10 facts about Cape Town in 60 seconds!

• The first inhabitants of Cape Town were pastoralists called ‘Hottentots’, coastal dwellers called ‘Strandlopers’ and hunter-gatherers named ‘Bushmen’.

• Cape Town has a few well known nicknames. The first that most people know it by is the “Mother City”. Another one, which was used by sailors, is “Tavern of the Seas”. This term was used by the sailors because it was a welcome stop for fresh produce and change of scenery.

• Cape Town’s motto is “Spes Bona” which is Latin for “Good Hope”

• Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and former Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu all have homes in Cape Town.

• Cape Town’s sister cities are Nice in France and Haifa in Israel

• The city is home to Table Mountain. The mountain is the most recognized landmark in the city and is even the symbol on Cape Town’s flag.

• The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest standing building in South Africa. It was constructed in 1666 as a replenishment station. Today it acts as a ceremonial facility and a home for the Cape Military Museum.

• Cape Town is South Africa’s legislative capital.

• When there is a cap cloud (cloud that covers the top of a mountain) over Lions Head, one of the peaks in the Table Mountain range, rain is guaranteed within 12 hours.

• Cape Town has been the setting for many medical breakthroughs. This was where the first heart transplant by Dr. Chris Barnard took place as well as where the first recorded caesarean birth was done by Dr. James Barry in 1826.

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