If this is your first time in South Africa, you’ll certainly be looking for some useful tips for remote workers in Cape Town. This is a big city which is easy enough to navigate if you keep your wits about you and always know where you’re going. Indeed, Cape Town is not the safest city in the world but it is one of the safest in South Africa. This means you should always be aware of your surroundings and avoid putting yourself in dangerous situations. If you keep safe, Cape Town has endless things to offer - from access to incredible natural landscapes, diverse international communities and great cultural institutions right in the same city.
To help you make the most of your time here, we have outlined some of our top tips for remote workers in Cape Town.
As with most cities, one of our top tips for remote workers in Cape Town will be to join the local international groups and communities as soon as possible. This will help you gain a sense of belonging in this huge city, and give you an opportunity to make friends across town. If you are a solo traveler, it will be good to have spaces designed for making friends quickly sharing experiences in this unique city. Asides from the many Facebook and meetup groups available, there are valuable coworking and coliving opportunities in Cape Town which will make fining community here easier and fun!
South Africa and Cape Town have excellent food options and an vibrant local food scene. Locally you will want to try the bitlongs and droewors served around the city, as well as some of the local Cape Malay dishes which define the city’s gastronomy. As soon as you arrive in Cape Town, hopefully you will be invited to try a “braai”, or traditional South African barbecue, where you will be able to taste some of the delicious local spice combinations. Of course, no visit to South Africa can happen without some wine tasting and you will definitely want to try the wine bars around Sea Point and Green Point, as well as visit some wineries just outside the city. Cape Town also has a robust food truck culture serving up delicious snacks and local dishes, as well as many farmers’ markets including the unmissable Oranjezicht City Farm Market at the V&A Waterfront and the popular Mojo Market in Sea Point.
As previously mentioned, Cape Town does not have the best reputation when it comes to safety. While the city is one of the safest in South Africa in general, one of top tips for remote workers in Cape Town is certainly to choose their living area carefully to make sure you are comfortable enough in it to actually enjoy it. For some, this might mean that the busy and touristic area of the V&A Waterfront is the place to be. For others, being away from bustling City Bowl in the affluent neighborhood of Camps’ Bay might be best. Whatever you choose, it is always a good idea to explore all the different neighborhoods during the day and keep your ears open for any comments from locals as to the safety of each neighborhood.
This is as good a tip for remote workers in Cape Town as in any other big city around this continent. Unfortunately, you can expect local public health services to be severely underfunded and, if you fall sick or need medical assistance, you will certainly want to be treated in one of the city’s private clinics. Having said that, Cape Town is an extremely active city and there are countless ways of keeping fit here - the city’s gyms are popular and well-equipped, yoga studios are numerous around the city, and jogging along the Sea Point Promenade is one of the highlights of life in Cape Town.
For more information about living in Cape Town as a remote worker, check out our complete Cape Town guide.