Inside Cape Town Stadium. Photo courtesy SA-Venues

Cape Town has the perfect playing field for every sport and every season. The turning of the leaves each year announces crisp mornings, a windswept ocean and myriad sports to keep you busy in autumn.

Whether you are an adventurer who enjoys rock climbing, abseiling or kloofing, whether you take part in social sports such as soccer or rugby, or prefer more genteel pursuits, such as golf, horse-riding and fishing, winter will see you spoilt for choice. Our sporting venues are legendary, and more than one true blue Capetonian will have shouted “Proooooovince” at Newlands Rugby Stadium in their lifetime. 

The Premier Soccer League is set to give winter the boot on Friday, heralding the arrival of spring – and the Absa Premiership 2010 season – with an exciting double-header at Cape Town Stadium. The event will start at 18h00 with local team Vasco da Gama playing Orlando Pirates, before Ajax Cape Town take Bloemfontein Celtic to task at 20h45.

This event is part of a drive by Sail Stadefrance to bring the magic of “Football Fridays” back. According to the Sail Stadefrance Chairperson Morne du Plessis, it was important to the stadium management when planning the event to make it extra special as a thank you to the people of Cape Town for their contribution to making the Mother City the best host city of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The event is a great opportunity for those who did not get to experience live soccer in the stadium to do so, watching four popular Premier League teams in action. 

Spectators, residents and visitors will also get to enjoy the Fan Walk on Friday afternoon, which is sure to add to the soccer spirit.

The same stadium rules apply as for the World Cup – spectators are requested to buy their tickets from Computicket (prices range from R40 to R80) beforehand, arrive early – the stadium opens at 16h00 – travel light and use public transport. 

Please note:

• Short, fold-up umbrellas will be allowed into the stadium.
• No cameras with extended photographic lenses are allowed.
• No food and drink may be brought into the stadium. A full catering service will be available, including kosher and halal food.
• No prams or bicycles may be brought into the stadium.
• Prescribed medication such as inhalers and diabetic syringes will be allowed, as will private wheelchairs.
 

Get information about road closures from the Cape Town Stadium website.

A Stoned Cherrie dress. Photo courtesy Simon Deiner

Miss Port, Tart, Wild Fig and Stoned Cherrie? You would be excused if your eyes are glazing over at the prospect of winter delicacies consumed in front of a fireplace or with our famous mountain or ocean as backdrop. We are, however, talking about hot local fashion designers, as the Cape Town Fashion Week came to a close on August 14, 2010, after 35 designers showcased their talent in 15 fashion shows over the course of 3 days at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

Cape Town is full of places you can come out of looking like you too just stepped off the runway.

Long Street is Cape Town’s answer to London’s Oxford Street, albeit a slightly more eclectic and diverse one. Stop off at 210 on Long for a greener side to shopping. Buy vintage, one-of-a-kind items at one of the fabulous stores like Second Time Around and Glitterati, tucked into the back of the Long Street Antique Arcade. While you’re at it, look into Miyabi and grab a bite to eat; it might be on the go but it is prepared by no less than chef Luke Dale-Roberts. And if you haven’t taken a leisurely stroll down Cape Town’s Long Street up into Kloof Street in a while – why not? Let the urban wear of Darkie and the classical designs of Stefania Morland inspire you to personalise your style. 

• There is bound to be a convenient shopping mall close to your home. Whether it is the V&A Waterfront, Canal Walk, Cavendish Square, Tygervalley Centre, Somerset Mall or the smaller lifestyle centres like Willowbridge in Durbanville or the Cape Quarter in Green Point, you’re sure to find something fit for a Saturday excursion. One of our favourite retailers, Woolworths, collaborated with the Cape Town Fashion Week this year by sponsoring the emerging talent division. Annually, they stock a selection of items from top SA designers like Stoned Cherrie.
• Neighbourhood markets like the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock or the Helderberg Veld Winkel-Mark in Somerset West have become a haunt for the young and trendy, and not simply for the fantastic, fresh food on sale. Some of the last few spots where you can find a unique piece by a young designer at an affordable price, these markets put the thrill back into shopping.
• Heading off the beaten track on your day off? Kalk Bay Main Road is a shopping treasure trove of unusual designs, the quant and the quirky.
• To those who have to or love to stretch your rands, you’ll be pleased to know that Cape Town is also renowned for its factory shops and discount stores. Access Park in Kenilworth puts major brands like Hilton Weiner, Nike and Errol Arendz within reach at a fraction of the cost. The Hip Hop factory shop in Buitenkant Street is the perfect place for a matric farewell dress, and when you’re out and about, don’t forget about the mohair factory shop in Epping or the Naartjie shop for the kids in Hout Bay.

Whether you lust after top local fashion labels like Missibaba, Olive Green Cat or Stiaan Louw, strut your sense of humour in a Big Blue T-shirt, or flaunt your femininity in a Maya Prass print, Cape Town has it all. And if you are still “recessionising”, explore the Mother City’s fashion scene for clever ways to update your look using the trendy rails of Mr Price. 

For further information on shopping venues and fabulous fashion in Cape Town, visit http://www.capetown.travel.

Dutch fans having a great time in Cape Town. Photo by Roy Barford

As Cape Town takes a deep breath before the last match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ to be played the Mother City, we also prepare to collectively breathe out when the tournament ends on Sunday. If Table Mountain, presiding as it does over the city, were to recount the events that have unfolded over the past four weeks, it would surely speak of a month of glorious soccer, one million visitors enjoying our city’s World Cup facilities, tourists from 32 countries exploring the city’s landmark attractions and hidden gems, members of the media telling stories of our country to three billion viewers in their homes, and one lasting legacy. 

Infrastructure and public spaces
New construction in the city, upgrades to public spaces and the laying of the FIFA Fan Mile following Green Goal 2010 initiatives, uplifted the ‘face’ of the city and will improve the flow of traffic and people long after the event’s end.

Rail
Improvements have been made to Cape Town’s rail system with the addition of Century City Station, the revamping of Cape Town Station, and upgrades to train facilities.

Public transport
Government has used the FIFA World Cup™ to fast-track infrastructure and transport developments. There has been a restructuring of road-based public transport services into a smart integrated system, with the introduction of the Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) bus system. Investment has also been ploughed into long-distance public transport and non-motorised transport facilities. Capetonians can now travel around the city centre on MyCiti buses for as little as R8 per journey and take a shuttle to or from Cape Town International Airport for only R50. 

Airport
Strategic improvements have been made to Cape Town International Airport’s central terminal building – which welcomes visitors to the city – as well as to the upper and lower roadways and passenger loading bridges. The Home Affairs Department is also implementing an advanced passenger processing system at airports across the country, which will ensure that visitors are processed efficiently with special attention being paid to security. This system will be used at airports for many years after the final whistle is blown.

Cape Town Stadium and training venues

Cape Town Tourism staff having some fun in the streets. Photo by Skye Grove

Cape Town Stadium has been built to FIFA standards under green construction practices and is set to become the leading stadium in South Africa for hosting sports, cultural, music, entertainment and community events. SAIL / Stade de France is currently working on a comprehensive plan for future events at Cape Town Stadium, which we hope to share with locals in the not-too-distant future. In addition, training stadiums and venues, camps and base camps have also been upgraded and will be used for years to come.

While the tangible benefits to Cape Town of hosting the World Cup will be visible to residents on a daily basis and help make our lives more comfortable, the intangible benefits are more difficult to even begin to quantify. The spirit, excitement and sense of pride that Capetonians and visitors alike gained as a result of the beautiful game have been amazing. Cape Town broke all the records on July 3, 2010, when Germany played against Argentina; an unprecedented 300 000 people gathered in the city centre to be a part of the celebration!  More than 153 000 people used the Fan Walk on the day, the FIFA Fan Fest™ was bursting at the seams and the city’s fan jols were also very well attended. 

In short, comments Cape Town Tourism CEO, Mariëtte Du Toit-Helmbold, “The tangible benefits of hosting the World Cup would include things like public transport, safety and general infrastructure improvements. These are things that locals can see. The intangible benefits, on the other hand, include sustained economic development and this is something we all need to make sure continues in the years to come. But the fact that the world has taken notice of us, on such a massive platform as the World Cup, will definitely have long term benefits for us, particularly in the tourism industry”.

Cape Town Tourism is proud to say that it has again partnered with the Ubuntu Festival. This celebration of civic pride, which is at an all-time high right now, is set to start on July 16, 2010, ending on a high on Nelson Mandela’s birthday on July 18, 2010. It will yet again take place in St Georges Mall, from Mandela Rhodes Place downwards. Programme highlights include how to contribute your 67 minutes of community work, a cook-off with celebrity chef Jenny Morris, top local bands and the Cultural Cuisine Quarter.

While we brace ourselves for an orange invasion today, as the Netherlands get ready to take on fellow semi-finalists Uruguay, let’s fully embrace the last match day in Cape Town and ‘show dem’ what creative, colourful Capetonian gees looks like!

Visit http://www.capetown.travel/2010 for more information on the final match in Cape Town, as well as entertainment, park and ride facilities and the Ubuntu Festival. 

A member of the England Band meets a Cape Town child during a cultural exchange day on Friday. Photo by Roy Barford

South Africa has opened its heart to the world and embraced it with warm African hospitality. The world in turn has thrown open its doors to the sound of the vuvuzela, a township barbeque, doing the Diski Dance and the spirit of ubuntu. Both are opening their eyes to how the game of soccer can be used to pioneer positive social change. 

Vuvuzelas seem to be everywhere at the moment! Taking a step back and a long, hard look around it seems we might even have a vuvuzela coded into our flag >=== as a symbol of African joy and enthusiasm. While we were looking, we came across some exciting social development projects that have quietly arisen from the World Cup.

Kelp vuvuzelas are the eco-friendly, handcrafted and painted cousin of the plastic vuvuzela. Kelp Environmental Learning Project (KELP) creates the popular blow horns from the natural product kelp, a kind of large seaweed found all along the Cape coastline. The company’s owner, Adam Carnegie, experienced so much interest in the kelp vuvuzelas that he was able to employ two staff members while also running an educational and upliftment project for painters, with the beginners starting with simple paintwork like team colours, and more experienced team members working on designs like kelp warriors, flowers and sea creatures. To order your own marine blow horn visit http://www.kelpvuvus.co.za or give Adam and his team a call at +27 (0)21 705 3950.

Footballs for Fun is a charity organisation that is working toward getting 100 000 footballs to African children by the end of 2010. Children on this continent are incredibly resourceful and fashion soccer balls out of layers of melted plastic or bunches of elastic bands or plastic bags, in their desire to play the game and emulate their soccer heroes. The gift of a soccer ball may seem small, but to many children it is a big deal. Sports like soccer encourage children to use their talent and avoid unhealthy or unsafe environments. Footballs for Fun, through producing and selling soccer balls, which are then donated to children, generates funds. These funds are then donated in support of charities which deal with other issues affecting children in Africa, such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB, abuse or trying social circumstance. Cape Town Tourism contributed 200 soccer balls to the Footballs for Fun initiative and we want to thank Western Cape football ambassador, Sergio Dos Santos, who had the enviable but hand-numbing task of signing some of them! To find out how you can make a contribution, visit http://www.footballs4fun.org. 

From the loud trumpet of our favourite national blow horn, to the joyous shouts that accompany the kicking around of soccer balls, to the magnificent Whisper Ball. Whisper Soccer Balls are floating soccer boats, shaped as balls, built by deaf students from the Whisper Boat Building Academy. The academy works to enhance the lives of deaf South African youth by developing their skills and cultivating expertise to ensure future employment opportunities. The Whisper Boat Building Academy is a non-profit organization that uses the latest German technology (another four goals for them), electrical motors and batteries charged by solar energy to create eco-friendly boats. 

The thing about Whisper Balls is that you really have to see them to appreciate them! Make your way along the V&A Waterfront Canal during the World Cup in a perfectly round, perfectly engineered … well, soccer ball. These boats will be manned by the youth of the Lzuvunguvungu Sailing Trust that forms the training pool for South Africa’s Team Shosholoza, who compete in the America’s Cup. Visit http://www.whisperballs.com or call +27 (0)82 802 7888 for more information. 

We would also like to remind all readers to pick up their special 2010 copy of The Big Issue magazine that is now for sale by vendors in beautiful rainbow bibs throughout the Mother City. Cape Town Tourism partnered with The Big Issue this year to create Your A-Z Guide of Cape Town as part of a crowdsourcing project. May we just say a great big thank you to the people of Cape Town for sending in the suggestions that enabled us and The Big Issue to put together an amazing guide that speaks of Capetonians’ love of their city. 

Remember to visit http://www.capetown.travel/2010 for more information on the World Cup events calendar, public transportation and the latest blogs and articles. And don’t forget to make your way to a FIFA Fan Fest™ or Fan Jol near you today to support Bafana Bafana. 

The FIFA Fan Fest™ area. Photo courtesy Stephen Lamb

The final whistle has sounded on the first weekend of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and what a series of magic moments it was for South Africa! Orlando Stadium erupted with the sound of top local and international artists, the streets of the Mother City were filled with a kaleidoscope of colour and sound and Bafana Bafana made an entire nation’s hearts swell with pride when they scored the first magnificent goal of the World Cup. 

Words almost escape one when trying to express the sights, sounds and spirit of Cape Town but the past weekend is equally impressive when expressed in figures. A staggering 350 000 people visited the city centre on June 11, 2010, with all of the fan venues being extremely successful and a great “jol” being had by all. 

Cape Town Stadium hosted the largest number of spectators to date on Friday, June 11, with 64 100 people watching the France vs Uruguay game. Resounding with the buzz of vuvuzelas, the stadium sounded like a giant bumblebee. If there was a time that the vuvuzela was a secret weapon for South Africa, however, that time has passed, as enthusiastic Uruguayan and French fans gave it their all. On Monday, June 14, fans from Italy and Paraguay filled Cape Town Stadium and Italian supporters coloured the Fan Fest™ azzurri blue before making their way to the stadium en masse to fly the flag. 

On June 11, approximately 20 000 fans came into the city by train, 11 000 spectators used the MyCiTi shuttle to get to the stadium and a further 20 000 spectators pounded the cobbled pavement of the Fan Walk – stopping along the way to enjoy a bite to eat, stare at a street performer or appreciate a local design piece. 

The FIFA Fan Fest™ rocked the Mother City, reaching capacity a little over an hour after it opened, with a total of 42 000 people visiting the Fan Fest™ throughout the course of the day. By 16h00 on Friday, all four of the city’s fan jols reached their capacity. A further 100 000 people enjoyed the matches and festivities at the V&A Waterfront and an estimated 250 000 people celebrated in the city centre, along the Fan Walk, at the FIFA Fan Fest™ and in the surrounding restaurants and pubs. 

FIFA, soccer’s governing body, has given the past weekend’s proceedings a thumbs up, saying that they were very happy with the kick-off concert, the atmosphere at the stadiums and the behaviour of fans. 

It’s important to note that the fan jols are only open on Cape Town match days, and for Bafana Bafana games, the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. Crowds arrived at the jols on Saturday and Sunday past only to be met with disappointment. Capetonians and visitors are reminded to depart at least three-and-a-half hours before their matches are set to start, to travel lightly since security have to search all backpacks and items that are brought into the stadium, causing delays, and to leave their umbrellas at home. as this is a prohibited item at Cape Town Stadium.

As we prepare for an English invasion, with an expected 25 000 English supporters arriving in the city this week for the England vs Algeria match on Friday, the Queen herself would have nodded approvingly at the sight of the entertainment line-up. Legendary British DJ Fatboy Slim will be bringing the roof down at the CTICC on Friday and the likes of Loyiso and LiquiDeep are performing at the FIFA Fan Fest™. 

Visit http://www.capetown.travel/2010 for more information on the World Cup events calendar, public transportation and the latest blogs and articles on the proceedings. 

The Baxter Theatre. Photo courtesy Danie van der Merwe

Victor Borge once said that “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” And nowhere is this more apparent than in South African society today. In the past few weeks South Africans, faced with situations that could potentially have divided us, were united through our fantastic sense of humour. It all started with a certain Mr Visagie touching people on their studios and within hours South Africans collectively roared with laughter to the sound of musical remixes and downloaded YouTube re-edits while wearing t-shirts with matching slogans.

Then famous American actor, singer and comedian Wayne Brady got onto a Timeout Taxi, where he promptly changed into a pair of briefs while sporting a vuvuzela in the colours of the South African flag, and promised to step it up a notch when a world of comedy comes to Cape Town on June 7, 2010 for the Vodacom Funny Festival. 

The Sixth Annual Vodacom Funny Festival Cape Town’s premier comedy festival and the only comedy event to be awarded the Cape of Great Events insignia, will run at the Baxter Theatre from June 7 for five weeks until July 11, 2010. Better prepare for a hilarious night out and the perfect way to shake off the winter chill. If you need any further motivation to step out and laugh it off, think of the health benefits:

• Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and dopamine while increasing healthy hormones like endorphins, upping your antibodies and repairing your immune system.
• Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.
• Done properly, it’s a full abdominal and cardiac work out.
• Laughter gives you a healthier perspective on life.
• Laughter is contagious, and it helps us connect with others.

While Cape Town gets ready to welcome the world in June for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup™, the Vodacom Funny Festival brings a world of comedy to our shores.  A ventriloquist, Spanish Testosterone King, Freddie Mercury’s alter ego and a Scot walk into a bar … or onto the stage of the Baxter rather. 

What can visitors expect of the international acts? The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue from London present a literal interpretation of popular rock music with some serious puns, Paul Morocco aka the Spanish Testosterone King delivers an unorthodox experience with guitars and ping pong balls aimed at “anybody with sun in their hearts”. (That would be us, Paul. That would be us). Add a Latin casanova into the mix with Mario: Queen of the Circus. He joins the troupe straight from the vaudeville show, LA CLIQUE,which has been extremely popular in London and Paris, on occasion performing tributes to Queen. 

The local line-up includes leading South African comedians Riaad Moosa (the doctor is in the house), Ndumiso Lindi, Al Prodgers and master of ceremonies, Alan Committie. 

What do you need to know about the Vodacom Funny Festival?

When: June 7 – July 11, 2010
Where: The Baxter Theatre
Times: Monday to Friday at 20h00; Saturday at 17h00 and 20h00; Sunday July 11 at 20h00
Ticket price: R130 each from Computicket
Note: No Under 18’s

For more information on the Vodacom Funny Festival, visit http://www.capetown.travel  or call +27 21 487 6800. 

Table Mountain. Photo courtesy cdngrlnaomi

Archbishop Desmond Tutu casts his vote for Table Mountain, supported by Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold. Photo by Skye Grove

Capetonians love their mountain. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the moment we close them at night, Table Mountain presiding over the Mother City is a compelling constant in our lives. We navigate with it when driving; look to it to determine what the weather is going to do that day; look up at the lights at night to confirm that load shedding is over and use the distance to the mountain when driving to gauge how much longer before we get home after work. 

For Capetonians, home is where the mountain is. A World Heritage Site and a national park, Table Mountain also has the distinction of being the only landmark that has a constellation named after it. Mensa meaning “table” can be seen in the southern hemisphere below Orion around midnight in mid-July and was originally named by French astronomer, Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, during his stay in the Cape in the mid-eighteenth century. 

Today, Table Mountain offers visitors a number of facilities along with the most breathtaking view of Cape Town. Visitors to the mountain can enjoy a 360° view from the rotating cable cars, enjoy a bite to eat, or a hot cup of coffee, on the mountain and purchase a memento from the curio shop while there. 

Table Mountain is currently one of 28 finalists from around the globe competing to be named one of the Official New7Wonders of Nature. The official New7Wonders of Nature are determined entirely by votes, which is why we need you to lend your vote to the campaign along with other famous South Africans such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Proteas captain, Graeme Smith.

At present, 98% of the votes received since Table Mountain was shortlisted have come from outside South Africa, which speaks volumes for Table Mountain’s popularity as an internationally recognisable icon, but also signals the need for locals to get behind the campaign and vote!  In the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who cast his vote on May 6, 2010, “The most challenging thing now is getting people to take the trouble to vote. Voting is easy these days, you just click, you don’t even have to stand in a line.”

It’s that simple, log onto http://www.votefortablemountain.com and click!  The entire process including a brief registration should take you no more than two minutes and will allow you to voice your support for Table Mountain and why it deserves a place on the Official New7Wonders of Nature list.

For more information on the New7Wonders of Nature campaign, visit www.votefortablemountain.com, or call +27 (0)21 487 6800. 

Flowers on Adderley Street. Photo courtesy Ian Junor

Some believe that Cape Town’s nickname derives from the Greek for mother city, “metropolis”, while others are more inclined to consider Cape Town locals’ colourful use of language, but “Jou Ma se Moeder’s Dag” in the Mother City is bound to be special, be it on the cheap, or going all out.

If you’re looking for options that are light on the pocket, try these:

• Food – pack a picnic basket and head off to Durbanville Rose Garden, Durbanville Nature Reserve, Helderberg Nature Reserve, Tokai Forest, Bloubergstrand Beach, or Rhodes Memorial.
• Wine – Buitenverwachting and Steenberg vineyards and a number of wine estates in the Durbanville wine valley offer complimentary wine-tastings for groups of fewer than 10 people.
• Markets  – stroll through Greenmarket Square, the Century City Natural Goods Market, the indoor Paddocks Lifestyle Market in Milnerton, or the Sunday Island Market at Northgate Island and let your mum pick her own gift.
• Outdoors  – visit the Edith Stephens Wetland Park in Philippi, hike the Wagon Wheel Walk in Steenbras Valley, visit the Silwerboomkloof Nature Reserve in Somerset West, or the Durbanville Nature Reserve for hiking and bird watching.
• Culture – visit the Vintage and Collectibles Fair at the Old Biscuit Mill Complex in Woodstock, or the Alphen Antiques Fair in Constantia.

For something more upmarket, try these:

• Food and wine – enjoy a delicious Mother’s Day buffet at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate in Paarl, Poplars Restaurant in Durbanville, or a jazz brunch at Winchester Mansions Hotel in Sea Point.
• Outdoor active – book an adventurous activity like sandboarding in Atlantis, kite-surfing lessons in Muizenberg, or a kayaking experience along the Cape Coast.
• A dash of culture – visit the Diversity Exhibition at The Gallery at Grande Provence, showcasing contemporary works by South African artists; follow up with a delicious lunch at their fine-dining venue, The Restaurant.

Great gift ideas

Get your mum a bunch of flowers from the Adderley Street flower sellers, chocolates from Cape Town’s many excellent chocolateries, something sparkly from the city’s many jewellers, an authentically African beaded piece from Streetwires, or give the gift of a great experience together. 

Register you and mum for a cooking class, such as sushi making, or a barista course at Origins, try your hand at mixing cocktails, or learn a new language together. 
For more information on experiences the Mother City offers, visit http://www.capetown.travel, or call +27 (0) 21 487 6800. 

A lady selling The Big Issue in Cape Town. Photo courtesy Anastacia Haddon

A gatsby from Mariam’s Kitchen, your favourite wine farm along the Durbanville Wine Route, the best spot to buy antique furniture, your kids’ favourite play park … this week it’s all about your Cape Town. 

Cape Town Tourism has partnered with magazine The Big Issue to produce an “A-Z Guide of Your Cape Town” to be included as a special insert in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ edition of The Big Issue; available for three weeks from June 11 2010.

The Big Issue is a non-profit job creation and development organisation that publishes a general interest magazine sold by vendors who are unemployed and homeless and who have been excluded from mainstream society. Parallel to this, The Big Issue offers a social development programme of vendor support, vocational, life and business skills training and guidance counselling, which aids vendors to move back into mainstream society. Critical to its job creation function is The Big Issue philosophy that actively encourages and equips vendors to “move on” from the project and into the formal job sector. 

Cape Town Tourism and The Big Issue are going to use the guide to show our visitors how to do it lekker like a local. The project aims to give The Big Issue vendors and their families the opportunity to benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ through boosting their income over the period by capturing the interest of foreign tourists, who already support the street magazine model in their own countries and recognise the brand. It will provide visitors with a novel way to see a local’s view of Cape Town. In addition, The Big Issue vendors are well-placed to be informal tourism ambassadors, with a local, inside knowledge of the city that many visitors to Cape Town seek. 

Cape Town Tourism saw this project as an ideal element of our Live it. Love it. LOUDER! campaign, which engenders a sense of pride in our city and excitement around hosting the World Cup.

Each week, from March 29 until May 10, three topics will be launched, inviting the public to submit their favourite experiences and attractions in Cape Town. Each topic will be run for two days on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. Join The Big Issue group on http://www.facebook.com, or follow it on Twitter on @BigIssueSA. Send your tips via direct message or direct reply, or send by email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Please label your entry ‘A-Z Guide’ and remember that your suggestions must be appropriate for winter! 

The topics for the Real Guide to Cape Town A-Z are:

• 1. Kids, teen and family activities, events and attractions.
• 2. Sports and hobbies.
• 3. Green Cape Town: eco-products, markets, sustainable living projects, eco-attractions, etc.
• 4. Local food/delicacies, takeaways and bakeries.
• 5. Restaurants and wineries.
• 6. Markets, fairs, galleries, arts and crafts.
• 7. Pubs, bars, clubs and live music venues.
• 8. Comedy, music and book clubs.
• 9. “Pink” Cape Town – gay interest.
• 10. Responsible tourism, volunteerism and community support.
• 11. Cape Town mahala – what to do for free
• 12. Heritage: natural (walks, hikes, beaches, nature and marine reserves, etc.) and cultural (museums, places of historical interest, churches, mosques, temples etc.)

The special World Cup edition of The Big Issue will be a 68-page magazine and will include stories on the impact of the World Cup on the nation’s spirit, positive spin-offs for grassroots entrepreneurs, women’s soccer, new soccer-based non-governmental organisations that have sprung up around the World Cup, responsible tourism during the event and how Cape Town’s kids see the World Cup. Remember to get your copy of The Big Issue in June 2010!  The magazine costs just R14; the change is in your pocket and in somebody else’s life. 

For more information on this project and the attractions in the Mother City, visit http://www.capetown.travel, or call +21 (0) 21 487 6800. 

Cape Town City Hall. Photo courtesy Ramon Arellano

The Spier Contemporary 2010 Art Exhibition, hosted by the Africa Centre, is currently underway at the City Hall.

Concurrent to the Spier Exhibition is the citizen activation programme, Imagine City Hall. The programme aims to draw support for the development of Cape Town City Hall as a dedicated cultural venue, accessible to all the people of Cape Town. Imagine City Hall is driven by the Africa Centre, Creative Cape Town, Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and Cape Music Industry Commission (MIC). Show your support by joining the Facebook group, Imagine City Hall, or learn more at http://www.creativecapetown.net/the-imagine-city-hall-initiative.

Spier Contemporary organiser, the non-profit Africa Centre,  is an international arts and culture centre based in Cape Town. It aims to create a platform for exploring contemporary African art as a catalyst for social change. 

Key questions raised by the organisation include what it means to be African today and what is possible for 21st century Africans.

What you can expect from Spier Contemporary 2010

• A staggering 132 art works from 101 of Africa’s most promising artists.
• The safety pin sculpture or the dream catcher made from 4000 black condoms. Artworks featured are for sale.
• Strong artistic themes, including a search for identity, examining the state and our leaders, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and interpretations of our cityscape. Please note that some of the works may be disturbing to sensitive viewers.
• An educational programme, sponsored by the National Lottery Fund, in partnership with Ibhabhathane aims to bring 3 500 learners from across the Peninsula to the art exhibition during its run.
• Jazz musician Russ Nerwich performing on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, at 20h00.  Tickets cost R50 each and will be for sale at the door on the day.
• Treats from fully licensed Rotisserie 360 café.
• The Fringe Arts Shop for leather earrings, ilovestencil bangles, poetic crockery and other eccentric items. Visit http://www.thefringearts.co.za for more information.

Visit Spier Contemporary seven days a week, from 10h00 until 18h00, including on public holidays. Entrance is free. For more information on Spier Contemporary visit http://www.spiercontemporary.co.za.