The Mother City

​Our natural surroundings are breathtaking and we boast an array of national parks, nature reserves, stretches of coast line, and world-class wine estates. Our government focuses on the wellbeing and safety of all Capetonians. We are responsible and energy-conscious, and focused on building a secure city of the future – one that is aligned with global standards of sustainable growth.

We are national leaders in business and have a thriving knowledge economy; our skills market is growing and the City offers numerous opportunities for work and investment. We are also a proudly inclusive city, welcoming all newcomers who can join us in our vision to create a safe, sustainable, vibrant urban environment for generations to come.

Cape Town has won a number of awards for being a great city to work, live, visit and play:

A destination for business

Cape Town is known for its balanced, healthy quality of life and has become a preferred destination for events, conferences, meetings and business incentives.

Events
Cape Town hosts a variety of signature events each year, from concerts and cultural festivals to business conferences and international sports tournaments. Combined, these contribute hundreds of millions of rand to the city’s economy and have boosted our local and international standing as a premier events destination.

Conferences and meetings
Cape Town boasts numerous conference and event venues from the multi-functional Cape Town Stadium to the iconic Cape Town City Hall, and Africa’s foremost meetings and conferencing venue, the Cape Town International Convention Centre. We are the culinary capital of South Africa with globally top ranked restaurants and we have wide range of guest accommodation in the CBD and surrounding suburbs.

Business incentives
Cape Town has created investment schemes to encourage the growth of certain areas and industries in the city. For example, we are currently focused on the Atlantis area where electricity tariff reductions, development waivers, and exemptions from building plans and land use application fees have been offered to encourage business.

Read more about our business incentives.

Things to do and see

History and heritage
Cape Town was the first urban centre in southern Africa; we have a city rich in colonial buildings with various architectures and features, fascinating monuments and tokens of our history. We also have a fascinating natural and pre-colonial history; you can explore sites which remember our first people and show how Cape Town has become the diverse city it is today.

Read more about Cape Town's history and heritage.

Arts and culture
Creative cities are exciting because they grow vibrant, diverse communities that engage with each other and use culture to uplift lives. We have a lively arts and culture scene where creativity and heritage are explored through theatre, live music, dance, visual arts and more. Both day and night in Cape Town offer you exciting cultural spaces to visit and events to be a part of. Explore galleries and museums, cultural precincts, attend signature events and explore our top cultural venues.

Sport and recreation
The city has a wide range of great sports facilities for locals and visitors to enjoy, from community-level sports fields and recreation hubs, to parks for cycling and walking. We support large-scale events, as well as small, community events in the city. We have indoor tracks, off-track and off-road running activities, as well as specialist field event training areas and a Sports Science Institute.

Sports stadiums can be found across our city, with our flagship Cape Town Stadium centred right in the city. We also have first-class swimming and aquatic facilities and the 250-metre, multipurpose indoor Bellville Velodrome that was developed for the South African Olympic bid.

Nature reserves and hiking
The Cape Peninsula, with Cape Point at one end and Table Mountain at the other, offers a network of criss-crossing hiking trails that will lead you through indigenous fynbos and forest. The Table Mountain National Park stretches approximately 60 kilometres from Signal Hill to Cape Point and includes a large portion of the mountain chain of the peninsula, as well as 1 000 square kilometres of coastline and sea.

Find out more about our mountains and forests and how you can explore and enjoy them.

Beaches and oceans
Our beaches provide a retreat from the stresses of the city for locals and a scenic drawcard for the thousands of visitors who flock to our shores each year in search of fun and relaxation. Cape Town’s beaches are amongst the cleanest and most beautiful and well-managed to be found anywhere in the world. Because of this, eight of our beaches have been awarded blue flag status. Read more about our unique coastline.

Tourism
Our tourism industry performs strongly and is one of our major sectors. Cape Town is extremely popular with both local and foreign travellers; we practice responsible tourism and actively encourage visitors and tourism businesses to work together to make Cape Town a sustainable destination. If you would like more information on great spots to visit, why not take a look at the Cape Town Tourism's site. Our Explore and enjoy section on the site will also give you access to all the wonderful environments and activities available in the city.

Comparative cost of living

​​Not only do locals enjoy a great lifestyle in our city but we pay a lot less for it. Based on 2016 data from the Expatistan Cost of Living Index, compared to both local and international standards, Cape Town has a very competitive cost of living.

Visit the Expatisan Cost of Living Index website to see the latest figures.   

Places to live

Cape Town has a terrific mixture of areas to live, from vibrant city-living to quiet, leafy residential suburbs. The city is known for its successful property market. In recent years Cape Town’s property values and sales transactions have exceeded Johannesburg’s and continue to attract international property investors. Why not take some time to explore our neighbourhoods and get close to the people and places which make our city so special.

See our General valuations page, as well as our Buying and selling your property page for more information.

Secondary and tertiary education

Cape Town has a number of government-run and private pre-primary, primary and high schools. The city and surrounds is also home to four public universities, two globally recognised business schools and a number of trustworthy private and public institutions.

The school year generally runs from mid-January or February to November or early December and is divided into three or four terms. Depending on the institution, holidays usually take place in April; between June and August; September; and a longer summer holiday in December. Read more about why Cape Town is a great incubator of knowledge and skills.

Weather and climate

​​Cape Town enjoys a Mediterranean climate and usually experiences warm summers, rainy winters and milder in-between seasons. Summer, December to February, is usually hot and sunny with an average temperature of around 26°C. This is the most popular time to visit Cape Town and tourists and residents usually enjoy about 11 hours of sunshine every day. In Autumn, March to May, temperatures range between 13°C and 20°C. Days start to become cooler, with occasional drizzle and little wind.

Spring, September to November, offers milder weather, with temperatures ranging between 9°C and 24°C.During this season you can enjoy lush, green vegetation, cooler nights and pleasant weather. Winter, June to August, is Cape Town’s rainy season, with an about 12 rainy days per month and an average rainfall of between 82 and 93mm. Temperatures during winter usually range between 7°C and 18°C.