our beautiful blue beaches, how the city pulsates at the end of the year, that so many cultures exist and interact so closely with one another with so much understanding.

Visitors should not miss: The food and any theatrical performances by any home-brewed artist at any of the hotspots.

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Name: Gavin Rajah

Profession: Couturier, Event Organiser, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

Age: 37

I live in: Cape Town CBD

Capetonians are: Maverick, warm, creative, innovative, kind and unique.

What I love about Cape Town: This city has a unique ethos, feel and spirit that no other city in the world has. Cape Town is still untainted by the plastic hype of many other cosmopolitan cities. It is a city that has vision and integrates many cultures in an environment that is conducive to social harmony, economic success and freedom to be who you want to be.

Visitors should not miss: A mid-week stroll down Long Street; a Saturday evening on Camps Bay Boulevard; a production at the theatre; Sunday strolls in Kalk Bay; long drives around the Peninsula to take in the splendour of the Cape; the numerous wine farms and quaint villages. Cape Town is the epicentre of South African fashion, with the quality on par with the fashion capitals of the world. Most designers take on made-to-measure orders and will deliver garments at astoundingly competitive prices. Be sure to request to see samples of the work before placing an order!

In my leisure time: I walk around the city and visit the many art galleries. There are great places to shop for interiors, accessories, fine jewellery, wine, special produce and antiques. If you have more time on your hands, visit some of the many NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) to see the amazing work they are doing to uplift communities. Why not lend a hand or make a donation to one of them?

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Name: Sophia Lindop

Profession: Chef and South African food ambassador

Age: 40

I live in: Tokai, Southern suburbs

Capetonians are: Hospitable, have a unique sense of humour, and the ability to talk to strangers – so visitors to our city always feel welcome!

What I love about Cape Town: Within a five-minute drive one can be on a beach or the side of a mountain, and these privileges are free. Cape Town is a cosmopolitan city and its food and wine industries are on par with the best in the world – this is a gem of a city and we are lucky to call this home!

Visitors should not miss: Table Mountain, the Winelands, the breath-taking scenery, and the amazing and affordable world-class wining and dining!

In my leisure time: I work on new recipes (cooking happens to be my passion, my hobby and my work!); explore our city; enjoy time with friends; I read and think a lot; indulge in my passion for music; and I enjoy time with my gorgeous husband. Cape Town is the perfect canvas on which to paint all these colourful activities!

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Name: Layla Castle

Profession: Librarian

Age: 39

I live in: Wynberg, Southern Suburbs

Capetonians are: Spontaneous, fun-loving, friendly, incurably hospitable (if you have meat, you have friends, you can braai!) with a colourful sense of humour and, yes, it's true ... we are laid-back, but it's because we know how to work smart, not hard.

What I love about Cape Town: There is something for everyone in this cosmopolitan city and best of all, it’s within easy reach. Cape Town caters for the intrepid adventurers, sophisticated urbanites, backpackers and nature lovers, and harassed parents. Majestic mountains, azure oceans, forests with wonderful nature trails, and world-class, award-winning restaurants surround us.

Visitors should not miss: Boulders beach where you can swim with penguins, a visit to Table Mountain, Robben Island and Cape Point. A favourite haunt is the very quaint harbour town, Kalk Bay, with eclectic décor shops. You can buy fresh snoek from the fishing boats that dock at the harbour.

In my leisure time: I entertain, I love cooking for my friends and family. I read, have massages and think a lot about all the exercise I should be doing.

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Name: Harry Sitole
Profession: Artist and owner of African Image
Age: 34

I live in: Woodstock, central Cape Town

Capetonians are: Very happy, colourful people, especially during the summer.

What I love about Cape Town: Is the beauty of nature, particularly the mountain and the sea.

Visitors should not miss: A hike up Lion’s Head on a clear, sunny day to experience the great view.

In my leisure time:I’m outdoors, either cycling, mountain hiking up the mountain or browsing through antique shops in Kalk Bay.

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Name: John Maytham
Profession: Broadcaster
Age: 53

I live in: The beginning part of the Deep South.

Capetonians are: Far too delightfully varied to be summed up in 10 words.

What I love about Cape Town: The seamless transition between a hip 21st century city and the natural splendour of the mountain and the sea; the ease with which one can go from watching beautiful people sipping lattés at a sidewalk café to contemplating fynbos with only bird calls to break the silence.

Visitors should not miss: A walk up the mountain; a swim in the sea; a stroll in Kalk Bay; a picnic at Kirstenbosch; a sunset cocktail on the Atlantic seaboard.

In my leisure time: I walk, I read, I eat, I drink the splendid wines of the Cape, I watch birds, I watch people, I don’t watch my weight!