Cape Town is an unquenchably optimistic city. Although still recovering from decades of white minority rule, Capetonians have an unwavering belief in a bright and promising future. This upbeat and easygoing nature has long defined the city. Locals are noticeably friendlier and more laidback than in other parts of the country, and the streets and markets buzz with a confident energy. But it is its exceptionally varied population that distinguishes Cape Town first and foremost – the term ‘Rainbow Nation’ seems more appropriate here than elsewhere. Certainly, Cape Town’s population is the most cosmopolitan in the country. It has a comparatively small black African population – about a third of the total – while the distinctive ‘Cape coloured’ community makes up over half of the population. These are descendents of slaves brought from India, East Africa and Madagascar who interacted with European and local indigenous people, and today comprise much of the city’s middle class. The third largest group is made up of white descendents of Dutch and British settlers, but there is also a sizeable Asian community. Whatever their origins, Capetonians are fiercely proud of their city, and go about life with a certain boisterousness that is both sneered at and envied by the rest of South Africa’s urban population. A long-standing rivalry remains between Johannesburg and Cape Town – a sort of New York/LA thing, where Capetonians are jealous of Jo’burg’s strong economy, and Jo’burg residents crave Cape Town’s location and relaxed way of life. While Jo’burg’s population is seen as sophisticated but fundamentally dull, Capetonians are perceived as hungover hippies who spend far too much time lazing around on beaches. The fact that Cape Town is invaded every summer by tens of thousands of Jo’burg residents, however, seems to say a lot. Jealousies aside, much of Cape Town’s character has been sculpted by its rich diversity of languages. Afrikaans and English are most commonly heard, although the increasing black population is bringing Xhosa to the forefront. Afrikaans is the main language of Cape Town’s coloured population, as well as being a major player in the identity of white Afrikaners. Although there are fewer of the latter in Cape Town than in other parts of the country, the Winelands is a major focal point of Afrikaner culture. Their distinctive Cape Dutch architecture, at its best on the historical wine estates around Stellenbosch and Paarl, remains the most celebrated in South Africa. In origins Afrikaans is a creolized version of Dutch – the result of the interaction between Cape Town’s slave and colonial cultures. In the townships of the Cape Flats, Afrikaans is spoken with a dialect known as Kapie-Taal, with English and Xhosa words thrown in to produce a distinctive combination which is evolving fast into a new language. The Cape Flats are in fact a veritable hotbed of new developments in the life of the city. Music is a major focal point everywhere in Cape Town, but much of it originates here, particularly distinctive Cape Jazz. Religion is similarly varied, with strong Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities, as well as those following African traditions. Perhaps the best-known of Cape Town’s religious groups is known as the Cape Malays, the Muslim community focused on the Bo-Kaap. The term Cape Malay, however, is a misnomer – in reality a very small percentage of the population originated in Malaysia. Islam was instead introduced from India, Indonesia and East Africa, from slaves and political dissidents introduced by the Dutch East India Company in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, the Muslim community retains a strong identity which does much to define Cape Town’s diverse religious scene. Nevertheless, despite the rich mix of cultures that makes up the city’s population, many still identify themselves by, and live according to, race. Such sentiments remain largely an issue of geography and economics. The Group Areas Act of the 1960s ensured that all prime land was in white hands – districts in the centre of town, by the seaside or along the lush slopes of Table Mountain, while coloured and black communities were, often forcibly, resettled in townships on the bleak and barren Cape Flats. This devastating urban planning of apartheid segregated all residential areas by race. The official colour barriers may have long since disappeared and residential boundaries are shifting, but districts are by and large still defined by colour. This can mean that the visitor gains a lopsided view of Cape Town – experiencing the ordered, affluent city that barely hints at the grinding poverty found in less visible parts. Economics, too, play a crucial role. The division between rich and poor remains – put simply, the most affluent sector is white and the poorest black. Thankfully, this is changing: a black middle class has emerged in recent years, and the coloured middle class is strengthening. Certainly, Cape Town is keen to shift thoughts regarding race and colour. The term coloured, for example, has been rejected by some as inappropriate in a post-apartheid South Africa. Others have proudly reclaimed it as a symbol of their distinct culture and history. However people define themselves, Capetonians seem unanimous in their pride in their city. Apartheid’s hangover is still evident, but there seems to be an ever-strengthening sense of celebration of Cape Town’s many different sides, a move towards rejoicing over cultural differences rather than airbrushing them out. Far from the spaced out, dippy image that Cape Town suffers in other South African cities, it seems critically aware of what drives it – and it is this that makes it what it is. There are frequent direct flights to Cape Town from most European countries, the United States, Australia and neighbouring African states. The cost of a ticket can be expensive – the city is becoming more and more popular, and prices can be correspondingly high. Booking as far in advance as possible, however, can bring prices down considerably. Cape Town sadly lacks a decent public transport system. Thankfully, most of the city’s oldest buildings, museums, galleries and the commercial centre are concentrated in a relatively small area. There is a bus network which travels between the city centre and the Southern Suburbs, but it can be slow and tiring. Faster and more efficient are the minibus taxis which are generally safe to use. Taxis are affordable, but can be hard to organize, although the local rikki taxis can be very good value for the major sights and backpacker lodges. To get the most out of the city and to visit the suburbs, beaches, Winelands and Whale Coast, it’s a good idea to rent a car.
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Cape-Town - £6.99
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