Cape Town learners are turning junk into money to upgrade their schools — and cleaning up their neighbourhoods

Kristin Engel – 9 July 2023 A project to rehabilitate a Cape Town primary school’s waste-strewn sports field has grown into a movement among under-resourced communities across the city to realise the value of recycling – both economic and environmental. A local and national government initiative is using the circular economy model to slowly transform…

Letters from the future

JODI ALLEMEIER – JULY 10 Imagine receiving a letter from the future. A letter that describes what life in Cape Town might look like in 2045. What would it say? How would the city have changed? And what (in)actions taken today led to that future? In this blog post, we embark on a journey into…

Keep Earl Street an Open, Green, Community Space!

In 2017, the City of Cape Town declared its intention to develop six social housing sites in Woodstock. Four of them are in a 250m radius around Earl Street. Despite not being consulted at the time, the community, its civic and stakeholders have supported five of the six social housing projects: The land has been…

Help Singabalapha residents stay warm and dry this winter

Singabalapha residents (next to St. Peters Square, Main Road Observatory) are asking us to donate blankets, mattresses, building materials and warm clothes to help them get through this bitterly cold and wet winter. Sinazo requested cement to fix houses as water is coming underneath, more blankets, firewood, winter clothes and soup.

Car-related muggings

There have been recent reports of muggings involving criminals entering Observatory in a vehicle. 1. It is important to remember to be conscious of other individuals when walking anywhere in public. Be on the watch not just for people but cars. 2. Obs has license plate recognition cameras and this network has reduced crime and…

Comments on Cape Town’s Draft Energy Strategy

Congratulations on the draft document which I am sure will be well received by hard pressed residents of Cape Town. I have the following comments which reference sections of text (in italics) in the document: Pilot alternative public lighting solutions for un-electrified informal settlements When travelling some years ago to the Yunnan province of China,…