Monday Think Tank: Which cities should Cape Town partner up with?

Our new feature, Monday Think Tank comprised of the following people, and produced a wide range of cities from across the world but excluding any other African City. Food for thought?

  • Skye Grove: Communications Manager at Cape Town Tourism

CITIES: RIO, BERLIN, BARCELONA, MELBOURNE, VANCOUVER

  • Naadiya Moosaajee: Co-founder of South African Women in Engineering

CITIES: LONDON, BUENOS AIRES, SAO PAULO, LISBON, ROME, BOGOTA


  • Chris Mario Fry:

CITIES: SEATTLE

Well, I was very lucky to have lived in Seattle, Washington and, being a born and bred Capetonian, of all the cities I have visited, this one best reminds me of home!

The feeling of nostalgia, old world charm yet modern chutzpah one gets when walking downtown is very simliar to the feeling one gets when strolling down St. George’s mall during a weekday lunchtime. And while Seattle is surrounded by lakes as opposed to our oceans, a stroll through Pike Place Market is almost as if you’re back in Kalk Bay or any other place south of Muizenberg.

Seattle has just as rich an arts and culture heritage as Cape Town, with Seattle having a diverse music base ranging from opera and claaiscal music to jazz to grunge rock, and, of course, it’s the birthplace of the legendary Jimi Hendrix.

As far as Sport is concerned, just like Cape Town, mainstream sport is woven into the psyche of the city, with the Mariners, Seahawks and Sonics garnering as partisan a following as the Cobras, the Stormers and Ajax Cape Town.

Seattle also has a well developed tourism industry, with a multitude of festivals happening throughout the year, covering a vast array of sectors within the regional economy.

Finally, Seattle prides itself on the many outdoor activities one can do in and around the city virtually througout the year. These activities change with the seasons. Although we are blessed with more natural abundance, surely we can learn from them as to how we can use our resources to maximise our brand.

For more on the City of Seattle, please see their Official website.

Thanks for the kickstart @futurecapetown ! There are vast opportunities for collaboration here!

  • Vuyisa Qikaba: Director of SABEF

CITIES: BOGOTA, MELBOURNE, PRAGUE

  • Richard Wilkinson: Law student in Cape Town

CITIES: Whichever cities have jacked their public interface on Internet