Quotable quotes about Cape Town

 

“Perhaps it was history that ordained that it be here, at the Cape of Good Hope that we should lay the foundation stone of our new nation. For it was here at this Cape, over three centuries ago, that there began the fateful convergence of the peoples of Africa, Europe and Asia on these shores.”
– Former President Nelson Mandela, during his inauguration speech on May 9, 1994.

“This is a city whose people tasted non-racialism long before the rest of South Africa. As early as the 19th century, black and coloured people had the vote in the Cape.”
– Former Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille.

“Cape Town is ready to welcome the world! Never has there been such a focused marketing opportunity for Cape Town. On the 4 December 2009 an estimated 150 million television viewers across the globe will watch Cape Town host the draw. Cutaway shots of the city by day and night – including exuberant images of its colourful citizens at play – will surely entice a large portion of those viewers (soccer fans or not) to dream, plan and get to Cape Town in their lifetime.”
– Lianne Burton, spokesperson for Cape Town Tourism, on the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw.

“During the many years of incarceration on Robben Island, we often looked across Table Mountain at its magnificent silhouette … To us on Robben Island, Table Mountain was a beacon of hope. It represented the mainland to which we knew we would one day return.”
– Former President Nelson Mandela

“I am an African. I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land.”
– Former President Thabo Mbeki, 1996

“My most optimistic expectation of the World Cup is that it will give ourselves, and the world, a new perception of who we are and what we can achieve. We have dealt with the preparations as well, often better than other host countries. We still face negative international perceptions particularly regarding crime. With the world’s attention focused on this [World Cup], we can either mitigate these perceptions, or confirm them. It depends on us.”
– Western Cape premier, Helen Zille, 2010

“This cape is the most stately thing and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth.”
– From the journal of Sir Francis Drake, on seeing the Cape for the first time, 1580

“Done with a nice 3 hour ride. I’ve heard many times before that Cape Town is stunning. That was no lie. What a place.”
– Cycling legend Lance Armstrong, writing on social network Twitter, after his first cycle in Cape Town on March 9, 2010

“This is a pretty and singular town; it lies at the foot of an enormous wall (the Table Mountain), which reaches into the clouds, and makes a most imposing barrier. Cape Town is a great inn, on the great highway to the east.”
– Charles Darwin in a letter to his sister, Catherine, 1836

“It’s a magnificent stadium. I would put it among the top five in the world, and I have seen many top stadiums.”
– South African soccer coach, Carlos Parreira, 2010

“It’s just an amazing stadium, and all the teams who play in Cape Town, they will play [in] the perfect place.”
– FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke on Cape Town Stadium, 2010

“We promised the country a spectacular and world-class event and we delivered on that promise. It was a great celebration of Africa which triggered a wave of passion and support on the streets of Cape Town, across South Africa and around the world.”
– CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Organising Committee South Africa, Dr Danny Jordaan, on the Final Draw in Cape Town, 2009

“… this child who just wanted to play in the sun at Nyanga is everywhere, the child grown to a man treks through all Africa, the child grown into a giant journeys through the whole world, without a pass.”
– Excerpt from The Child, written by Ingrid Jonker and read by former President Nelson Mandela at the opening of the first democratic parliament on May 24, 1994

“Ek het ’n vriendin, ver by die blou see, teen die hang van Tafelberg as die son sak, speel sy die mooiste melodieë”
– lyrics from Lisa se Klavier by Koos Kombuis

“Cape Town is a city of great beauty shaped by its history, people and in particular by its natural setting and cultural resources. The city has a rich heritage of buildings and urban environments, places of memory, struggle history sites, as well as natural, rural and cultural landscapes. Our history is understood ... through the written word, or the stories, customs and beliefs we inherit, or the physical legacy of the landscape we live in. Prestwich Memorial provides a platform for the story of the people who lived and worked in District One from the early 1800s and their subsequent displacement from the area. The memorial also tells the story of burials in the formal and informal burial grounds in the area and provides a final resting place, in form of an ossuary, to the human remains found in the area.”
– Fagmee Jacobs, Project Co-ordinator Environmental and Heritage Management, City of Cape Town, on the significance of Prestwich Memorial as part of Cape Town’s heritage

“The Mother City of South Africa is a bridge which connects us to the whole world. Cape Town has one of the most artistic football venues in South Africa. Cape Town is a vibrant city with a tourist-friendly climate. Cape Town will fill up your senses. My Cape Town is a fantastic campaign to bring Capetonians together again after the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. As a Capetonian, I think it will help many people from the townships, who cannot afford to visit different places in Cape Town, to get these opportunities to visit our lovely Cape Town as tourists.” 
– The Famous Eggman, Gregory da Silva, on what it means to him to be Capetonian

“International volunteers leave their mark in South Africa, not only by dedicating their time and energy to a community or conservation project, but also through the positive contribution they make in supporting local businesses, tourism operators, craftsmen and women, and the many jobs that are created and sustained by purchases they make, and activities they take part in while they are here.
When managed correctly, voluntourism ticks all the boxes when it comes to satisfying the criteria for responsible tourism, bringing visitors to areas of the country outside the traditional tourist routes, and providing a sustainable means for NGO projects to develop and employ local people.”
– Ed Scott, AVIVA – Volunteering in South Africa Communications Officer, on the value of voluntourism

“It remains our duty as hosts to ensure that our visitors are protected and cared for. As one of the top economic contributors to the Western Cape region, tourism is essential to our economic well being.” – Felicity Purchase, Executive Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism, on visitor safety

“South Africa is a country built on possibility. Possibility lies in making a difference and creating value from a situation – without denying that certain issues exist.” – Benjamin Zander, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor

“What makes this my Cape Town is the feeling I get when walking its streets. No matter whether it be day or night, the languages it speaks, the faces it juxtaposes, the tensions it bridges – all these force their way, somehow or other, into the music I compose. It is the only walking city we have in the country – let it be more so, enhancing the livelihoods that bring our streets to life. That is how to ensure our future.”
– Neo Muyanga, co-founder of the acoustic guitar duo Blk Sonshine and famed composer and co-curator of the Pan African Space Station.

“The use of public transport is encouraged in Singapore, not only through the easy access to it and its low cost, but also because duties on imported cars are about 200%, making them two to three times more expensive than in South Africa. Densification, mixed-use property developments and the taxing of cars to improve public transport are all lessons we can learn.” – Accelerate Cape Town CEO Guy Lundy, on development lessons learnt from Singapore after a recent visit to this city.

“The view from Signal Hill is absolutely priceless. I love sitting on a rock with a glass of good South African wine, watching an awesome sunset.” – Premier of the Western Cape Helen Zille, on what she loves about Cape Town.

“My favourite South African phenomenon is the taxi gaartjie, endemic to Cape Town. He can often be heard shouting “Mowbray, Cape Teeeeeeeoooooown” out of the side of an overcrowded minibus or “Jou ma se Porsche” while speeding through Constantia.” – Nik Rabinowitz, Comedian

“Groot Constantia is the most peaceful place on earth. I never get tired of going there. It’s rarely overcrowded and has such a calming effect on whomever goes there – I think it has something to do with the fact that so much of our country’s history began in that spot. In summer and in winter it’s the perfect place to hide.” – Nicky Greenwall, television producer and presenter

“Creativity happens on the boundaries, and a place like Cape Town is uniquely positioned. It’s a melting pot of cultures and people, with a rich history as well as a focus on modernity.” – Mark Shuttleworth, on why Cape Town is an ideal World Design Capital

“To be ranked first out of all cities in the world, and against global destinations of this calibre, speaks volumes about the strength of our offering.  It is especially exciting for me that these results are based on the experiences of travellers who have visited the various destinations.” –Western Cape Tourism Minister Alan Winde on the announcement that Cape Town is the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice No.1 destination for 2011

“Cape Town is a key economic centre with great opportunities for growth and development and the decision to locate our office in the central city was not difficult.” – Selwyn Hockey, a partner at Webber Wentzel Attorneys in an interview, on why they chose Cape Town as the location for their regional office; all factors that contribute to Cape Town bucking the decentralisation trend observed elsewhere