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Some people claim Cape Town is an unfriendly city. Recently, Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, was interviewed on SAFM about Cape Town as a World Cup host city. Towards the end a caller came on the line saying how unfriendly Cape Town is. Gilfellan conceded that the caller was making a valid point but said the topic needed to be debated further.
So let's debate it here. Is Cape Town friendly or unfriendly; is it different to other cities?
So let's debate it here. Is Cape Town friendly or unfriendly; is it different to other cities?
Calvyn Gilfellan emailed us the following to illustrate the perception that some have: (The source was not provided.)
Soweto’s warmth leaves cold Cape Town in the shade
MNINAWA NTLOKO PUBLISHED: 2010/05/26 07:54:40 AM
AS THE Bulls continue to be lauded for their decision to take the Super 14 semifinal to Orlando at the weekend, it is almost easy to forget that there is a foreign country under a mountain that has no time for such gestures.
Cape Town, ladies and gentlemen, is such a cold and unwelcoming place that I always instinctively reach for my passport whenever I have to go there.
It’s no wonder then that while the Bulls supporters frolicked in Soweto and lovingly guzzled down large numbers of 750ml beer bottles with the locals the very first time the township hosted a rugby match, Newlands has never been that welcoming in all the years it has hosted soccer matches.
Cape Town folk who love their soccer tell us that they usually have to psych themselves up whenever they have to go to Newlands because they are not welcome.
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates supporters — the teams that have the most support in the Mother City — always maintain that they put up with the nonsense only because they know that the two teams visit only once a year.
How crazy is it that Ajax Cape Town — who often use the venue for the bigger matches — have had to endure ridiculous demands from the stadium over the years each time they have hosted games at the rugby venue?
A well-placed insider told us that they were astonished when they were told by the stadium to ensure that their supporters blow their vuvuzelas at acceptable noise levels when they cheer goals. They were told to tell their fans not to make too much noise when they celebrate goals. It boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
Apparently the people of Newlands do not appreciate the unacceptable noise levels that come with the unkempt fans when soccer is played at their stadium.
Hell, we have been told that the police are usually called to encourage the soccer crowd to leave the suburb as soon as games have been completed.
Should they drag their feet and vacate the plush suburb after the one-hour deadline, the police are allowed to have their way with them.
In case you are wondering what the charge is, we were told that it is trespassing! Geez!
Incredibly, there are no such problems when the suburb hosts rugby matches.
The rugby crowds are encouraged to have impromptu braais outside the stadium and local residents have been known to join in the festivities.
These impulsive braais apparently last well into the night and I imagine Kumbaya is the song of choice around these homely fires.
This is the same mob that bolts windows and padlocks gates when the soccer hooligans are in town! Ahh Newlands, folks, Newlands.
It is rubbish like this that makes me have a greater appreciation of the unpredictable jungle that is Johannesburg.
It might have spectacular scenery and magnificent natural beauty, but all of that means diddly squat to me if Cape Town is about as welcoming as the furnaces of hell.
Hell, there have been times when I thought that perhaps I had been unfair to the bloody place and have actually given it another chance.
But only a few hours after stepping into what for some reason always feels like a foreign country, I have always ended up thinking that I must have had a screw loose to think that Cape Town could ever change.
I’m certainly not exaggerating when I say that the high walls, the crime, the fast pace and all the other things that make Johannesburg such a tough city suddenly feel trivial after a visit to Cape Town.
Let’s face it, they would never in a million years open their arms and welcome other cultures in Newlands as the people of Soweto so effortlessly did the other day. It is simply not in their nature.
And you wonder why it was so easy for the South African Football Association to award the Bafana Bafana friendly against Colombia to Soccer City after initially announcing Green Point as the venue at the beginning of the month.
Soweto’s warmth leaves cold Cape Town in the shade
MNINAWA NTLOKO PUBLISHED: 2010/05/26 07:54:40 AM
AS THE Bulls continue to be lauded for their decision to take the Super 14 semifinal to Orlando at the weekend, it is almost easy to forget that there is a foreign country under a mountain that has no time for such gestures.
Cape Town, ladies and gentlemen, is such a cold and unwelcoming place that I always instinctively reach for my passport whenever I have to go there.
It’s no wonder then that while the Bulls supporters frolicked in Soweto and lovingly guzzled down large numbers of 750ml beer bottles with the locals the very first time the township hosted a rugby match, Newlands has never been that welcoming in all the years it has hosted soccer matches.
Cape Town folk who love their soccer tell us that they usually have to psych themselves up whenever they have to go to Newlands because they are not welcome.
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates supporters — the teams that have the most support in the Mother City — always maintain that they put up with the nonsense only because they know that the two teams visit only once a year.
How crazy is it that Ajax Cape Town — who often use the venue for the bigger matches — have had to endure ridiculous demands from the stadium over the years each time they have hosted games at the rugby venue?
A well-placed insider told us that they were astonished when they were told by the stadium to ensure that their supporters blow their vuvuzelas at acceptable noise levels when they cheer goals. They were told to tell their fans not to make too much noise when they celebrate goals. It boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
Apparently the people of Newlands do not appreciate the unacceptable noise levels that come with the unkempt fans when soccer is played at their stadium.
Hell, we have been told that the police are usually called to encourage the soccer crowd to leave the suburb as soon as games have been completed.
Should they drag their feet and vacate the plush suburb after the one-hour deadline, the police are allowed to have their way with them.
In case you are wondering what the charge is, we were told that it is trespassing! Geez!
Incredibly, there are no such problems when the suburb hosts rugby matches.
The rugby crowds are encouraged to have impromptu braais outside the stadium and local residents have been known to join in the festivities.
These impulsive braais apparently last well into the night and I imagine Kumbaya is the song of choice around these homely fires.
This is the same mob that bolts windows and padlocks gates when the soccer hooligans are in town! Ahh Newlands, folks, Newlands.
It is rubbish like this that makes me have a greater appreciation of the unpredictable jungle that is Johannesburg.
It might have spectacular scenery and magnificent natural beauty, but all of that means diddly squat to me if Cape Town is about as welcoming as the furnaces of hell.
Hell, there have been times when I thought that perhaps I had been unfair to the bloody place and have actually given it another chance.
But only a few hours after stepping into what for some reason always feels like a foreign country, I have always ended up thinking that I must have had a screw loose to think that Cape Town could ever change.
I’m certainly not exaggerating when I say that the high walls, the crime, the fast pace and all the other things that make Johannesburg such a tough city suddenly feel trivial after a visit to Cape Town.
Let’s face it, they would never in a million years open their arms and welcome other cultures in Newlands as the people of Soweto so effortlessly did the other day. It is simply not in their nature.
And you wonder why it was so easy for the South African Football Association to award the Bafana Bafana friendly against Colombia to Soccer City after initially announcing Green Point as the venue at the beginning of the month.
- Lianne Burton
Having lived in Johannesburg for more than 15 years I made the choice 5 years ago to move to Cape Town. My Jo'burg friends and colleagues warned me about the 'unfriendliness' I would surely encounter in the Mother City. My first-hand experience of Cape Town has been absolutely the opposite. From petrol attendants and flower sellers to fellow parents, teachers, colleagues and citizens, I have encountered a warmth, generosity and real humanity that has embraced me as an instant Capetonian. With less focus on material wealth and the outer trappings of success, and more of a sense of enjoyment and appreciation of the characters and landscapes that are this city's greatest assets, I have found Cape Town and Capetonians to be extremely warm and welcoming.
- Mike Met
Being a Capetonian I find this topic a bit silly. A few months ago I went to a friends birthday party to Mzoli's place in the Gugulethu Townships, which is known for it's bringing together of different cultures.
The whole experience is documented in this article and the pictures prove it -- Mzoli's Place Visit
I have no doubt that the visitors to Cape Town during the World Cup or any other visit will be warmly welcomed by all.
The whole experience is documented in this article and the pictures prove it -- Mzoli's Place Visit
I have no doubt that the visitors to Cape Town during the World Cup or any other visit will be warmly welcomed by all.
- ziezie
I found Capetonians extremely friendly, compared to people living in Limpopo at any rate. Walking around with a wolf one is sure to attract attention, but people where I live rarely stop to ask questions or even to look at Akela. In the Cape we sometimes had "difficulty" getting from point A to B, being stopped and questioned all the time. Maybe Capetonians are just more inquisitive or more aware of what goes on around them.
- Calvyn Gilfellan
Although South Africans (and Capetonians in particular) are generally friendly and hospitable people, this does not automatically translate into high levels of service excellence.
The problem is complex and multi-faceted, but one particular aspect that needs immediate attention is the way black (Colored, African and Indian) waiters relate to black patrons (Colored, African, Indian and citizens from the rest of the African continent). I deliberately make the distinction because waiters from other African countries working in our destination have without exception served me as if I were royalty.
In my short festive break, I felt the brunt of poor, inhospitable service on many occasions: at best they serve you with such over-familiarized zeal that they simply ‘forget’ that one is also entitled to the same service levels as their “real tourists”. At worst they adopt a superior attitude that you need to feel grateful to be around in their ‘posh’ establishment, subjecting you to service delivery from hell (this could be anywhere from Wimpy to an up-market restaurant in Knysna).
The worst of it all is that with the intimate table set-up in a restaurant, one is able to observe and hear their actions when they serve the “real tourists” next to you. This poses a very real threat to the Cape’s biggest multi-cultural event in June/July this year and the industry must address this hospitality chauvinism urgently and head-on.
The problem is complex and multi-faceted, but one particular aspect that needs immediate attention is the way black (Colored, African and Indian) waiters relate to black patrons (Colored, African, Indian and citizens from the rest of the African continent). I deliberately make the distinction because waiters from other African countries working in our destination have without exception served me as if I were royalty.
In my short festive break, I felt the brunt of poor, inhospitable service on many occasions: at best they serve you with such over-familiarized zeal that they simply ‘forget’ that one is also entitled to the same service levels as their “real tourists”. At worst they adopt a superior attitude that you need to feel grateful to be around in their ‘posh’ establishment, subjecting you to service delivery from hell (this could be anywhere from Wimpy to an up-market restaurant in Knysna).
The worst of it all is that with the intimate table set-up in a restaurant, one is able to observe and hear their actions when they serve the “real tourists” next to you. This poses a very real threat to the Cape’s biggest multi-cultural event in June/July this year and the industry must address this hospitality chauvinism urgently and head-on.
@Calvyn
You raise an interesting extra dimension. I am aware of the "complaint" you raise and a former chair of CTRU once complained about how badly treated she felt during a visit to Swellendam... because of her ethnicity.
But in travels around South Africa, it has become my habit to ask people (who provide memorable service) where they come from. Invariably the come from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Congo, Cameroon or Nigeria - in that order.
The one exception was a restaurant outside Somerset West in Cape Town. The memorable waiter there said he was from Limpopo and moved to Cape Town for its civilisation!
Do South Africans, and Capetonians, really understand the service ethic and that the enjoyment of serving people does not mean that one is servile? (It requires, rather, confidence and an engaging personality.) And are we more xenophobic than other Africans?
You raise an interesting extra dimension. I am aware of the "complaint" you raise and a former chair of CTRU once complained about how badly treated she felt during a visit to Swellendam... because of her ethnicity.
But in travels around South Africa, it has become my habit to ask people (who provide memorable service) where they come from. Invariably the come from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Congo, Cameroon or Nigeria - in that order.
The one exception was a restaurant outside Somerset West in Cape Town. The memorable waiter there said he was from Limpopo and moved to Cape Town for its civilisation!
Do South Africans, and Capetonians, really understand the service ethic and that the enjoyment of serving people does not mean that one is servile? (It requires, rather, confidence and an engaging personality.) And are we more xenophobic than other Africans?
- Megan
size] 
Im a Capetonian and wudn't live anywhere else in the World becuz this is my home.
Stop stereotyping people into one group or type. It's closed-minded and ancient. You get freindly and unfriendly people, that's how the world works. There will be tourists who have bad and good experiences when coming to Cape Town, just like Johannesburg, Durban and the rest of the world.
Cape Town and South Africa is a beautiful place and the FIFA World Cup is lucky to have us as a host.
Im a Capetonian and wudn't live anywhere else in the World becuz this is my home.
Stop stereotyping people into one group or type. It's closed-minded and ancient. You get freindly and unfriendly people, that's how the world works. There will be tourists who have bad and good experiences when coming to Cape Town, just like Johannesburg, Durban and the rest of the world.
Cape Town and South Africa is a beautiful place and the FIFA World Cup is lucky to have us as a host.
- Olivia
I have lived in Cape Town for 4 years now and I was surprised by the lack of friendliness. It wasnt something I even thought about when I came to Cape Town. Moving to Cape Town was a lifelong ambition of mine so my expectations werent even remotely about unfriendliness. Maybe unfriendly is the wrong word - I find Capetonians absorbed in their own lives. And yes indeed there is so much to do in Cape Town and it is idyliic that it seems to me people just dont have time for others. That may be a bit of a radical statement. But I can quote so many examples of small instances where people just look through you - like you are invisible. For example, I used to go for a morning walk along Hout Bay beach. I was surprised that people dont even smile, looks at you let along say hello or good morning. Now I've lived in many countries in the world and I have yet to find one where people out for a morning walk cant even great a fellow walker. But yes, it happens in Cape Town. Its a small thing really - but then again, maybe it isnt! Even going for a walk in Kirstenbosch people dont say hello. Why is this? I dont think Capetonians are unfriendly - but there is a lack of friendliness... I keep saying hello though ... and maybe one day someone will smile back at me and make my day!!
- Mariette du Toit-Helmbold
I have given this question a lot of thought. My first reaction is to jump to the Mother City's defence and argue that you should not misinterpret her "attitude" and "confidence" as unfriendliness. Having said that I realise how important it is to reflect seriously on what others experience as their reality and appreciate that for some Cape Town might appear less friendly...
I can only talk from first hand experience and share the feedback we gather from our visitors from all over the world. The warmth and personality of Cape Town and her people are always singled out as a highlight of visitors' experiences - domestic and international.
Cape Town is unique, she has serious personality and I guess the sons and daughters of the Mother City pride themselves in their own sense of place - whilst some people might come accross as self-absorbed and arrogant, I believe that Cape Town's people are genuine, unique and real. There is nothing fake about us.
We might have to pay extra attention to our own people, treating visitors from within our city and country with the same courtesy, respect and friendliness as we do the rest of the world.
I do believe that Cape Town is a friendly city and that our service levels and "gees" equal if not surpass many other places in South Africa and abroad. The World Cup was proof of just how warm and friendly Cape Town's welcome is - to everyone!
I can only talk from first hand experience and share the feedback we gather from our visitors from all over the world. The warmth and personality of Cape Town and her people are always singled out as a highlight of visitors' experiences - domestic and international.
Cape Town is unique, she has serious personality and I guess the sons and daughters of the Mother City pride themselves in their own sense of place - whilst some people might come accross as self-absorbed and arrogant, I believe that Cape Town's people are genuine, unique and real. There is nothing fake about us.
We might have to pay extra attention to our own people, treating visitors from within our city and country with the same courtesy, respect and friendliness as we do the rest of the world.
I do believe that Cape Town is a friendly city and that our service levels and "gees" equal if not surpass many other places in South Africa and abroad. The World Cup was proof of just how warm and friendly Cape Town's welcome is - to everyone!
- louise
Swellendam is so beautiful but on moving into the district a while back (with in the year) I had to take a farm worker to the doctor. I phoned to make an appointment - can you imagine my suprise when i mentioned it was a worker on the farm the lady told me they were fully booked. My husband phoned a couple of minutes later and made an appointment in his name. On arrival I was told in front of the worker "there is a hospital that can help people like them"...so the bad treatment as a result of ethnicity lies burbling just under the surface and is something the town needs to work on. The friendliness and willingness to serve that the people in the tourism industry display in Swellendam does not extend to the shopkeepers who benefit from the above. One bad experience anywhere in a town can put you off going back.
b]admin wrote:[/b]
b]admin wrote:[/b]
@Calvyn
You raise an interesting extra dimension. I am aware of the "complaint" you raise and a former chair of CTRU once complained about how badly treated she felt during a visit to Swellendam... because of her ethnicity.
But in travels around South Africa, it has become my habit to ask people (who provide memorable service) where they come from. Invariably the come from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Congo, Cameroon or Nigeria - in that order.
The one exception was a restaurant outside Somerset West in Cape Town. The memorable waiter there said he was from Limpopo and moved to Cape Town for its civilisation!
Do South Africans, and Capetonians, really understand the service ethic and that the enjoyment of serving people does not mean that one is servile? (It requires, rather, confidence and an engaging personality.) And are we more xenophobic than other Africans?
You raise an interesting extra dimension. I am aware of the "complaint" you raise and a former chair of CTRU once complained about how badly treated she felt during a visit to Swellendam... because of her ethnicity.
But in travels around South Africa, it has become my habit to ask people (who provide memorable service) where they come from. Invariably the come from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Congo, Cameroon or Nigeria - in that order.
The one exception was a restaurant outside Somerset West in Cape Town. The memorable waiter there said he was from Limpopo and moved to Cape Town for its civilisation!
Do South Africans, and Capetonians, really understand the service ethic and that the enjoyment of serving people does not mean that one is servile? (It requires, rather, confidence and an engaging personality.) And are we more xenophobic than other Africans?
