14 Things visitors should know about Cape Town

More generally: The good stuff

It’s mostly good stuff! Cape Town is a magical city, with a stunning and diverse environment, friendly people, and tons to enjoy. But let’s get into some of the nitty-gritty.

1. We’re a land of entrepreneurs 

Exploring a Spring market at Rondebosch Park

There is an incredible amount of entrepreneurs in Cape Town, selling their crafts, their food, their inventions, their skills and expertise. So much creativity and hard work! This is both because South Africa is an inventive nation, and because it is also one with too few work opportunities. So people make their own.

We strongly recommend supporting local and small-scale as much as you can. You can do this via markets like:

• The Neighbourgoods Market, The Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock
• Oranjezicht City Farm Market, Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront
• Bay Harbour Market, Hout Bay
• The Watershed, V&A Waterfront 

You’ll also find a lot of coffeeshops showcasing local artists and creatives. And if the irregular Candor Market happens to be happening when you’re in the city, I would HIGHLY recommend attending. Our small-scale creatives really shine here, and everything is either beautiful or delicious. 

2. We have an incredible coffee culture

Against the Grain Cafe in Bo Kaap

Don’t support Starbucks! In fact, don’t support any chains if you can avoid it (and you can). Cape Town has so many small, locally owned cafés and I’m telling you now, the coffee is absurdly good. Our baristas are artists, all across the city.

You’ll struggle to go wrong, particularly if you go for the smaller cafes, but a few of my favourites are:

• Sonder Cafe, Observatory
• Our Local, CBD
• Olympia Cafe, Kalk Bay
• Montebello, Newlands
• Pauline’s, Sea Point

Our article on the best brunch spots in Cape Town is a handy resource if you want to look deeper!

3. Craft beers galore 

A few of my favourite local beers

Cape Town has dozens and dozens of craft breweries — and somehow, each one I’ve tried is doing innovative and exciting work. It’s not something most tourists know about Cape Town, but it’s really cool! 

If you want to try lots of local brews from different creators I’d recommend getting the month’s tasting box from Smous (not sponsored, I just love what they do!). This box changes every month and includes 12 different types of beers from micro, small and larger local breweries.

You’ll also find local craft brews in most bars across the city. Ask the barista their favourite and give it a try!

4. Our wines are world-class — and so are our wine estates

Groot Constantia wine tasting

Cape Town’s vineyards have won a ton of awards for their various wines — as have the stunning estates outside of Cape Town, in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Our wine is truly world-class. 

While you should definitely get a few bottles to take back home, I’d recommend going for a tasting or two, and getting your bottles at the vineyards themselves. They’re located right in the city, in the neighbourhood of Constantia. And they are all beautiful, with fantastic food and charcuterie platters.

Three favourites are Beau Constantia, Groot Constantia, and Buitenverwachting. I’d recommend taking the hop-on hop-off wine tour if you want to make a few stops! It’s really cheap and easy — and you get to see more of the city while you’re at it.

To learn more check out our articles on: 

• Wine tasting in Constantia
• The Franschhoek Wine Tram, and 
• Mountain biking and wine tasting in Franschhoek, if you want to get more adventurous!

5. Public transport isn’t perfect, but it’s good

MyCity Bus routes — each colour represents a different route

You cannot reach all of Cape Town via public transport, and to move among some of the main sections you may need to change from bus to train or train to bus. So, not perfect… But, most of the city is accessible through that combination — the train covers the Southern Suburbs down to the Indian Seaboard, while the MyCiti buses criss-cross the Atlantic Seaboard and City Centre. 

Both are very cheap, particularly the trains, which cost under R10 for any one-direction trip. It’s important to know that the train requires cash (many of the stops have no card machines), and the MyCiti requires a card which you top up. This card can be bought at any of the main stations.

Check out our article on public transport in Cape Town for more!

6. The street food is great

It’s a universal rule to be suspicious of a new country’s street food. It is, after all, the prime cause of food poisoning on vacation. But, if you skip on ours, just know that you’re missing out! Cape Town’s Cape Malay community is the main producer of street food, and it’s usually freshly baked koesusters, half moons and samosas. All are fantastic.

You’ll also find, in tiny stores off the street, classics like Gatsbies, bunny chow, and pap en wors. Be aware that all of our street food is pretty oily and carby — if that’s up your alley, you can’t go wrong with any of these! 

7. So are our restaurants

Desert at Winchester Hotel’s Harveys Restaurant

I’ve travelled all over Europe, and a little in Asia, and Cape Town’s restaurants are the best I’ve ever encountered. For quality, variety, experience, price, Cape Town’s food scene cannot be beat. There are some crappy places, for sure – like everywhere, you’ll find your McDonaldses and their ilk – but in general, in Cape Town you’ll find any kind of food you might want, and you’ll find it in extremely high quality, in wonderful settings, for what my European and American readers will consider a laughably low price. And this with the same friendliness you’ll find everywhere in the city.

Just to expand on that a bit, you can find (among many others!): South African (an obvious one), Greek, Italian, Ethiopian, Indian, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai. You’ll also easily find halaal and vegan spots.

Quick tip: tipping is expected here — 10% to be polite, 20% to be generous.

8. Very friendly people

South Africans always find it strange to travel overseas, because people seem so unfriendly. Like they hardly see you when they pass, like they have no interest in talking to you when they do so. It’s very unrelatable to many of us! Many South Africans smile to everyone they walk past, we quip about the weather, cute dogs, something we see, with strangers. We’re big chatters. 

Of course, if you look unapproachable you’ll probably not be approached. But if you throw out a few smiles to test the water, you’ll definitely get a few in return! We’re also an easy bunch to approach if you need directions or advice on where next.

9. Pristine marine ecosystem 

A Cape Radd citizen science snorkeling trip among the kelp

The coast of Cape Town is an incredible, pristine ecosystem that we put a lot of effort into studying and protecting. 

With over 2,000 types of fish, endemic sharks, and the magic of the kelp ecosystem, there is something really special about our ocean. It’s also fantastically diverse, thanks to the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans! The warm and cold waters meet at the tip of the coastline, which means that the two sides of Cape Town have very different conditions. 

Read next: Exploring Cape Town’s local marine wildlife

10. Many local initiatives invested in our social and environmental success

Volunteers cleaning up the Liesbeek River

This is one of my favourite facts about Cape Town! The locals kind of pick up where the government lets off, providing food, education, trauma counselling and therapy to many of our most vulnerable peoples. We also have groups protecting our coastline from mining (Protect the West Coast), rehabilitating endemic ecosystems (FynbosLife), organising alien hacks, and other initiatives. 

If you want to support any of these, check out our article on where to volunteer in Cape Town! 

The bad stuff

Of course, everyone knows that Cape Town isn’t pure perfection. We’re a country with extreme wealth disparity and many people living below the poverty line. Our infrastructure is outdated and underfunded (something our new government is aiming to change). And there are some definite safety issues.

11. We have a homelessness problem

There are an estimated 14 000 homeless people in the greater Cape Town area. We do not have the infrastructure to provide housing for our full populace, and many live directly on the streets, in tents, and in shacks. 

The City of Cape Town has implemented various programs to address homelessness, including shelters, temporary housing, and social services. However, these efforts fall short of the demand.

Numerous NGOs and community groups are also active in providing support, including food, shelter, medical care, and employment assistance. These organisations include The Haven Night Shelter and U-Turn Homeless Ministries. 

12. Regular power outages

I imagine that by now anyone planning a trip to South Africa knows about our power outages. Some months, they don’t happen at all. Some months, they hit for 8 hours of the day (split into 2-3 two-hour sessions). It can be really rough, but honestly, Cape Town has been adapting for years now, and most businesses and accommodation now have generators, solar panels, and other solutions. So, while you may be impacted by electricity cuts, you also may not notice it at all. 

13. Many people asking for money

As mentioned, the wealth disparity in South Africa is huge. It’s important to know that — Cape Town is often referred to as the Southernmost city in Europe because of the quality of our services. But we’ve also got an extreme poverty issue, with a massive unemployment rate which has only been growing in recent years. Because of this, you’ll come across many beggars in the streets. 

Many recommend not giving money to these beggars because they may use the money on alcohol and drugs, and also because you may be robbed when you pull out your wallet. However, there are so many who are neither addicts nor violent, and for these people some charity goes a long way. You could keep cash you’re happy to give away in your pocket to avoid the wallet issue.

You’ll also find that almost any time you park somewhere, there will be a parking guard who expects some change for watching your car. I recommend keeping R5-R10 rands to give these guards, as they’re trying to do something relatively productive and that money can go a long way for them. 

14. Issues with safety and petty theft

The unemployment problem and extreme wealth disparity in Cape Town and South Africa means that crime is unavoidable. Petty crime — like stealing your wallet or phone from your bag, holding you up for cash or phone, shoplifting and car theft (theft from a car, not of a car) — are all common in the city. 

This said, there are an increasing number of security measures to protect against petty crime in Cape Town, and the most popular areas for visitors are relatively safe. If you don’t have your phone out while walking on the street, keep your bag closed, and look reasonably alert, you should have no problems. 

Read my top tips and information on safety in Cape Town.

All you need to know about Cape Town

And that is it! Everything you need to know about Cape Town before you visit. It’s a beautiful, vibrant, complex city with so much to enjoy, but definitely a few issues too. 

If you think I’ve missed anything you think folks should know when planning their visit, please get in touch. I’d love to add it