I’ve had an incredible few months in Cape Town, and a big reason for that has been the communities that I’ve stumbled onto and subsequently immersed into.
Here’s how I’d describe myself so that others that are looking to move to Cape Town can see if it’s their vibe.
An energetic, spiritual, extroverted and active Nepali with a British accent.
If that’s you (which is a fucking niche so please DM me your story) or is partly you, then Cape Town is a city you should at least visit, if not migrate to. These groups are in order of the impact that they’ve had on me.
1a — Tidal Pools
Cape Town sits on the edge of the cold Atlantic Ocean, with Cape of Good Hope further south being the point where the warm Indian Ocean takes over. The cold current of the Atlantic exists across all the beaches in Cape Town, and as a result, a number of ‘Tidal Pools’ are dotted along the coast.
These pools are a respite to the harsh waves of the ocean. They hold the cold water and are popular with locals that immerse their bodies in the cold water for its health benefits. Wimhoff (The Iceman on IG) has brought cold-water therapy to the masses and is a big promoter of sitting in cold water early in the morning.
I went for morning dips about 75% of the time while I was there, and the physical, mental and community benefits were immense. Physically I recovered faster after strenuous activities like running and hiking, and it got me energised pre-workout (but avoid going straight after hypertropic workouts as per HubermanLabs).
Mentally it wakes you up like nothing else. I can’t think of anything else that just zaps your mind and body into action like plunging into cold water. I haven’t done cocaine but from what people describe it as this is probably the same but better for you rather than worse.
Community wise, I met so many people through the pools. There was a common bond of crazy people wanting to sit in cold water, and being from all sorts of backgrounds. Nomads, Tourists, Moms, Professionals, Retirees, Models you name it. The pools brought a wild mix of people together. Our WhatsApp group where we share our plans to dip sits at 30 people now, a mix of locals & nomads.
How to get into this community:
Saunders Rock, 8–9AM is best for interacting with people. Too early and you hit the locals that work early and are there to focus and meditate, too late and you miss the buzz. Evenings after work are also busy, but it has more friends going out to chill vibe, so you might find it more challenging to interact with new people.
Camps Bay also has a tidal pool but it’s just not as much of a vibe as Saunders in my opinion, it does have extremely attractive people though so try it once and you might meet your wife/husband.
Special mentions:
Kelly the mom that drops off her kids before coming to dip. Chris who hikes Lions Head every morning before dipping. Matthew who runs a Marketing agency and is a pure boet. Barry who moved from Los Angeles after 45 years.
1b — Nomads & Workcationers
This was a hard split with Tidal pools, like choosing between kids. Therefore I’ll be fair and give an even split between the two. I’d liken it to the Nomad community being the ignition and the tidal pools being the accelerator pedal. One kicked things off, and then the other just drove it into a whole new realm.
I met 8 nomads on the first day I arrived and it gave me immense confidence to go and socialise with the town going forwards. The nomad group has been a huge blessing, and I created my own little community from people I’ve met through the weeks. The nationalities covered are inspiring too.
Namibia, Finland, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Germany, The US, Netherlands are some of the countries I’ve met people from. Really cool people, all doing something different. It leads to incredible experiences across Cape Town.
Some Nomads I made friends with I ended up seeing every day, at either the pools or the co-working spaces. It quickly felt like a home, and the group grew as more travellers came as the weeks continued.
How to get into this community:
Facebook Group — for a large core
Nomad Events WhatsApp Group — for finding out about organised events
Nomad Regular WhatsApp Group — for discussing/organising potential events
Special shoutout to Daniel Pietersen for being the organiser of so many great nomad experiences.
Special mentions:
So many here, that I know I will have missed some, I love y’all. Kenneth (Jeep Ranger), Tom M (I doubt it), Tom S (I can’t), Kristen (BP), Anna (Notion bestie), Jillian (Walmart), Julian (“Daddy”), Rachel, Michelle (Tequila), Lindsay, Amanda, Britt, Sergey (I never missed a human more times), Andrea, Victoria, Anousha, Max (Wimhoff God) — the regular nomads, for experiencing Cape Town with me.
Salomé & Lena & Phillip & Bastian for an epic pre-drinks. Joya for the Athletic. Dahlia the soul full of heart from Sweden. Spencer the handsome brother. Lewis for good vibes from the UK. Léa for approaching me in Kaui and then meeting Hannah , Fabrice & Frederic.
2 — Ideas Cartel Co-Working
Ideas Cartel is similar to WeWork, but they’ve taken it further by adding gyms, restaurants and even barbers, all in the same compound to the workspace. It’s almost like they don’t even want you to leave the place.
There are 3 spaces that Ideas Cartel has, Der Waterkant (my base), Loop Street (in town and with a pool) and Muizenberg (overlooking the ocean).
They have a range of packages to buy from, I took a fixed desk to avoid the riff raff on the ground floor. They also have amazing food available between 9–3, with my usual being the Cartel Chicken Salad and Peanut Butter Bomb.
It was a wonderful place to meet like-minded individuals and fellow remote workers. I met founders and builders, which was something I’d wanted to normalise for a while. There are a few companies in the space too, which creates a nice balance between entrepreneurs and professionals. Overall, it’s a great environment for both meeting professionals and being productive.
How to get into this community:
Grab a membership from their (awful) app. The website will lead you to call so the app is better, or just rock up in person and speak to reception. The Old Foundry branch I’ve heard is the best vibe and from having spent 6 weeks working there, I can confirm it’s pretty dope.
Personal mentions:
Cameron my spiritual brother. Bas the biggest smile in town. Jason who approached me at the networking event. Juliette & Steff the Siamese European duo. Zander for lifting 90kg off my chest in the gym after I failed the push.
3 — Running & Hiking
I joined Running Late Club after hearing about it from some locals that were on a hike in Crystal Pools. Their regular route is from Saunders to Clifton 3rd and back. One of the most beautiful 5K routes in the world, and of course topped off with a dip in the ocean to cool off. Some then head to the Oranjezicht Market. The food at the market gets very samey, but the vibes are always good.
Hiking is also awesome, there is always someone doing Lion’s Head or Table Mountain. I hiked Lion’s head on my last week, and it was a fairly gently 50-minute hike to the top. Get in for sunset or sunrise and you’ll have an awesome time.
How to get into this community:
Running Late Club is a good starting point, then ask people there or around town if they know any hiking groups in Cape Town. If you don’t want the organic route, check out Google.
Doing the Crystal Pool or Suicide George hikes with a guide may give you a big group to meet and interact with for a whole day.
Personal mentions:
Makaila from the Crystal Pools for picking up my number and then helping me meet Caragh, Rob, Jon & Lala.
4 — Beach Squad
When the sun is shining, it’s a no-brainer to head over to Clifton with some friends, chill and play some bat & ball. Clifton is such a vibe, and I have to give Clifton 2nd a special mention because it was where I first when and where I spent many evenings playing bats with my friends.
Glen Beach, Llandudno & Hout’s Bay are great too. Camps Bay is very touristy, Saunders is rocky, not sandy and Muizenberg is more of a surf vibe rather than a beach day.
How to get into this community:
Friends Who Volley is an upcoming group of young models that play volleyball every Thursday at Clifton 1st.
Otherwise, you’ll have to connect through some of the communities above first, it’s not as common to make friends by yourself at the beach.
Special mentions:
Stian, thank you for introducing me to bats brother, I will return for some more epic battles. Tatum, I hope you find success in your modelling career and can take all the Ubers you want. Fatena you’re a cool aries girl.
Special Mention Community — The Locals
There are of course locals that I’ve me through my time, who are some offshoots of the groups above and also some chance encounters.
Ruth from the rooftop. Chelsea, Ilona, Nozzi, Daniella, Shawn and Duanne the friends of friends. Gadi, Kabi, Raff & Sabrina from the Braai. Travis & Frazer from Docklands. Joy from MyFanPark. Rae who came over from Dubai. Chizzy, Smith, Tom & JJ from the Crystal Pools Hike. Sunny a close friend of DJ’s. Raisa who showed me around town and taught me about the history of Cape Malay people. Scott for teaching me to push beyond my limits, open up about single mothers and some local slang.
Cape Town, one day I’ll call you home.
Sakky
