Situated in South Africa
Cape Town is today the seat of the country's parliament and a premier international tourist destination, occupying the number one spot in South Africa.
While the Western Cape is home to roughly 10% of South Africa's population, it contributes almost 15% of
national output. According to Statistics South Africa, the Western Cape's population in 2006 was 4.7 million
people, with regional gross domestic product (GDP) at around R174.3 billion. As the powerhouse of the Western Cape, Cape Town
offers numerous business opportunities, while its natural splendour makes it an attractive place to live and work. Boasting a colourful history and a range
of cultures, it is also a preferred destination for international meetings and conferences, a position that is cemented by its state-of-the-art International
Convention Centre. Wesgro, the official trade and investment promotion agency for the Western Cape Province, notes that Cape Town's relatively mature demographic structure,
comparatively high literacy and school attendance
rates and a superior higher education infrastructure
(including five residential universities/technikons and
a range of other further education and training
organisations), enable the city to participate actively
in South Africa's economy. Good schools, healthcare
facilities and an extensive range of recreational
facilities further reinforce Cape Town's allure for
businesses and families alike.
Wesgro has identified several growth sectors within
the province, one of which is the film industry,
estimated to be worth R2.5 billion per year with
positive spin-offs to the hospitality, clothing and
carpentry industries. Preliminary work on the much
anticipated R430-million Cape Town Film Studios,
formerly known as Dreamworld Film City, has begun.
The project is expected to create thousands of jobs in
the next few years.
Steenberg Hotel & Golf Estate, Cape Town
Voted "Top Foreign Golf Resort of 2012" by
America's Conde Nast Traveler magazine,
this 18-hole course from design guru Peter
Matkovitch offers superb views of Table
Mountain and the vineyards of the serene
Constantia Valley. As the hotel likes to boast:
it's just minutes from Cape Town, but feels
miles from the world.
Matkovitch has built a course that'll
challenge beginner and proficient golfers
alike, with narrow fairways and ubiquitous
bunkers - not to mention the blustery southeasterly
wind the Mother City sends to shake
things up a bit. Then again, those distracting
views may just prove your undoing, as the
course is a delightful scenic surprise.
The challenging par-three 7th, its green
surrounded by water, makes hardened golfers
sweat, but it's the signature 14th that
is perhaps the most memorable. A lengthy
par-three that often calls for a hefty wood,
the 75-metre green is the longest in the
southern hemisphere and makes for challenging
putting if your tee shot goes awry.
You have been warned!
The perfect foil to the challenging course
is the ever welcoming Steenberg Hotel,
where you-ll experience the Cape's legendary
hospitality at its best. The new Gorgeous
Bubbly Bar is the perfect place to toast those
standout shots, while chef Garth Almazan-s
famed fine-dining restaurant, Catharina's, is
right next door. For something more casual,
Bistro1682 is just a hefty seven-iron away,
with complementary wine tasting available
at the adjoining cellar.
Cape Town
From the ultra-organised central business district in the City Bowl with its edgy party vibe, and the exclusive playgrounds of Camps
Bay, Clifton and Llandudno, to the splendour of Chapman's Peak and the quaintness of Kalk Bay - Cape Town somehow manages to cram European sensibilities, a laid-back attitude and some of the best natural
scenery in the world into one neat metropolitan area, and corporates will find it's always open for business, too.
Party City
Cape Town is South Africa's party city,
and Long Street in the CBD is the epicentre
with its range of bars and clubs, most with
balconies overlooking the busy street. Hot
nights, short skirts, long drinks and packed
dance floors make this strip the best place
in town to meet people.
Start the night with cocktails and tapas
at the intimate watering hole Julep, before
catching a live band at Zula Sound Bar. When
your feet feel the need to move, head over
to Fiction, where DJs blast everything from
indie to nu-rave to techno, and 200 people
cram the intimate dance floor. End off the
evening with chilled post-party drinks at the
sleek Daddy Cool Bar.