Cape Town, my home for fifty years, some describe it as Europe in Africa. This might be true because at various stages in our history we were colonized by the Dutch and then the English. The French also rocked up on our shores as religious exiles. 

So yes, the European influence is evident, and continues to be so. We are however a multicultural city created by the migration of people from the north east and west, slaves brought in by the Dutch, arrivals from Europe together with the indigenous people of the Cape. 

 

The South African Museum provides a perfect window to these various cultures and their influence. This melting pot of cultures makes us an interesting and vibrant city, so come and experience the divergent sights and sounds from the Malay Quarter to Greenmarket Square. 
Drive down from Signal Hill with its stunning views of the city and the Bo-Kaap to the white sandy beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton. It is this diversity that I love so much about our city. We sit here at the tip of Africa providing a home to many and playing host to the world. Some who came here to visit and then decided to stay, be it centuries ago or as recent as yesterday. People seem drawn to and enchanted by our scenic beauty from the top of Table Mountain to the shores at the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve. 

 

I am truly blessed and thankful to be born here, and especially proud that it is here that Nelson Mandela first addressed the nation as a free man from the balcony of the City Hall and then later inside the Parliament buildings as President of South Africa. 

 

Cape Town, my home for fifty years.