As South Africa marks 25 years of democracy since the end of apartheid, historic and scenic Cape Town—founded in 1652—is seeing a remarkable resurgence in tourism, business activity and urban development. Over the next four to five years, the city expects ambitious projects valued at roughly $1 billion, including new hotels, offices and residential developments already underway, as well as the recent completion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) expansion.
Framed by the iconic Table Mountain and close to the Atlantic Ocean, the final element of the CTICC expansion completed earlier this year: a striking steel-and-glass pedestrian sky bridge linking the new building to the original 2003 structure. “We are very excited about our sky bridge, which is both beautiful and functional,” said Julie-May Ellingson, CEO of the Cape Town International Convention Centre. “As a world-class venue, the CTICC can now welcome more attendees and host large-scale events across both buildings.” The new facility adds more than 30,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space.
Upcoming CTICC events include the Congress of the International Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy, the Cape Town Art Fair, the Cape Town Jazz Festival, the Design Conference and the 2023 Congress of the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry—the first time that congress will be held in Africa.
The CTICC sits within walking distance of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a 300-acre mixed-use district that has become one of Africa’s premier tourist destinations, drawing more than 24 million visitors a year. With hotels, restaurants, retail, pedestrian and bicycle paths and a range of entertainment, the Waterfront offers a lively and distinctive atmosphere.
Developers broke ground last year on Cape Town’s future tallest building, the 42-story Zero-2-One tower. The development will include 624 residential units, approximately 65,000 square feet of retail space and a public viewing deck with 360-degree city views. Completion is expected in late 2020.
Last year Marriott opened the 188-room AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront as part of the mixed-use Yacht Club development adjacent to the V&A Waterfront. The hotel features tech-friendly meeting spaces, dining venues, a fitness center and an outdoor pool. This year, two additional Marriott projects began construction at Harbour Arch: a 200-room, five-star Marriott Hotel Foreshore and a 150-room Residence Inn. Harbour Arch, an Amdec Group project, aims to become the city’s largest mixed-use development.
Artist’s rendering of the Yacht Club development © AMDEC GROUP
“We are constantly striving for unique green spaces within our developments,” said Nicholas Stopforth, managing director of the Amdec Group. “We follow trends in urban gardening and rooftop gardens, and we create parks for dog-walking and simply enjoying nature. Mixed-use living brings health benefits: residents can walk to work, restaurants and gyms, which supports a more active lifestyle.”
The 483-room Westin Cape Town features the Heavenly Spa on the 19th floor, with 15 treatment rooms and panoramic ocean and city views. The property offers 19 individual meeting spaces for up to 600 delegates and 14,300 square feet of event space, and it is the only hotel in the city with direct connectivity to the CTICC.
Several other hotels emphasize wellness amenities. The Silo Hotel, opened in 2017, occupies six floors above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa and includes 28 rooms and a spa with a sauna, gym and signature treatments. Zeitz MOCAA, also opened in 2017, houses a large collection of contemporary African art and complements the hotel with a cultural synergy between the two independent venues.
The iconic 120-room Cape Grace Hotel provides meeting facilities and the Spa at Cape Grace, featuring Kalahari-inspired massage treatments using plant oils, red sand, nourishing mud and mineral salts. The spa offers rejuvenating anti-ageing treatments and a fully equipped fitness studio on the top floor with views of Table Mountain.
Other downtown options for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) include Hilton Cape Town City Centre, with 15 meeting rooms; Southern Sun The Cullinan, located at the entrance to the V&A Waterfront opposite the CTICC; and the Belmond Mount Nelson, set in a lush garden estate. Radisson operates several Cape Town properties, including the upscale Radisson Blu Waterfront and the Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, featuring studio-style suites near Zeitz MOCAA in the Silo District.
Cape Town residents working in IT, finance, engineering, design and hospitality enjoy a lifestyle focused on wellness and outdoor activity. The city is home to international and South African fitness brands such as Planet Fitness, Virgin Active, Zone Fitness and Curves. With more than 3,094 hours of sunlight annually—similar to San Diego—bikers and runners are common on city streets, parks host soccer, cricket and rugby, and surfers frequent nearby beaches. In 2018 Surfer Magazine named the Cape Town region among the world’s top 10 surfing destinations.
If time allows, visit one of the Mami Wata surf shops in Cape Town, where surf films are screened and colorful board shorts and T-shirts are sold. The shops also carry hand-shaped surfboards crafted by renowned South African shaper Hugh Thompson. “Surfing in Africa is unlike anywhere else,” said Nick Dutton, cofounder and CEO of the Mami Wata surf brand. “We’re the new frontier.”
UNIQUE VENUES
The Norval Foundation, which opened a striking museum near Table Mountain National Park, offers panoramic views across vineyards and mountains and houses one of the largest private collections of South African contemporary art. The site includes a sculpture garden, an outdoor amphitheater, exhibition spaces and a restaurant; the museum and its facilities are available for private events.
Landtscap, a working farm in the Stellenbosch/Cape Winelands region about an hour from Cape Town, combines plum and citrus orchards, vineyards and a sustainable event venue. Perched on a ridge, the venue features natural light-filled meeting spaces insulated by a living roof garden. The modular facility accommodates up to 200 in cinema style, 160 for dining or 100 for corporate meetings, offering a rural, eco-conscious alternative for events.