Category: Feature

Cape Town’s City Improvement Districts: the vision and the success model

 

Did you know? Cape Town’s City Improvement Districts – also known as Special Ratings Area (SRA) – were established in 2000 with the flagship CCID as a non-profit organisation, funded by property owners with a vision to provide essential top-up safety and cleaning services, urban maintenance, social upliftment and upgrading of the environment in the city centre. 

The spreading of CIDs and connected forms of public-private partnership as an international model of urban renewal has been linked to the rise of ‘urban entrepreneurialism’ and the neoliberalization of policies and practices, at a time when competition between cities in the global economy has never been greater.  Continue reading

Gifts under R500 this Christmas

Gifts under R500 this Christmas

‘Tis the season for giving! We’re well aware that the price tags on some Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers can be downright scary. Yes, you love your family, but spending thousands of rands on gifts is pretty ridiculous – especially in an economic downturn!

So we’ve compiled a list of gifts under R500 to inspire your Festive Season gift shopping.

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Going local this festive season

Going local this festive season

This year Christmas will unlikely be the same. The tills won’t be ringing with the same vigour because of business closures along with the worst unemployment rate and retail spend in years, according to economists, retail analysts and trade unions.

But who’s to say we can’t have ourselves a Merry Christmas after all?

Despite everything that has transpired this year and all the stress we have been put under as a nation and globally, the festive season is a time of year that everyone looks forward to – and now that it is finally here we should not squander it!

Make the most of this holiday season by trying out our list of things to make and do and places to visit to put a boost in your holiday cheer.

Whatever route you choose, as long as you’ve got the spirit of Christmas in your heart, you really can’t go wrong.

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Ways to keep track of your finances during this pandemic

Ways to keep track of your finances during this pandemic

Right now, spending habits are changing, for better or worse. With unemployment at an all-time high and many people working from home, your budget could be totally different from the usual. 

Staying on top of your personal finances can be challenging, tedious and even discouraging, but for most people this process is a necessary evil. Spending more than you earn is a sure way to bury yourself in debt, and not being careful about precisely where your money is going can leave you struggling to pay for necessities like groceries. Fortunately, learning how to keep track of your personal finances is not difficult – but it does require some time and a fair amount of discipline.

Here are a few tips to help keep your money matters in order.

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Things to do amid the Coronavirus outbreak

School Holidays Things to do

As President Cyril Ramaphosa announces the closure of all schools until after the Easter Weekend, parents are concerned about how they will manage to keep their kids entertained (other than Netflix or browsing the Internet!) without having to physically leave the house.

Fear not! We have compiled a list of things you may find helpful to ease the boredom and keep the children (and even yourself) busy until the Coronavirus panic dies down.

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February is National Art Month

February is Art Month blog

In 1991, February was declared National Arts Month with the signing of Presidential Proclamation 683. Nearly 30 years later February still comes alive with activities and events around the arts, creativity and self-expression. We see the amalgamation of so many groups, agencies and individual artists and art lovers coming together to celebrate the beautiful yet complex world of art.

Keen to see what this February has in store? Check out where to catch the buzz.

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Woodstock DIY

Woodstock DIYAfter the holiday decorations have been packed away, the house is left feeling bare and kind of boring – and so the challenge of decorating looms.

The start of the year is the best time for a fresh start. So how about revamping your home office, bathroom or kids’ room for a fresh new look?

Woodstock is Cape Town’s centre of making and design – harking back to its history of being a hub of industrial activity. These days, Woodstock is your go-to-destination for all things DIY. Here are some of our favourite stops.

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Woodstock craft beer breweries and distilleries that should be on your to-do list

The Woodstock / Salt River area has become a hub (or should that be hop?) of craft beer activity. We love our community, and we love local businesses. When the two come together the local economy, and value of the area, is maintained and even improved. When further combined with an unusual and enjoyable pint, those benefits taste even better! We’ve put together a list of our top Woodstock craft beer breweries and distilleries to encourage you to stop by for a quick pint after work, or why not make a weekend of visiting all of them?

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Christmas Gift Guide 2019

Christmas Gift Guide

Shopping for Christmas gifts in Cape Town can be a daunting and stressful experience – shopping malls are crowded, parking is a nightmare and all too often you end up leaving with nothing you actually wanted.

Fear no more! Here is a list of the best Christmas markets in Cape Town, where you can enjoy delicious food, wine, and a festive vibe while you shop for unique, artisanal gifts. Continue reading

Woodstock history and Heritage Day

Heritage is a hugely complex and nebulous concept, with its meaning and relevance varying from person to person. Knowing our own history, or the history of our culture, is vital as it helps us to know who we are while we are molding our future.

Woodstock is one of the oldest suburbs in The Mother City that has adopted so many identities over the centuries and which is so rich in culture that plays a big part of our South African History. During the mid-1800s Woodstock became a small fishing hamlet. During the British occupation of the Cape, the English left their influence in road names like Victoria and Albert and rows of brick terraced houses reminiscent of those in an English town. Despite various iterations of inhabitants Woodstock has always been a racially and religiously mixed community, a place where white, black and mixed race people, Jews, Christians and Muslims lived side by side. While bulldozers destroyed its similarly diverse neighbor, District Six, during Apartheid, somehow Woodstock remained untouched and avoided forced removal of ethnic inhabitants.

As we embrace an incredible mix of diversity and cultures combined to make this neighbourhood so vibrant – a bustling blend of food, fashion, arts, and design we also take a moment to celebrate it’s heritage in light of Heritage Day on 24 September 2019.
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