As of late, South African Tourism’s key objective has been to boost domestic tourism, so in partnership with the Universal Music Group (UMG), the campaign #Sho’tLeftwithCassper was born with the aim of taking Nyovest and his friends travelling and exploring all of South Africa’s nine provinces, to experience various tourism activities in a bid to show South Africans that travelling South Africa is easy, fun, accessible and affordable.
Award-winning musician, Khuli Chana also joined the trip as part of Nyovest 'crew'.
I got the chance to join other media in adventuring through the beautiful city of Cape Town with Nyovest.
On day one we explored the Bo-Kaap, situated at the foot of Signal Hill.
Formally known as the Malay Quarter, the Bo-Kaap’s history dates back to 1760, and with a mix of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture, the Bo-Kaap's multi-coloured houses liven up the neighbourhood as much as the residents do.
From spice shops to craft markets, and a museum, the Bo-Kapp has a little of everything for everyone who is seeking a traditional Cape Malay experience in the Mother City.
From here, we headed to the five-star hotel, the Taj Cape Town situated in the 'old city' of the city centre – where we had the pleasure to experience both luxury and sophistication.
Within walking distance to South Africa’s foremost landmarks and attractions, an array of shops, galleries and restaurants, the hotel boasts 176 rooms with iconic views of both Table Mountain and Lions Head. Guests can also enjoy the hotel spar, Jiva Spa.
What was most impressive to me was the Covid-19 protocol that the hotel had in place - one has to sanitise before entering the hotel, and masks are mandatory (as we all well know).
Day two saw us venture into Khayelitsha where we got to experience all that the 'kasi' has to offer.
Our first stop was to Khaltsha Cycles, a one-stop bike shop founded by Sindile Mvundla, Juma Mkela and Divinia Stevens.
As a start-up with a vision of commitment development, the group has partnered with many manufacturers and have created programmes to change the lives of the Khayelitsha community.
We then made our way to Siki’s Koffee Kafe – a quaint little coffee shop that was such a "chill vibe" where anyone can have a good sat surrounded by good conversation.
Founded by Sikelala Dibela, the Koffee Kafe is a social hub that houses coffee beans made of beans from Ethiopia, Kenya and Burundi. From cappuccinos to milkshakes, health smoothies to sweet treats, Siki’s has so much to offer, not only to the township of Khayelitsha, but to those visiting.
I opted for a vanilla milkshake, and I swear to you, it was probably one of the best I’ve ever had.
After our quick 'koffee' break we headed to former Masterchef contestant, Abigail Mbali’s home where Nyovest and Chana went head to head in a cooking demo lead by Mbali.
Once the demo was completed, we visited Mbali’s award-winning restaurant, 4 Roomed Ekasi Culture and Foods where we sat down to a hearty kasi vleis en pap meal.
As a pescatarian-vegetarian, it was lovely to have this option available to me, and as a vegetarian herself, Mbali is mindful of those visiting her restaurant.
Fully fed, we headed off to the V&A Waterfront for a catamaran cruise – this was personally nerve-wracking for me, but once I was out on the deck, calm was restored, just like that of the ocean that was surrounding us.
Once we were back on land, we returned to the hotel, freshened up and off we went on a sidecar ride with Cape Sidecar Adventures through the busy city centre, passing the V&A Waterfront and heading toward Camps Bay where we dined at Paranga Restuarant.
With a cosy and warm welcoming atmosphere, Paranga was indeed a treat worth enjoying.
As mentioned, being a pescatarian-vegetarian, having these options available to me was genuinely something to write home about - from starter to dessert, each meal was truly delicious.
All-in-all, it was a great trip, (I felt safe under our global Covid circumstances) and I'll be sure to check out what else I can get up to in the beautiful city of Cape Town.
Visit Sho't Left to see what you can get up to in our country's beautiful backyard.
Additonal images provided by author.
