Afrika in Focus: Tourism in Afrika --- The marvel and splendour of an Afrikan megacity, Cape Town

Perched at the southernmost tip of the African continent where the Atlantic meets the sky, Cape Town stands as a magnificent testament to Africa's breath-taking diversity and beauty. Far from the limited narratives often portrayed in Western media, this coastal jewel offers experiences that rival—and often surpass—those of the world's most celebrated destinations..

Table Mountain, one of the New Seven Natural Wonders of the World, dominates the city's landscape, offering panoramic vistas that leave visitors speechless. Whether you choose to hike its trails or ascend via rotating cable car, the mountain provides unforgettable perspectives of the city sprawling below. 

Beyond this iconic landmark, Cape Town rewards explorers with dramatic coastal drives along Chapman's Peak, encounters with endangered African penguins at Boulders Beach, and the spectacular meeting of two oceans at Cape Point. History and culture run deep through Cape Town's veins. At Robben Island, former political prisoners lead tours of the facility where Nelson Mandela spent much of his 27-year incarceration. 

The vibrant, pastel-colored houses of Bo-Kaap tell stories of the Cape Malay community's resilience and cultural heritage. Meanwhile, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek vineyards produce world-class wines just a short drive from the city center. The culinary landscape blends African, Malay, Dutch, Indian, and French influences, creating one of the continent's most exciting food scenes.

For adventure enthusiasts, Cape Town delivers thrilling experiences from shark cage diving to paragliding. Those seeking relaxation can unwind on the white sands of Camps Bay or enjoy sunset cocktails at rooftop bars with Table Mountain as their backdrop. With its remarkably diverse offerings—natural wonders, profound history, cultural richness, culinary excellence, and adventure opportunities—Cape Town deserves a prominent place on every traveller's bucket list. Join us as we explore why this African gem should be your next destination. Subscribe to Africa in Focus for more insights into the continent's most extraordinary places!

Sources:

This will change your mind about visiting Cape Town in 2023

Cape Town is not what you THINK it is!

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Africa in Focus
• 2:42 Why Visit Cape Town
• 8:15 Natural Wonders and Beaches
• 13:44 Cultural and Historical Sites
• 16:00 Getting Around Cape Town
• 21:28 Nightlife and Entertainment Spots
• 25:10 Episode Conclusion

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Good evening and welcome to this week's edition of Africa in Focus with myself Kwame, ghanaian writer, broadcaster, journalist, entrepreneur and podcaster. And in this week's edition of Africa in Focus it's tourism season, so we're looking at tourism for the next two or three weeks promoting tourism around African content, continuing our series Promoting Tourism, and, this week, the most beautiful city in Africa, cape Town. So that's what we'll be previewing today, why you must visit Cape Town, all right. So if you like what you hear, please share to your friends, family, social media networks. Subscribe to Africa, ghana and Focus on Ghana. Africa and Focus on YouTube. Press the notification bell, meaning that every time we upload a new podcast, youtube notifies you of that. Likewise, you can sign up to Ghana, africa and Focus on Spotify. Look out for Ghana, africa and Focus on Spotify. Look out for Ghana, africa and Focus on Spotify. Click the follow button, meaning that every time we upload a new podcast, spotify will notify you. Okay, so you want to get as many subscribers by the end of the year, both on Spotify but, most importantly, on YouTube? Okay, and if you want to donate to the show to help us produce some more great content from Ghana, from Africa, you can do so. You can donate a little less three UADs a month and the link is there in the full notes.

Speaker 1: 1:37

All right, so we are continuing our series on promoting tourism around African content. So, if you are a subscriber to this great podcast, we are continuing our series on promoting tourism around African content. So if you are a subscriber to this great podcast, you know that over the last two, particularly two years, we've been promoting tourism and African content. So, rather than go to, you know, europe or America or Asia, we want you to go to Africa because, contrary to the media, particularly Western media, it's been in Africa. Africa is the most beautiful continent on the planet, with such a diverse landscape, culture, traditions and linguistic differences, and it's home to some of the most beautiful cities in the world. And also you know some of the fantastic food, culinary delights of our Africa. And so this is why we implore you to, you know, step out of your comfort zone and to be a bit more adventurous when you book your summer holidays, because right now in the Western Hemisphere, in that time of the year where people are looking to book their summer holidays if they're not booked already. And so we want to promote African tourism, and today we're going to promote Cape Town in South Africa.

Speaker 1: 2:55

So Cape Town is the most southern city on the African continent, right on the Atlantic Ocean, yeah, and apparently you probably can get a ferry from Cape Town to Antarctica. That's how near Cape Town is to Antarctica and that's why Cape Town can be pretty cold, particularly this time of year. So if you're going to South Africa this time of year which is pretty cheap, by the way, uh, if you go where we are in july now, so if you go to south africa july, august, september, it is pretty cool. The temperatures don't get much more about 20 to 23 degrees during the daytime and you can get to sometimes even minus one, minus two at night, and you can get to sometimes even minus one, minus two at night. Yeah, so this time of year South Africa can be very, very cold, but it's the best time of year to go because it is the cheapest time and the best time you know particularly if you're watching your pennies to visit South Africa.

Speaker 1: 4:03

So Cape Town, like I said, is on the southernmost point of the African continent and you know it was a city that was built, believe it or not, by African slaves. Enslaved Africans built the great city of Cape Town, and Cape Town, for me, is not only one of the most beautiful cities in Africa, it is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Believe it or not, cape Town is better than London, paris, copenhagen, stockholm, zurich, milan, even New York. Yeah, I go far and say Cape Town can beat New York. That's how beautiful Cape Town is. Yeah, so if I was you, I'd put Cape Town on your bucket list of places to go and see.

Speaker 1: 4:42

So why visit Cape Town is? Yeah, so I would. If I was you, I'd put Cape Town on your bucket list of places to go and see. So why visit Cape Town? So you know, cape Town is a custodian of breathtaking scenery. So, for example, we've got the classic Table Mountain, which is one of the new seven natural wonders of the world, offering a Table Mountain, which is one of the new seven natural wonders of the world, offering a fantastic panoramic views of the city and the coastline. Also, cape Point is a fantastic scenery where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meets and also dramatic cliffs and ocean visit us. Cape Town is also famous for its popular beaches, like Campus Bay to the penguin populated Borders Beach. Now, cape Town has a unique, rich culture and history that we're going to go into later on, including things like UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including very, very colourful and prestigious neighbourhoods like Constantine in Cape Town and also Bow Cap, which is a neighbourhood with colourful houses and deep Cape Malay heritage, so that's somewhere definitely you want to visit Bow Cap, whereby houses are painted pink, blue, green, orange and there's other colours.

Speaker 1: 6:04

Also, there's a lot of art in South Africa, or rather in Cape Town. So if you are someone that likes the art, you will definitely need to go to the ZEITZ, and that's in the District 6 Museum Sorry, also rather the District 6 Museum. Now South Africa, if you don't know, or rather Cape Town, is home to South Africa's finest wine, and the wine is made in Stellenbosch, and Stellenbosch is just outside Cape Town and you can go to Stellenbosch and they offer wine tastings and also a place called Funchal Scoop. So if you are into your wine, you definitely need to go to Cape Town, because you can go to Stolen Bosch and where they produce Africa's finest wine and you can go on a wine tasting session a wine tasting session Now being the fantastic city Cape Town is.

Speaker 1: 7:08

Cape Town has some of the most diverse cuisine on the African continent. So you've got African cuisine, you've got Malay, you've got European, particularly Dutch, you've also got Indian, you've also got French. You know Canary influences. So if you are a foodie like myself, then on your visit to Cape Town you must sample the diverse range of fine restaurants that there are in Cape Town. Yeah, now, if you are of the adventure and nature type, then definitely Cape Town is for you. There is hiking so you can trail up the famous Table Mountain and also Lions Head and beyond. There's also water sports like surfing, like kayaking, and also shark cage diving and whale watching. Yeah, and there's also wildlife, where you can see penguins, seals and even baboons in their natural habitats. All this is within the vicinity of Cape Town. So if you're into your adventure and nature, you would definitely want to visit Cape Town.

Speaker 1: 8:15

Now, apart from the adventure and also the fine cuisine and some of these breathtaking views, cape town is also home to one of those vibrant nightlife in africa. So you know when we talk about mega cities here, in terms of their nightlife, you know cape town stands head and above its peers. So you've got Johannesburg, you've got Nairobi, you've got Accra, you've got Windeck in Namibia, you've got Abidjan in Lacroix de Voix, you've got Lagos in Nigeria. Cape Town has a very, very vibrant music scene, and so if you're into your nightlife here, you know you're spoilt for choice, because there's rooftop bars that will go into later one. There's also jazz clubs and there's also beach sound side lounges, very, very popular, with toys as well. So Cape Town has an array of nightlife suiting all tastes. Okay, there's also the famous markets and music. So you've got the V&A waterfront to the first art further, further art walk. So if you're into your art, that's something you could do also in Cape Town.

Speaker 1: 9:34

Now we're gonna show you some unique experiences of Cape Town. So Cape Town isn't just a destination, it's a feast for the senses and also a journey through history, nature and culture. So some of the highlights for me of Cape Town include Table Mountain. Why is Table Mountain so special? So it's an iconic flat-top mountain with fantastic panoramic views. So you can either hike or take the cable car for the summit, and when you take the cable car up Table Mountain, you see fantastic views of Cape Town, breathtaking views of Cape Town that you cannot get in any other city apart from Cape Town. The views on the cable car going up the Table Mountain are fantastic, yeah, so I definitely put that in your bucket list when you travel to Cape Town. Also, lion's Head is another natural wonder. Yeah, so that's a popular sunrise sunset hike with, again, stunning views of the city and the ocean.

Speaker 1: 10:51

We have also Cape Point. That offers dramatic cliffs and ocean views of the tip of the Cape Peninsula. So, like I said, southern Africa, or rather Cape Town, is at the southernmost point of the African continent. Yeah, and if you go to the Cape Point, you can see for yourself the fantastic views of the Cape Peninsula. Again, we've also got Chapman's Peak Drive. This is one of the world's most scenic coastal roads. When you drive through Chapman's Peak, you will see some amazing standing seas you will not see in any part of Africa. Yeah, so definitely want to recommend that to you. Go in for a scenic drive on Chapman's Peak Drive. We've also got the fantastic Kirsten Botch Botanical Gardens. It's a bit similar to the Legon Botanical Gardens in Ebre in Ghana, but this Botanical Gardens outside Cape Town is actually a Nescaholistic garden with indigenous fibre and a treetop canopy walkway, which is a bit similar to the Cancun walkway or canopy walkway in the Cape Coast area of Ghana. This is on another level, yeah, so, again, if you are into your gardening, if you like, you know, walking up on canopies, you would definitely need to go to Kirsten Botch Batanga Gardens.

Speaker 1: 12:28

Now, as I mentioned before, you know, cape Town has a lot of fantastic beaches because it's on a coast, and so therefore, it contains some of the most rich and most beautiful beaches in the African continent, some of which include Boulders Beach. So Boulders Beach is home to a colony of endangered African penguins, so it's also great. So this Boulders Beach is great for photos and also family visits. Again, we've got the famous Camps Bay Beach with its white sand and turquoise water, and also, along the actual strip itself, there are trendy cafes and you can see the mountain backdrop. So, again, fantastic views when you go to a campus bay beach. Also, there's the Kirsten Beaches, which is famous for sunbathing and also swimming. So most tourists go to the Kirsten Beach because it's actually great for sunbathing and also swimming in the pristine waters there.

Speaker 1: 13:35

Now we move on to some cultural and historical sites that you, you definitely don't want to miss when you go to Cape Town. Yeah, and the most famous historical site is Robben Island. Now, for those of you who don't know what Robben Island is. Robben Island was where the most famous prison in the world, nelson Mandela, was held for most of the 27 years of incarceration. Nelson Mandela was held for most of the 27 years of incarceration, and so Robben Island has become a very, very popular tourist destination where people go and see the cell of Nelson Mandela and other ANC members, but particularly Nelson Mandela, and it actually tours to Robben Island that's actually led by ex-prisoners, so people actually share the cell with Nelson Mandela or share Robben Island that's actually led by ex-prisoners. So people that actually shared a cell with Nelson Mandela or shared Robben Island with Nelson Mandela are those who are leading the tours to Robben Island, and if you want some history of that, then those ex-prisoners can tell you some fantastic history about Robben Island and also what conditions were like for them and Nelson Mandela during their period of incarceration. So definitely one not to miss.

Speaker 1: 14:53

A trip to Robben Island, which, by the way, is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the UNESCO World Heritage Site. So we've mentioned Bo Camp already, which is a mix of Cape Malay heritage and it's also great for walking tours and also food experiences. We've also got the District 6 Museum, as I mentioned already and that tells the history and the story of communities displaced during apartheid, particularly, you know, the so-called Cape Cod community and also the African community who were displaced during the apartheid regime. And also you've got the Castle of Good Hope, which is apparently one of the oldest colonial buildings in South Africa, again with military history exhibits. So, again, if you like your, you know history or want to see a great colonial building, then you want to visit the castle of Good Hope.

Speaker 1: 16:00

Now, if you want to get around Cape Town, this fantastic city, you know, getting around Cape Town is also part of the adventure of visiting this African mega city. So there are plenty of options depending on your budget, comfort level and how much freedom that you want when you want to travel to explore this fantastic city. So there are many, many ways in which to explore Cape Town with transport and, by the way, cape Town has some of the most developed and sophisticated transport network and infrastructure in the African continent. And so the first way to get around Cape Town is by my City Bus. Yes, so my City Bus is actually best for budget for those of you on the budget and it's also friendly and it's also safe to travel as well. So my City Bus are clean, reliable and safe and it covers major areas like the City, bowl, table Mountain, campus Bay and also the airport, and also you've got Wi-Fi on most routes and it's also great for solo travellers and families, all right. So the tip of that is the peak hours are between 7 to 9 in the morning and also between 4 and 6 in the afternoon, so if you don't want to, you know, go on these peak times, then those times those are times to avoid for a much smoother ride.

Speaker 1: 17:35

Again, as in many great african cities, cape town has both uber and volt and that's best for convenience. So if you want to get around without any hassle, then you're best using Uber and Volt and it's pretty, very, it's pretty, very, very cheap and reasonable priced and it's safer and reliable than the minibus taxis which are coming to later. And it's ideal for night travel or when you're carrying luggage. Yeah, and it's ideal for night travel or when you're carrying luggage, yeah. So Cape Town, like other mega cities across the continent, offer city sightseeing. Hop on, hop on buses yeah. So these hop on off on buses yeah, covers 30 around 35 attractions within Cape Town, including Timber Mountain, kirstenbush and Campus Bay. It also has multilingual audio guides and also free Wi-Fi. It's great for first timers to Cape Town. So if you've never been to Cape Town before, I definitely recommend that you go on a city sightse. Hop on, hop off bus, because that's the best way to view this fantastic city, and you do also have a one day or two day passes available, should you wish to do so, all right. So another way to get around is by car rentals. You can rent a car. There's lots of cars to rent in Cape Town. So and by the way, cape Town is over on the left-hand side of the road, and you know these car rentals are available at the airport and city locations.

Speaker 1: 19:17

Again, cycling is a very good way to discover Cape Town. So if you're an active explorer, you know I can recommend cycling around Cape Town, and there are dedicated bike lanes along the Seapoint Promenade and Greenpoint. Renters are available from Upcycles and other vendors. It is great for exploring the city, particularly the coast and the parks, and you know, one tip would be to avoid peak traffic hours and also wear a helmet as well if you're cycling. And a couple more so you can walk around Cape Town, for me, the best way to explore it is by walking, so you can walk around the city centre for exploration and in safety in the day, in areas like Bo Camp, cumbrins Garden and Long Street, and it's also great for discovering the street, art, cafes and local culture. So I definitely, you know, recommend walking to get you know a fantastic experience of exploring Cape Town. And one thing that I avoid is avoid walking alone at night, because if you're not familiar with the area, you may come up against, you know, pretentious people that are trying to rob you. So, you know, one tip is to avoid walking alone at night.

Speaker 1: 20:36

All right, and the final mode of transportation to go around Cape Town is by the minibuses. Yes, so in Ghana, in Rikon, in Chocho in South Africa, they are called minibus taxis. So these are pretty cheap and but they're quite fast and they're not recommended for tourists, particularly due to city concerns, because they do drive pretty fast and also it can. These mini buses can also oftentimes be overcrowded. Okay, so these are ways and means in which you can move about Cape Town. So, depending on your budget, depending on the type of person that you are, then there are many ways to go around Cape Town.

Speaker 1: 21:27

So, as I mentioned, cape Town nightlife is a vibrant and diverse city itself. So whether you're into rooftop cocktails or underground beats or trendy, stylish lounges, there's something for everyone. So we're going to tell you some of the top bars and clubs you should check out when you are in Cape Town. So you've got the Beth Bethazard spelt B E T H A Z A R Bethazard restaurant wine bar, and this is at the VA Waterfront and it's known for one of the largest wine and body gas selections in the world and it has an upscale vibe and it's perfect for wine lovers and estate connoisseurs.

Speaker 1: 22:16

We also recommend Jing Jing. That's spelled T-J-I-N. T-j-i-n-g House and that's on Longmarket Street and that's particularly known for Japanese inspired food and it's a rooftop bar and it's got like a Tokyo style vibe allowed to it, and so if you're into your Japanese culture, then you may want to check out Jingjing House. There's also the famous Sky Bar to it and so if you're into your Japanese culture, then you may want to check out Jing Jing House. There's also the famous Sky Bar Sky Bar. That's at Chiapini Street and it's known for rooftop study, rooftop views over Cape Town and Table Mountain, and it's also, and I would say, the vibe is more chilled, relaxed, perfect for sundowners.

Speaker 1: 23:03

And if you're into cocktails, then you definitely want to check out Souk Cape Town, s-o-u-k Cape Town. That's also Longstreet and that's known for stylish decor, cocktails with a mix of lounge and dance vibes. So the vibe is like very, very chic and social. So if you are, you like your cocktails and like your stylish lounges and vibes, then definitely, definitely, definitely Sook Cape Town is the place to be. So it's also Mingle Social and that's at Canterbury Street in Cape Town and that's known for a lively crowd. There's also theme nights and Afrobeat vibes. So if you're into your Afrobeat vibes and theme nights, then definitely Mingle Social is definitely the place to be on your night out. There's also other bars like Coco Modular Bar and also Club Taipan, which is known for its Eat your meat club with live djs and events.

Speaker 1: 24:07

So you talked about the beaches. So you've got the kaba beach club, which is on the waterfront, known for its oceanfront pool parties, djs and luxury cannabis, and it's got and the vibe is like an Ibiza style beach kind of vibe. So there's a lot to do and see in this fantastic, modern, vibrant African city of Cape Town. Alright, so if you want to, you know some more details of Cape Town.

Speaker 1: 24:40

I'll put some links in the fun next to this podcast and I hope that you really put Cape Town on your book list of places to travel, because Cape Town is a fantastic city and has a lot of things to do and see and offer, including historical sites, sites of culture, and also your clubbing and also your nightlife and also your vibrantbing and also your nightlife and also your vibrant eclectic mix of food in touch cuisine, all right. So I hope you've enjoyed this edition of african focus looking at tourism. On the content, looking specifically this week at cape town, next week we're going to look at algiers, which is an Islamic city, but it's a very, very modern, trendy Islamic city in the northern part of Africa, in Algeria. So watch out for that in next week's edition of our Season of Tourism on African Focus. So from myself, kwame, and from all the crew here on African Focus, thank you very much for listening and we'll see you next week for some more tourism on the African continent.