Cape of Events
EVERYyear at this time the Cape of Storms becomes the Cape of Events. It starts with the Mining Indaba in early February, then comes the Design Indaba some weeks later, followed by the Cape Town Cycle Tour in early March. This rolls on to the Cape Epic, followed by the Cape Town International Jazz Festival this weekend and finishing with the Two Ocean Marathon next weekend.
Last year, mayoral committee member Garreth Bloor announced statistics for 2013 that were startling. The six major events pumped nearly R2.4 billion into the economy in about two months. Now early indications are that the overall figure this year could be higher.
The cash injection into the greater economy of Cape Town is an annual boon, not least because the general financial and employment situation in the country has been fairly dire for some years. There is also an educational element to the whole, with famous names and various experts from far and wide taking part and passing on skills and knowledge, sometimes through formalised interaction, but more often through a type of friendly osmosis.
But perhaps most important is the international coverage these six big events garner for the city, with thousands of foreign entrants and representatives networking with residents, and broad media coverage in dozens of countries. This has a ripple effect that spills over into sectors like tourism and manufacturing months after the events are merely a stirring memory for most.
IN MANYways the big six bring in the serious cash, provide extra employment and put the city on the international map in late summer and early autumn. However, for locals – whether entrepreneurs, cyclists, musicians, designers or eager spectators – the events mark something more integral, an annual period peppered with highlights that stimulate a sense of camaraderie, of belonging.
For many the events come as the culmination of months of training, planning and perfecting. They have become an established part of the city’s social fabric, not least because taken together, they cover such a wide spectrum of human endeavour.