My Unfiltered Thoughts On Living In Cape Town As An American
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- These are my unfiltered and unedited thoughts about living in Cape Town as an American. We spent two months living in Cape Town and these are just some of my observations and experiences.
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DISCLAIMER: I only express my opinion based on my experience. Your experience may be different. Links above may include affiliate commission or referrals. I'm part of an affiliate network and I receive compensation from partnering websites. This video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.
Really appreciate all the thoughtful comments from this community. Apologies for my delayed responses (spent the last 21 hours flying). I'll do my best to catch up and answer any questions over the next few days. In the meantime, if you'd like a weekly travel tip and an update from where I am, feel free to follow my newsletter: bit.ly/TheTuesdayTravelTip
You guys should visit the garden route next time. My ex and I visited it in 2022, it's breathtaking
@camdendavid
I appreciate your insight. You're spot on about the media's influence. I recently mentioned to a friend that we should consider moving to India, but he immediately expressed concerns due to the negative media portrayal. While it's true that cities like Bombay and New Delhi have their share of scams and petty theft, it's unfair to generalize the entire country. I lived in India for a year until early this year and had a wonderful experience. Some provinces have remarkably low crime rates, and I'm eager to return. I appreciate your emphasis on value alignment, which resonates with my desire to live in India again. South Africans are generally kind-hearted, and I share your belief that life can be unfair and unpredictable. During my time in India, I met many individuals with impressive master's degrees struggling to find employment, which was heartbreaking to witness. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Regarding Bali, I'm having second thoughts after watching a video about 'Things I wish I knew before going to Bali' and then seeing your video on the same topic. I was considering spending two months there before moving to the Philippines and then Cambodia, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe I will start with Central America, but these videos 😆 🤣 😂 I will watch them and end up not wanting to go. Mumbai was vicious, exactly how the media depicted. My US friends, human waste was pored on them in Mumbai, they were being robbed, held at ransom:"Give your wallets or we pore human waste on you." They refused to give theit wallets 😂😅😊
Cape Town is the most beautiful city in the World, and I have been to many. I live in Manchester, UK (a dump) and I feel more unsafe here than I have ever felt in the 7 times I have visited Cape Town. Why have I been to CT 7 times, because it's the most amazing place I have ever been
It's called Tourism
Try Goa, India . Been there 6times and more vibrant than CT
Glad you enjoy Cape Town as much as I do :)
You can insult manchester all you like but statistics don’t lie. Cape Town is one of the most dangerous places in the world
💯
Been to 11 countries and Cape Town is still the best city I've ever been to! It's crazy when you leave a "world destination" like Paris, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, and you're super excited to go to Cape Town because you know the people, food, drink, sights and sounds are just incredible! Did you notice how everytime your flight is entering Cape Town international airport that other passengers start smiling as soon as they see the mountain and coastline? THAT is the magic of CT!
I'm one of the lucky ones who calls Cape Town home 🏡❤⛰️🌊
As a Cape Town resident I want to thank for your honest opinion.
I mean yeah. It's the "story of our lives" here in SA where tourists and expats come and live like kings with their dollars, pounds and euros while 90% of South Africans don't ever get to see the best this country has to offer unless it's their workplace. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate that you took the time to make this video.
I don't agree 100%, the black middle class is not that small. Unfortunately the government is busy working on destroying the rest of the wealth and opportunities, has nothing to do with the wealthy tourists
Read The History Of Central Banking and the Enslavement of Mankind - Stephan Mitford Goodson
That is why brics is so important for our countries so that we don't have to spend so much of our currency for a dollar or euro if all currency was on a one to one basis then we can also get value for our money when we travel in other countries iso having to settle for less!
@@GretheRosseaux Don't be so negative. It's not attractive.
@@ElaineRidgway I don't want to be attractive.
This guy has an empathetic heart. It's time someone really expresses Cape Town for what it is. Both the good and the bad.
I appreciate that
Cape Town is one of those places that are very hard to describe, you just can't find the words.. humbling is definitely one of them!
So true
scary place
@@Vidplex-hu4tc Scary for you only.
What a wonderful and sensible young man. This is what we actual South Africans (not the constant complainers) have been trying to say. It isn’t perfect but western media sure does blow things out of proportion. I’ve lived 33 years unscathed. I don’t know how else to explain it but I feel safer here than other countries I’ve visited.
I appreciate you sharing this :)
💯
Neither does South African media do South Africa any favours...
As an American who visited for three weeks last year I never felt unsafe. I feel more unsafe in the United States actually. I am actually in the process of moving to Cape Town. I feel you listen to folks about where the areas are to avoid, and to be aware at night. I actually experienced people from all walks of life and found very happy and kind people. I actually had an Uber driver who pulled up to my place and turned off the car for 40 minutes to continue our conversation. People genuinely engage you. Any way, great insight, thanks for sharing.
Completely agree about how genuine the people are and how parts of the US actually feel more unsafe. Hope the process of moving is going well!
Hello, is it as complicated as the US to live in Cape Town for a foreigner ? You have to find a job in the city or they don’t look deeply ? If I have a business in Paris you think they could accept ?
Thank you.
@@jyexe525 There are many different paths to explore i getting a VISA. We are using IBN, an immigration organization who have been extremely helpful in getting us all the information we need, figuring out which VISA is best for our situation and then handholding us through the application process. You do pay for the service, but it is worth it.
@@jyexe525Look into a remote working visa
The Cape is the most beautiful place in the world. I was there from 1999 to 2007. Best years of my life. Great wine too.
100%
💯
And cheap :)
As a capetonian loved this unfiltered video.the huge wealth gap is real..and places that u stay in is just a dream for the majority.
Glad to hear you enjoyed this format. Appreciate you sharing
I am actually humbled by how you acknowledge that wealth disparities exist and you can see how privileged you are - that is humbling to see another person admitting that they are actually humbled by the position, that they become so down to earth!
I appreciate you
Now the EFF and ANC should educated their voters that actually a lot of wealthy people are like this guy but they like to tell their voters that people want them to he poor
Welcome to the beautiful Mother City Cape Town, we are honoured to have you! Im a Capetonian & met a big family(about 20 people) from America at the V&A Waterfront, I spoke to them for 2 hours. Telling them where all the magical places are to visit in Cape Town, as we want you guys to have the full experience! 🤩
Every town that you visit here feels like your in another country, thats why we don’t feel the constant need to travel abroad. As we have so many different experience with a small radius.
If I had to explain it, Cape Town is a vibrant city, with so much energy, happiness, kindness and breathtaking beauty of nature.
I have not done half the touristy stuff here & I’ve lived hete for 25years, there is just so many things to do & see here. And so many places to visit & see.
This place will never get old & is still the most beautiful City in the world 🌍
Well said :)
Very well said!
@@camdendavid you know what we’re gonna do what we did in the US, stealth car camping there next in the Cape
I live in this beautiful city and can say that everything said in this video is true about Cape Town. People are welcoming and love meeting new people.
I was in The Haque for a month(March 2024), I did not see a single tsotsi, car guard, 1 or 2 street crawlers in Rotterdam, perfect on-time public transport, no sesfikiles, no dirt or trash on the streets, only people engrossed in cellphones and you know what, I was so proud to tell I'm from Mossel bay, the cleanest city/town in the world, where the air is clean, clean drinking water, services on-time every time. Come visit Mosselbay, the Garden Route and the Karoo.
I'm a local and I specialise in Immigration to South Africa. While doing that, I am exposed to people like you that struggle to put into words this feeling people have when they here. We call it africanacity. It's the 'despite all we live'. That is what you experiencing with the people here. No matter what we live, we get on with it. We have resilience and this can not be taught it has to be felt. Almost all my clients feel it after 2 months and fall in love. Welcome to our beautiful city and country. Enjoy your visit.
Well said.
What a fascinating line of work. Thanks so much for sharing this :)
👏 well put, sister
@@reganxmas Whaow I don't have words. You said it well. Thank my Sis.
I need an immigration help !
Thank you for visiting our beautiful Mother City Cape Town❤🇿🇦
i live here and it’s the best place in the world! we have travelled the world and so happy to call this home ❤
So glad to hear that :)
Agreed 💯 CT is the best, especially when you've seen that the grass is not greener anywhere else ❤
I have not even finished listening and you seem like a really humble, kind and open minded person
I appreciate the kind words
As a Cape Town native I must say that your take on my city is pretty accurate. And yes, poverty is a major problem. You probably saw all the shacks along the highway near the airport as you travelled to the city. One of the reasons for this (but certainly not the only one) is the huge migration of people from impoverished rural areas hoping to find a better life in the city. But this hope is often not realised, since jobs for relatively unskilled people are limited.
Cape Town's economy is very dependent on the tourism industry, which is a major employment sector. That is why I appreciate your honest assessment. More tourists create more jobs.
Appreciate you sharing this
You didn’t mention the real reason though and deeper issues but I’m not surprised.
enlighten us my dear
You're a humble guy yourself who speaks the truth. Good to listen to a heartfelt take on Cape Town
I appreciate the kind words
I am a local of SA, living in KZN. I think your comments are accurate. Don't wear expensive jewelry on the streets, be careful at night. Poverty is rife and here also there are people who foliage in the bins daily.
It is a beautiful country though and you are blessed to see it. Enjoy your visit!!!
Thank you :)
As a local Capetownian, if you are wondering what to do as a tourist to help with the inequality. PLEASE DO NOT BOOK AN AIRBNB. Most of them are owned by foreigners so none of the income goes into our economy.
Our City is being gentrified by AIRBNB and other factors that are pushing property values up near the City and forcing locals to move out of their homes and further and further away from job opportunities. It is normal for locals to wake up at 4am just to travel to their day job in the City.
Rather book a hotel, it better for local properties and creates way more jobs.
Thank you for this :)
As a Capetonian who has lived in other parts of SA, your observations are spot on. We do live in a bubble that we do not deserve. I, like many locals, just hope and work towards making things better for those who are really battling.
I appreciate you
Yet, if you start thinks about the millions and billions the corrupt government has stolen... If they used that money and actually helped people, not with grants, but jobs and created an environment where businesses can thrive and create more jobs, and take a hard stance on crime and corruption, and stop loading taxes on everything... South Africa has so much to offer and we can turn this country around with the right leadership!
Being a Cape Townian myself, I think you summed it all up well. It's easy to be critical from your perspective, but it seems you have a very good way of looking at it all from a sensible perspective. I'm just glad you enjoyed it and have gained from this experience. Thanks for your honest, kind words.
I appreciate the feedback :)
6 Times since 2003,mainly Sea Point and Camps Bay with friends and holiday appartements and soon more often since my daughter is living at Rondebosch currently. Cant wait to visit again. Heerlijke stad🇳🇱🇿🇦🍷🕊️🙏😍
Baie dankie.
@@ElaineRidgway 🙏Bedankt voor de gastvrijheid!
Probeer Noordhoek, scarborough en kommetjie
@@BluesyPixie85 ✍🏼✅👍🏼
Thank you for your positive thoughts on Cape Town. I'm a local and love it when people enjoy and appreciate this wonderful Town.
Firstly thanks for choosing South Africa, and for starting with a clear acknowledgement of the inequality. As a South African I am happy that you and Sarah clearly enjoyed the visit. The coins, the $ ( foreign currency spending is appreciated). Your spend here helps to keep someone in a job and provides an opportunity amidst the inequality you witnessed, so please stay visiting and explore other parts of the country ( Johannesburg, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu/Natal, and Eastern Cape - Garden Route ). Thanks for your honest review of the location and observation - what I would like to recommend for your next visit is engagements with the locals, hangout and explore with them for the true South African experience - The people are what makes our country great, and Cape Town limits your interactions to tourist's vibes. To stretch the Benjamins - ( note that property owners are charging international rates, and you can definitely get a rental or Air Bnb that is affordable perhaps around Blouberg Strand area) - similarly to London & NY the locals are being priced out of the property & you will note that in US airbnb quotas are being introduced by some federal states. Thanks for sharing and that 'Scientology experience 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣' - Gob bless you brother - ( Sarah & David - are /were anointed).
Appreciate the feedback and the recommendations. Looking forward to returning in the future and learning more (hopefully no more scientology haha)
I've only been to eleven countries and have met a hundred more nationals and I can say without a doubt that it's the beautiful people of SA that makes this country worth living in 🇿🇦❤
The Scientology experience was weird to hear about! I wonder which beach that was (Camps Bay?) I have lived in Cape Town all my life and never experienced that. Tom Cruise has made a couple of movies here. Maybe he brought some friends😄
He´s totally right.
Just a little tip... Leave your phone, wallet etc in the AIRBNB and just take a couple of bucks with you, and you´ll feel totally safe.
yes, you can´t take pics, but you can enjoy the most wonderful sunsets without having any safety concerns. And hey, if a poor man asks you if you do have some bucks with you, just give him some Rands and you gonna be fine.
Thanks for your advise, but could you also help on understanding then how to get back home without a phone for uber?
I have been there so I understand what you are saying. Cape Town - top recommendation! At least once in your live time.
Without a doubt!
I love this place so much not only for its natural beauty and cultural diversity but most importantly for community. This is something that is barely mentioned when visitors articulate their experience...community.. community.. this is where we found peace under oppression. I am a descendant of natives and slaves that was brought to the Cape of Good Hope centuries ago and my Cape Town community is everything. Thanks for the great video and you hit the spot when you say that its very humbling living here.
Really appreciate you sharing this
I'm curious. Which slaves were brought to Cape Town? and what were their jobs? Interested in learning more
@@SirVivingI'd like to know as well.
Slavery was outlawed in the Cape in 1833. For the rest, I agree.
I’m an ex Brit brought here by my British Mother & South African Father in 1982. Cape Town as a single Woman has been my home for over 30 years. The Mother City is an incredible place & I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Thank you for your great video. See you in Cape Town again soon hopefully♥️🇿🇦
Much love :)
Having common sense, being aware and doing your research about areas to avoid is the best advice you can give to stay safe. If you follow then that this is the best place in the world to travel and tourism helps the country a lot :) great video!
I'm blessed to be born and bred Capetonian. Always warms my heart to see other people enjoy it as much as me ❤ Its no more unsafe than any other Western country, and I have lived in England, where I faced more danger than in SA.
I watched your video just to listen to the ocean sounds that made my heart skip a beat everytime I went to go visit and also the sound of people enjoying their time at the beach. I agree with everything you say. Much love, A South African living in Maryland
Sending love back your way :)
I'm a Capetonian and I love & appreciate your unfiltered thoughts. I love how you equivocate & try to maintain a fair, balanced perspective. Your privilege is obviously not an obstacle to being a Conscious Traveller. I guess what makes Cape Town (& SA, at large) such a surreal experience is that thought its not dissimilar to places "worse off" socially & economically (like India or Malawi), it's the expectation that one is set up, that creates the shock effect: one expects a Western country & culture, but then find it simultaneously so authentic & different from what would be considered "western". I think it's the melting pot this country has always been (since its founding) & the adaptability of its people to survive and thrive that inspires that humility you refer to multiple times in your rant. This society, this country, its conflict & its attempts to heal force the outsider to critically evaluate his own views of what appears self-evident & "normal" in their own upbringing & lived experience. Thank you, for being open to the self-examination our beautiful, beleaguered city has confronted you with!
Thanks for the thoughtful response. Much love
Best description of Cape Town I’ve heard so far …. humbled ❤
As a Capetonian, I never felt unsafe and I lived and walked in areas classified as unsafe. Yes, be cautious, be aware of your surroundings but don't let fear limit you from visiting this beautiful city. As a traveler and someone that lived in the UK, the city is soooo beautiful. Nothing can compare to this and the endless discoveries of nature and sites you can visit. It has so much to do. Yes, the poverty stares us in the face and most of the amazing Capetonians try to give back in some form of charity if they come across it. They can't alleviate all of it but they try their best. Capetonians are friendly and hospitable. Loadshedding is a problem but people are improvising.
Your comments are spot on. I am a Capetonian and about a 9th generation white South African (ancestors came here in 1688). I love my country but it exhausts me. There is not a day, or maybe an hour, that I don't think abut my white privilege and other people's lack thereof. Westerners (and I don't always feel like one, being a strange sort of African hybrid) have no idea what it means to be someone from the global South. It's beautiful, it's in the blood and it's a matter of pride. It's to be the other, the exiled, the one that must stand at the back of the line, it's to be so disappointed and devastated by our political leadership but it's also to be so aware of the selfishness and hypocrisy of so much the West does. Glad you experienced the complexity and blessings of our country with such clarity and depth of understanding.
Thanks for taking the time to share this. I appreciate you
Dis die perfekte manier om dit te beskryf
Beautiful comment sister 👏 Hugs from Cape Town
It is going to get worse. The U S and z io ni s ts are trying to st'eal the Western Cape province of South Africa and turn it into a 2nd tel Aviv and military base. There's also oil and gas in this area, as well as an important port. Foreign 'z'ion'ists are flocking to buy up prime property in Cape Town, which the DA political party has been underhandedly selling to them, being a z-io'ni'st party, funded by the U S and Z io ni s ts. The world is aware of this, so u must be too😢. Regime change us going to cause Civil War and foreign invasion of your country...the last part has already started ages ago, now it's just U S military invasion. They've already started with the I S I S threats and sending their US-trained Afghan and other me'rc'ena'ries to stay in Cape Town. U already have IOF reservists too. May u be safe and may u not lose this province.
It is going to get worse. The U S and z io ni s ts are trying to st'eal the Western Cape province of South Africa and turn it into a 2nd tel Aviv and mi"lit"ary base. There's also oil and gas in this area, as well as an important port. Foreign 'z'ion'ists' are flocking to buy up prime property in Cape Town, which the DA political party has been underhandedly selling to them, being a "z-io'ni'st party, funded by the U S and Z io ni s ts. The world is aware of this, so u must be too😢. Regi"me cha"nge us going to cause Civil Wa"r and fore"ign inva"sion of your country...the last part has already started ages ago, now it's just U S military invasion. They've already started with the I S I S threats and sending their US-trained Afghan me'rc'ena'ries to stay in Cape Town.
Thank you for being so honest and thoughtful.
I appreciate that
The informal settlement problem and widespread poverty mostly come from unregulated mass migration, especially from the Eastern Cape. Despite the highly competent DA local government's efforts, they struggle to cope with the situation given the sheer volume. Meanwhile, the ANC national government seems to have given up on addressing this issue.
Thousands migrate to Cape Town Cape Town loosing it's Cultural heritage the Shackdwellers are a huge new development 90%feim the Eastern Cape the Eastern Cape is empty no peak hr traffic empty malls empty factories it's just unbelievable Port Elizabeth is now called a 10min city
Look at Cap Town it's surrounded by Shack towns and yet this very same meeting grants voted ANC and EFF that destroyed their Province it's just unbelievable
@@HiltonLayman Exactly
Ehhhhh I’m not an ANC voter but let’s not pretend the DA is incredible. They’ve been quite useless addressing the cape flats and townships lile Khayalitsha. And I’m nervous to see how their blind support of Zionist occupation will affect their voter base. They’ve been good at some things. Their anti-xenophobia position does appeal to me as a half Zimbabwean. But completely ignoring 30 000 people murdered by Israel is a bonkers move considering South Africa’s history, and just makes them look even more like white nationalism 2.0
@@HiltonLayman yeah now they want to come here and ruin our town as well...they moving for jobs but they don't have the skills to do the jobs anyway. SA has moved towards more services jobs that are being created and unskilled or low skilled labor is not enough to secure these jobs. I don't know why they still voting ANC...with all the corruption we see people are seriously making themselves blind
And that’s why it will never get solved.. self interest and stupidity.
Please tell me which country regulates internal migration? Oh right it doesn’t.. constitutional issues. also by that same token, most wealthy in Wc need bugger off because they are also local immigrants(not born here in Cpt). Didn’t see that did yah?
Reality is that every country has economic hubs that attract people and the local municipalities have to handle it. Post 94 there was massive influx to all cities as regulations that segregated country was no more.
My point is simple.. you can’t plead competence when the party is failing on a local core competency issue. Perhaps it’s best you move abroad as you clearly want to live in the past.
As a Capetonian this is pretty spot on! Good stuff. Cape Town is awesome. Some good guidelines in here.
Much appreciated!
As a Cape Town local, this was fascinating to watch.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for your thoughts Camden. I'm South African and live about 25 min drive from Cape Town. I absolutely love Cape Town. Used to work in Cape Town too. Used to love looking at Table Mountain from my workplace! Keep well.
Much appreciated!
Thanks for visiting and your beautiful review - always welcome!
Camden lovely humbling perspective, I am a born and bread Capetonian and moved to the UK a year ago. Living here I am reminded daily of so many things I miss. Going back on holiday is a reminder of what a special place my birthplace is. Love your blog and keep on exploring.
I appreciate this :) How are liking the UK?
Hadedas represent!
Hahahhahaha
Frikkin Hadedad 🐦 lol
Ever present.
My wife is from CT I've been several month there, we live in Italy. How to describe it? i really don't know but your review is honest and accurate. The beauty that surround you, your life stile, basically european/usa and then every moment you get a slap in the face from the poverty that is around you. Before covid kindness and happines was everywhere after i have to say I noticed a change a it less smile in the supermaket but everytime you stop and talk to people, the Uber, the man selling things on the beach parking guy, waiter, always nice guy. Load shedding is another reality check of what we always give it for guaranted. Do I love CT? Yes! do i recomand going? Yes!
Well said :)
I like what u said: yep , we know nothing!! We think we know it all 😊sooo much to learn to understand and to appreciate and be grateful for 🙏🙏live in the moment and just be happy 🙌
100%
Thank you for your honest opinion. I was born here and confirm disparity is very obvious. Thank you for advising visitors on how to be safer. Appreciate it. Love the conversation in comments. Crime and disparity is global and please be careful wherever you travel. Safe exploring everyone. Make a difference where you can❤ and enjoy🎉
Much love
@camdendavid Love and Blessings from Cape Town Bro🎉❤ Probably one of the Best communicated videos I have seen on an experience in Cape Town and enjoyed every moment of it, Welcome Back anytime Champ 🏆🇿🇦🙌
I appreciate the kind words and support. Looking forward to many visits in the future :)
You are so emotionally attached dude 😅😂❤️ I feel like you wish you could do more but are unable! Don't worry, that feeling will dissipate as times goes by. There are some things that you can change, and there are those that are just beyond your control
Much love
I live in Durban, South Africa, you expressed living in SA accurately. The gap between rich and poor is terrible and something I have had to go through myself. I have been to the States twice and the opportunities that exist there for work is so much more than here. South Africa has the best weather and nature but unfortunately so many issues that I feel out way the positives.
Appreciate you sharing. I hope SA will find a better balance
10/10, wow I'm really impressed at the depth of understanding of this place that you've managed to get in really quite a short amount of time. I love this place and it breaks my heart. It's very easy to visit Cape Town as a tourist and only experience the curated version. Even as a local (especially as a local?) that bubble is very insulating, I find that everyone that has the privilege to be able to, ends up building a mental filter where you just edit out the confronting bits. For the last 8 years or so I've been living in an outlying area away from the city that (locally) doesn't have the huge levels of poverty that is a reality nearly everywhere else, and I've lost that filter. It's really difficult to go back into the city now that I see the people begging at every traffic intersection as people and I have no way to respond that squares with my values, it's heartbreaking. I think if anyone wants to understand more about privilege, come to Cape Town with open eyes, something you've clearly nailed.
I appreciate the kind words and thoughtful response. Much love
Cape Town is the best place to live....don't ever want to go back to Ireland.
I can relate to that
The pound means you can buy property in CT what can only dream of in SA.
That feeling is contagious seamus, I also am considering moving down with my wife who is from CT.
what a beautiful and fair perspective, very appreciated and I can tell Cape town has had an impact on you
much love :)
Ive was in Cape Town in 2011, things have gotten extremely expensive since our Rands value has lowered. I do love watching an outside perspective on the beauty of our country. Its inspiring and heartwarming to say the least.
This year manifesting a luxurious trip to the Mother City, come what may and next year to join my mother in Atlanta, Georgia. Visas are also pricy excluded the costs of flights.
Saving up could take a lifetime but Im optimistic this year. There is no use in focusing on the negative side of things all the time.
Life is short. Dream big.
I believe in you!!!
Loved what you said. Our beautiful country is transforming. There are no dull days. The disparity between wealth and poverty is something I have never become accustomed to. Cape Town is stunning and is quite different to the rest of the country. Glad you managed to avoid load shedding it can be quite stressful when it goes of there or four times a day! Sadly I had to leave my beloved South Africa, I am from Ballito near Durban, as I could not work I am disabled at 54 and had to move to UK. Dull, drab and miserable weather!! But I am blessed to have a roof over my head and doctors taking care of me. I love the Cape Coloureds they are such good people. For me I have a white skin and a black heart. I miss Africa so much having been born in Kenya and lived in South Africa. It NEVER leaves you and people overseas don’t understand the connection and bond I have to my country. Would you ever move to Cape Town if you could?
I am very disappointed and surprised host did not address your question to him. Lack of courtesy seems quite uncharacteristic for him. He is usually unfailingly respectful and sensitive to questions/ comments. Perhaps he was in route elsewhere and your inquiry eluded him.
So nice to hear your experience. I love my home Cape Town and wouldn't leave it. Been robbed many times as a kid yet I still don't feel unsafe. Still exploring so many parts of this beautiful city. Hope you guys visit again.
We certainly will 😄
Beautiful and insightful way of seeing Cape Town/SA. Very real.
Much love
I’m South African and now live in Canada. I travel back every year because nothing speaks to my soul like SA does. I love CT SO much!!I want to start going back for the Canadian winters.
Being from the Cape Flats but also having been to different parts of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula as a whole, I agree that there is a lot of beauty to take in. Each part feels so distinct from the next and that diversity is what makes Cape Town and South Africa as a whole beautiful.
I'm going to be honest, I have little sympathy for people who live in poverty. So many people where I'm from and the city over, are content with living the way they do. Kids don't go to school (if there even is a school to go to) and have kids of their own from as young as 12/13 years old, their parents don't seek employment and are always in line at soup kitchens/churches/mosques/etc and the overall ethos of the communities is to blame someone else. Of course, the government is garbage and doesn't do much for the people, but they've given up on themselves a long time ago. Can't be helped.
Lived in Cape Town from 89 till end last year and never felt unsafe. Now living up the west coast and it's awesome.
I'm American and live in Port Elizabeth (Gqberha). I agree this ENTIRE country is absolutely stunning (not just CPT). It breaks my heart that this country doesn't reach its fullest potential.
Love the hadeeda in the background😂 that bird is so damn annoying but classic south Africa. Hahaha
I live in Cape Town. Thank you for your eloquent review. We love it too.
Much love :)
The Video:
Wanting to help.
You may help, yes. On returning home, and doing something, for the homeless in your own country; by not turning, a blind eye.
May the angels always protect you.
A very accurate description of our beloved city Cape Town. It's just a pity that our government does so little to improve the lives of the poor people . In stead of spending money for the absolutely necessary things , they take the money to enrich themselves and their compatriots . The corruption is sky- high , while schools , universities , municipalities are going down and they can't deliver anymore . However living in Cape Town is still só much better than the rest of the country where there are not even decent roads to drive on. Everything taken into account , I do not want to live in countries like America and England.....they are fast losing all their values and common sense. So we are still grateful to be South Africans.
As a South African that loves Africa, I experience Cape town, although very beautiful, as too European and there are too many people. Rural Mozambique is my go to holiday destination.
I’m Australian and have been to RSA four times now and we’re going back next year. The South African ppl are lovely, friendly and incredibly polite. I think your comments are spot on. The upcoming election is incredibly important. Can you tell me where your Airbnb is and if possible, share the listing? Many thanks for your videos!
Sure thing! The Airbnb was in Clifton and I'll have an Airbnb video coming out this Friday. Here's the listing: bit.ly/3y9OUSV
Why are the elections importantto u, a foreigner? The U S and z io ni s ts are trying to steal the Western Cape province of South Africa and turn it into a 2nd tel Aviv and military base. There's also oil and gas in this area, as well as an important port. Foreign zionists are flocking to buy up prime property in Cape Town, which the DA political party has been underhandedly selling to them, being a z-io'ni'st party, funded by the U S and Z io ni s ts. The world is aware of this, so u must be too.....
Why are the elections important to u, a foreigner? The U S and z io ni s ts are trying to steal the Western Cape province of South Africa and turn it into a 2nd tel Aviv and set up a military base. There's also oil and gas in this area, as well as an important port. Foreign zi'oni'sts are flocking to buy up prime property in Cape Town, which the DA political party has been underhandedly selling to them, being a z-io'ni'st party, funded by the U S and Z io ni s ts. The world is aware of this, so u must be too.....
Enjoyed this fair rendition of CT - unique city of cosmopolitan and diverse cultures. Her beauty exceeds herself in so many ways but she has the sting of poverty and crime in her tail. Agree that common sense is required to know where and when to be in certain areas, but many of us are still here, alive and well.
Beautiful human❤ Thank you for your raw and honest view on our mother ciry ❤
Much love
Thank you for your unfiltered and considered thoughts. I am the child of immigrant parents who moved to South Africa from Australia and the UK. I have lived in South Africa for 30+ years, in many South African towns and cities, and now live in Cape Town. And to me, it is the most exquisite place in the world. South Africa is indeed a humbling country to live in. Some of the most poverty-stricken people I know are the happiest I have ever encountered. Yes, there is crime, but not as much random crime as there's made out to be. Homeless people are hungry, not violent. I encourage everyone to come and visit this beautiful country. Bring your dollars and euros and help us create jobs. Experience our extraordinary culture and be filled with the joy and warmth of the people. You will forever be changed.
Hi Camden thanks for the video, nice to get your perspective. As a capetonian nice to here your thoughts.
Would be interesting if you could list what you have gone to see in Cape Town, Generally foreign tourists stick to Southern Suburbs, but hope you had a chance to see the Garden Route, maybe the Wine countries of Stellenbosch, Durbanville and even in the Karoo.
Inequality issues are massive and cannot be justified, however please note the rest of SA looks drastically different, however all South Africans are amazing people. Our cultures are massively diverse. You can experience many worlds in one in South Africa.
Thank you again for the video, nice to see foreigners can appreciate what we have.
I have soooo much more to explore still. Haven't made it out to the Garden Route or Karoo spent time in the others you mentioned. Made a mistake and didn't rent a car during my first visit. Can't wait to explore more in the future. Thanks for sharing :)
You’re so right, the feeling that something might happen is always close to mind but the reality is lower
Give me one country /city in the world where there is no poverty or homelessness, even there in your precious America there is poverty though yours is categorized as 1st world, SA is not but 3rd world according to your categories.
True homelessness in big Cities is to an extreme. Being on the street is worse than being in a shack in S.A. The homelessness in San Francisco streets is severe. Drugs, Rats, makeshift tents you name it all.
A sad reality
Absolutely loving your insight on my mother city. ❤
Much love :)
Loved this honest take on our country. Hope you had a chance to experience the Winelands areas around Cape Town like Stellenbosch, Franschoek (wine tram to various farms) and Somerset West (especially Vergelegen wine estate and Lourensford). ❤
I sure did! Thanks for watching :)
Great video Camden. South Africa has one of the highest gini coefficients in the world, that is, it is one of the most unequal countries in the world. As you have pointed out, the wealth disparities are evident. A lot of this has to do with both historical context and current dynamics. We currently live in a contemporary, post colonial South African society which is still haunted by its past and further compounded by current social factors such as poverty, corruption etc. South Africa does have a long way, towards a cohesive and integrated society. But it is a beautiful nation, with some of the greatest people who despite their adversity still have a reason to smile. I am glad you enjoyed your experiences here and that Cape Town has given you so much to reflect on. ❤
much love :)
So good to hear your perspective. But theres more beauty ... get in the car and explore the cederberg... night skies ... ❤
I'll add it to my list :)
Glad you enjoyed our little piece of heaven and thanks for the fair analysis. Just had an interesting thought that when we and world tourists travel to Europe and US we don't get to learn or interested in the politics of a country when they visiit, we just enjoy the country and go back home. However 1st thing SA tourists learn when they arrive is politics, and safety hmmm, wonder from whom🤔 Paris, New York, London as an example have a lot of crime, riots, homelessness but aeroplanes are packed with tourists visiting, not deterred and only post videos about beautiful trendy spots but when they visit Africa, only record, interested and post poverty porn
Come to San Francisco,NYC ,LA Chicago , Detroit , Philadelphia and you will see the same thing. Good ole USA
Unfortunately so
Wow................. interesting take on the whole experience............ been living in Cape Town for 55 years, born and raised here.
I am a Joburger now living in Capetown. I wish I had foreign currency to actually enjoy it without freaking out about electricity and water cost, not to mention the accommodation itself. It is a very beautiful place!
I am a local Capetion , thank you for your beautiful description of my home and the people living here. You have a very good grasp of South African politics. We do unfortunately have a lot of homeless people inspite of Cape Town having a wonderful homeless shelters and rehabilitation centres, however, most of them are drug addicts and will have sobor to get into them, we do ask not give money to someone asking as our city is working very hard to clean up our streets.... Common sense will get you far in Cape Town, pls do research about the area you are going into and pls join a group of you want to go for a hike 😊
Born and bred here, a Capetonian through and through, I could not live anywhere else. Thank you for your comments.
Much love :)
You've got to visit the wild coast, coffee bay and the whose eastern cape coast is magnificent
Looking forward to it :)
I second that!!! Wild Coast is a must.
Gorgeous view! What neighborhood is that apartment in? BTW, much prefer this unscripted flow of information to those “The DONT’S of X” videos
I think it’s Camps Bay
Appreciate the feedback on the video format. I'll try to make on like this for each destination. And this is over in Clifton. I'll have a video on Friday showing what it was like living in this Airbnb :)
Hi, I live in Cape Town. I grew up in Durban and I work here at a large retailer. Thank you for your unbiased opinion. I think Cape Town is a wonderful place with wonderful people and there is sooo much to experience and enjoy. Try the hot springs in a town called Montagu. Dine at the Blu Vines District restaurant and enjoy the relaxation.
I'll add those to my list! Thanks :)
Foreigners buying property has exploded prices so locals suffering hugely !!!!!!!!!😢😢😢
In areas where those expelled by Group Areas are still awaiting compensation, let alone right of return, like Simonstown.
As a Capetonean you make me proud to be part of this,we are surrounded by beauty and by many, many beautiful people from all cultures and walks of life, all I can say is with few exceptions people have ❤ here and huge respect for the elderly. A friend of mine had five burglars in her home just outside Cape Town they kept telling her she won't be harmed while they were taking whatever they could carry. When she saw them taking a handbag of hers with her passport she pleaded for them to leave the passport, after they left she found it on one of the windowsills. Poverty is extreme hence the reputation of crime. Most folk who come to the Cape on holiday want to come back. We love our visitors
I appreciate you sharing :)
Your honesty is very necessary for people abroad and South Africans.
The poverty in Cape Town is really the challenge throughout South Africa and it is sad. People who live in this extreme environment are faced with real danger against gangs etc. The Cape Flats is the result of Apartheid. It was the 'perfect' model for crony capitalist who thrived off cheap labour. Corporations grew very wealthy off the Capetonian labour. Particularly Textile industries and Food production. Today it is easy to accuse the new people of corruption but truth be told corruption never ended. The former regime was more corrupt.
I was born in Cape Town and left in my teens. Moved to Johannesburg. I returned after lockdown. Capetonians were robbed off prime land and left clustered in densely populated suburbs and so it is taxing on the people. So while Cape is a beautiful place, there is a lot of it that goes unsaid about the good people who were subjected to these challenges and! The newer generations. Home prices are not regulated so that the youth can benefit in all suburbs. It is only for a wealthy class or the foreign buyers. That is corruption and no one talks about it. Why should South African people continue being at loss? Is my question. It's wrong.
Appreciate you taking the time to share all this
@@erniegouws7262Apartheid was a contributed to the disadvantages people continue to experience today. We all know Apartheid was an economic crime against the majority South Africans and robbed them off many things. So if you think any government can heal a society in less than thirty years after , you're ignorant and pathetically indoctrinated. As for your hubris on 'Lord' I do not care. All Lords are found in Hell. Just look at the UK Parliament and your historical nefarious 'saviors' like Lord Somerset.
Just recently spent a week in Cape Town, hate it was winter time but its was still beautiful there. I had a excellent time met some nice people, I will be returning Jan,2025. So much to see and do.
2024 Winter was the wettest in my 71 years.Winter can be nice though,cool but not cold, warm but not hot,and no South Easter wind!!
Yeah, this winter was fierce. Often it's really nice, but this year, not so much.
Hi Camden. I'm a local here in Cape Town. Having grown up in RSA - we definitely have a unique idea of "safety", but I would definitely say that it should not be a reason to avoid visiting Cape Town. Cape Town is definitely an honourable mention for some of the most beautiful places in the world - and the people are amazing. South Africa unfortunately has a dying economy - making it a very difficulty decision for young professionals to invest their lives here. Hey - if you or your subs ever have some question I'm more than willing to have a chat with you to answer some of them.
Really appreciate that! And you're right -- a must visit from my perspective
I’m British but have lived in South Africa for many, many years & it’s the most beautiful country, yes there is awful poverty but I have watched so many programs on America with masses of people living in tents on major cities, it’s a world wide thing, go to India, South America & lots of other countries. The crime is a major thing in this country, if you live here you know exactly places you shouldn’t go to
Cape Town is bi-polar. The bad is really bad. The good is really good. The shantytowns are all over the place even around the rich areas. You have to be mindful of crime all of the time in South Africa.
I live in Somerset West which is part of the City of Cape Town. I think every city has its pockets of unsafe areas, and yes, you need to do your research.
Besides that I have never felt unsafe where we live. I love the mountains, the ocean, the wine farms and all the wonderful places we can visit.
The safety thing is just a practical matter for a first time traveller. If you come from somewhere very safe (like Germany, for instance) you might not be alert enough to be as safe as you could be. For instance, on the road wherever you stop is a potential hijack spot (especially at your own front gate), so you need to pay attention there. In Canada you might be able to just drive in with your mind somewhere else as you go, but here you need to look to see if there are people hanging around the area, or cars that seem to be following you - deliberately at first, and then ultimately by habit. If there's something about what you see that makes you uncomfortable, and you're in Australia, you could probably tell yourself "not to be a paranoid idiot" or something; here, be ready to keep on driving when you get home. There are little adjustments you need to make to your life that your circumstances might not prepare you to be aware of.
I think maybe the US is a bit different as far as the crime danger goes, and the need to try to have "street smarts" about it - or something like that? I can remember my dad went to New York on business, once, long, long ago, and was shocked at how many locks there were on his hotel door. They told him to take care if he went out at night - roughly the kind of advice a concerned South African might feel the impulse to give someone who looks like there are too many stars in his eyes. And at that time we were like, say, the Germans (who have been better at keeping crime at manageable levels for longer than either the US or South Africa have). We never locked the front door, that I know of. Maybe at night, but in the day it was often just wide open. If you visited friends as a kid, you walked to their place, you walked in, and if they weren't there you might even make yourself comfortable, make a cup of tea, and wait for them. So I've heard of a version of the USA where you need to keep your wits about you when you're in certain places, just like you need to in Cape Town.
I am a South African born and bred. I hope other South Africans who live here can have the same words as you here in S.A.
The ratio per population and crime commited put us high rate but Chicago as you say it is high crime rate but per 300 more milion people in USA it is low crime.
I hope we can introspect ourselves and take what you say. Its true and unfiltered. Thank you.
I appreciate you
Have lived in Cape Town most of my life and have been safe, except for 25 years ago when someone tried to break into my ground-floor apartment! Just be alert, know where it's not that safe to go - and enjoy!
Hi Camden, has anyone told you that you look like Christian Bale? You definitely could be related 😂Your assessment of Capetown is on the money, no pun intended. You seem like a good dude and for the mere fact that you can clearly see the wealth gap in SA between the have and have nots and feel bad about it is a good sign...there are people from privileged positions regardless of race in SA and all over the world that consciously ignore, are indifferent and look down on poverty-stricken people. As a Black South African what shocks and really "humbles" me is why there hasn't been a civil uprising and a civil war in South Africa by now with the way wealth and privilege is shoved in the faces of the poor majority of South Africans. Iam a capitalist but I do believe capitalist greed is a cancer that will bring SA down, it will bring Europe down and it will bring America down. I really hope we can find a solution to the wealth gap in SA before it's too late. I believe your heart is in the right place but this is when you need to use your mind. Nobody wants charity, its humiliating and degrading, so instead of giving what you can to people begging in the street, be intentional about finding and supporting Coloured and Black owned businesses, especially Coloured and Black female owned small or medium sized businesses.
If you can't find these businesses for whatever reason because they are out there, then the next best thing is to support White female owned small and medium sized business that 'mainly' hire local South Africans, operative word being 'mainly' hire South Africans and not ONLY hire South Africans before some twat calls me xenophobic even though most reasonable and sober minded South Africans realise that SA has a serious illegal immigrant problem that's also a ticking TB. The main reason I say you should intentionally try support businesses in SA that hire more locals than illegal immigrants e.g. restaurants and hospitality industry, is exactly because of what you said on your video, most illegal immigrants that work in SA send money back to their respective countries to support their families, which they should but the problem is that they're not paying their fair share of taxes which takes money out of South Africa that should going into developing South Africa.
When you support small or medium sized business in SA that are Coloured or Black owned or support business that mainly hire South Africans then you are directly playing your part in stimulating and growing the South African economy. More importantly, you are decreasing the size of the wealth gap in South Africa so that with all the amazing things SA have to offer, we aren't yet again declared as the most unequal society in the world and once again, left eating that ever so delicious 'humble' pie.
Nonetheless, have an awesome time and enjoy beautiful and amazing Mzansi Afrika!
Really appreciate you sharing all this. And wow, Christian Bale?!? I'll take that any day hahaha
Time to give Joburg a month or 2! With your budget it'll be padel, golfing, the odd weekend safari, weekend visits to Clarens and exploring the Berg. I was born in CT, but bred in the North and you have to experience both to fully understand South Africa.