October 31, 2012
Cape Town in the 1980s: Priceless photos
Fazielah Williams
Fazielah Williams has lived in and loved her Mother City since birth. Having lived all over the Peninsula during her childhood, she now calls the picturesque City Bowl home and likes nothing more than watching the sun set over Table Bay from the window of her apartment.
A lover of the arts and proud Cape Town fanatic, Fazielah began her writing career by spending many hours as a child conjuring fantastical stories that featured independent heroines from faraway lands who saved the Prince instead. This Capetonian princess has enjoyed stints as a magical arts PRO and TV publicist before finding her calling as a travel writer.
When not waxing lyrical about the Fairest Cape’s most loved attractions and activities and embarking on unexpected adventures, Fazielah can usually be found taking in a show at one of the City’s fabulous theatres.
Cape Town in the 1980s. Photo © Cape Town Tourism.
We recently put the call out for long-forgotten images depicting Cape Town during the 1980s and boy, did her residents and fans respond in kind…
From the outrageous neon clothing to some of the Mother City’s iconic attractions in their pre-development phases, 80s Cape Town was an interesting sight to behold.
These are just a few of the priceless images:
Cape Town fan Kerry McLachlan as a toddler in the "train" park, just before the Moullie Point Lighthouse in 1980. Photo courtesy Kerry McLachlan
Beauty pagents were a 1980s Capetonian staple event. Photo © Cape Town Tourism
Leigh Ann's family trip coincided with the construction of the DuToits Kloof tunnel in January 1988. Photo courtesy of Leigh Ann Midlands Industrial
Gerard Samuels adored his classic Adidas tracksuit in the 1980s. Photo courtesy Gerard Samuels
If you’re feeling nostalgic for this decade of heavy eyeshadow, stonewashed jeans and leg warmers, tickets for the second performance of the Virgin Atlantic 80s Rewind Festival, featuring Rick Astley, Leee Johns, Tony Hadley and Nik Kershaw at the Grand Arena on Thursday, November 1, 2012, are no longer available at Computicket.

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