THEULTIMATE DIGITALNOMADGUIDE

CAPE TOWN 2020

CAPE TOWN - NEW DIGITALNOMAD HOTSPOT

Cape Town has become an attractive destination for digital

nomads, looking to venture to an African city and explore the local

cultures and diverse wildlife. Cape Town has also become known as

Africa’s largest tech hub and is bustling with young startups and

small businesses. Cape Town is definitely South Africa’s trendiest

city with hipster bars and restaurants along Bree street, exclusive

beach strips with five star cuisine and rolling vineyards and wine

farms. But is Cape Town a good city for digital nomads. We will dive

into this and look at accommodation, co-working spaces, internet

connectivity,safety and more.

Let's jump into a guide to living and working as a digital nomad in

Cape Town, written by digital nomads, from Cape Town.

VISAThere are 48 countries that do not need a visa to enter South Africa andare abe to stay in SA as a visitor for 90 days. See whether your countrymakes this list here.

You can get a SIM card from pretty much any grocery store or cellphone

store. They are very cheap, around $0.35. You can then top them up with

data at a grocery store ie. Woolworths, Checkers, SPAR etc.

We would suggest selecting an MTN SIM card as this is slightly cheaper

than Vodacom. Coverage will be the same and is good all around South

Africa, except in isolated regions.

Depending on your length of stay you could opt for 1GB for 2 weeks or 4

weeks. 2 weeks is slightly cheaper for the same amount of data. This will

cost between $7-$10

SIM CARDS

The next group of countries are allowed in for 30 days visa-free. Checkhere to see if your country is on this list. If your country does not fall withinthese two categories, you will need to apply for a visa. 

If you can enter on a 90 day visa you can extend it for another 90 daysallowing you to stay in South Africa for a total of 6 months. You will needto do this 60 days prior to your visa end date. You can follow these steps toextend your South African tourist visa.

COST OF LIVINGRental and accommodation prices in Cape Town are quite high due to

the demand in the area. Areas around the CBD and Atlantic seaboard

are considered some of the nicest areas in the whole country so it can

be a bit pricey. Eating out, alcohol and entertainment are cheaper than

that of 1st world countries and groceries are about on par. Here are

some examples in USD:

You can view the whole list here.

WHERE TO STAY?It’s very important to choose the right area to stay when in Cape

Town. Crime is a real concern in South Africa and safety is largely

dependant on the area you live in. The best areas to stay in Cape

Town that are considered relatively safe and are convenient are: 

Grocery StoresPick 'n PayWoolworthsSPARCheckers

Restaurants

Jerrys Burger Bar SevrugaKaribuPlant

BarsTigers MilkThe Dark HorseThe Village IdiotChinchilla

Beaches

Camps Bay BeachGlen BeachCliftonBakoven Beach

- Camps Bay

- Bantry Bay

- Fresnaye

- Sea Point

- Green Point

- Mouille Point

- De Waterkant

- Kloof street

- Bree St (CBD)

- Tamboerskloof

- Oranjezicht

- Vredehoek

Below we have posted some local amenities and trendy spots you

may want to check out when in Cape Town.

ACCOMMODATIONHOSTELSThere are 57 hostels in Cape Town that vary in price and quality. The pricesrange from $10-$50 per night. The general vibe is no different to hostels all overthe world, with a focus on social activities and partying. Not alwaysrecommended for digital nomads due to limited workspace, noisyenvironments and shared rooms. If you are looking to party though, this is foryou! Some hostel recommendations: - The Backpack- Once in Cape Town- Atlantic Point Backpackers Prices range from $15 - $80 per night

COLIVINGWhen you're serious about being productive, staying in a hostel becomes less ofan attractive option, and having your own room a priority. Coliving allows for aconvenient way to find the balance between privacy and affordability. Retreatsnormally include accommodation, coworking space access, netwrking andsocial activities and more. Check out the Work Wanderers coliving coworking retreat in Cape Town whereyou can join for 3 weeks. View here. Prices range from $40-$80 per night.

ACCOMMODATIONLONG TERM RENTALMost nomads will be able to stay in South Africa visa-free for 90 days. It can bedifficult to find 3-month accommodation as most rental leases are for aminimum of 12 months. You can try Gumtree to find shared livingaccommodation, however finding a private apartment for this type of periodwill be difficult and quite expensive per month. The best bet would be to fin an Airbnb but they can be pretty pricey i theAtlantic Seaboard and City Bowl areas. Prices range from $55 - $110 per night (1 bedroom apartment)

HOTELSThere are a myriad of hotels from low budget to 6-star and thus vary in priceand quality. Be sure to look at the reviews and the area of the hotel beforebooking. Prices vary from $50-$500 per night.

SAFETY GUIDELINESCrime in Cape Town is largely related to the area you are in, however it isimportant to remain vigilant and be aware of those who may beopportunistic. Below is a map of Cape Town. This is just a representation -our suggestion is to avoid red areas as crime is more prevelant there.Orange areas are fine but have slightly higher crime rates than green areas Generally tourists are unaffecte by crime but this map may be useful whenbooking accommodation. 

Low Risk

Moderate Risk

High Risk

GETTING AROUNDThere are various ways to get around the city and Camps Bay. 

The MyCITI bus system is a safe and affordable way of getting around CapeTown. You need a myconnect card to travel on the MyCiTi service as cash isnot accepted on board. You can buy amyconnect card for R35 ($2.50) from a MyCiTi station kiosk. Simply tap inwhen you start your journey and tap out whenyou leave, and enjoy the ride. You can load Mover points on it and top up when needed or you can by 1,3,7day passes which are a more affordable option. It will cost R85 ($6) fromairport to city centre, which is the most affordable transport option.

MyCITI Bus

UberUbers are a fast, reliable and relatively affordable means of transport. Simplyrequest the Uber and you should get picked up very soon after. This is themost affordable form of door-to-door transport and is safe. Airpot to citycentre will usually cost around R180-R220 ($13-$16)

Minibus TaxisIt is recommended not to utilise this form of transport. There are hundredsof these taxis all over the city and the rates are extremely low, however thevehicles are jam-packed, relatively unsafe and often-times not roadworthy.

Private Taxis

It is recommended to rather use Uber as it is safer and more affordable thanprivate taxis. Private taxis that are safe include Excite Taxis and Unicab. Youcan try negotiate a fee with them before getting in the cab but oftentimesthey will just go by the meter. Airport pickup with a private ab will be aroundR350 ($25)

STAYINGPRODUCTIVECo-working spaces have become very popular in

this city and 31 spaces have popped up in the last

few years.

These spaces boast fibre-optic high speed

internet and a productive environment to get

your work done. With free coffee at some of the

top spaces and lots of cafes around them,

convenience is not an issue and all of them are

located in the CBD or Atlantic Seaboard. Some of

our recommendations include:

- Workshop 17: This is quite a busy co-working

space and is colourful and fun. A little bit out of

the way if you are taking the bus but on the

other hand, it's super convenient being at the

Waterfront - close to many shops and cafes.

Price: R3300 pm ($232)

- Seedspace: You feel quite at home when

entering Seedspace - set in a triple storry house

like building in the city centre. There are lots of

nomad events here and a freidnly environment.

Price: R2000 ($140)

- Green Point Coworking: This light and bright

coworking space allows for a productive

environment to get work done, has Skype booths

and is conveniently located

Price: R2600 pm ($180)

INTERNETFibre-Optic internet started getting rolled out in Cape Town 5 years ago. Itis now widely used in the more affluent area of the Cape (areasmentioned above). Fibre-optic internet is far superior to ADSL and can reach up to 200 mbps,depending on the plan purchased. Most Airbnbs have made it a priority toinstall fibre and all co-working spaces use this reliable internet source. A study completed in 2018, showed that the average speed in the areasCamps Bay, Green Point & Sea Point was 28.51 mbps on download. Besure to ask your accommodation provider for a speed test to ensure youare able to be productive.  All co-working spaces would have opted for fibre and strive to providehigh internet performanceYou can also purchase mobile data, howeverthis can be quite expensive, at $12 for 1 GB. If you opt for this, the mosttrusted service providers are MTN and Vodacom.

The digital nomad community is growing in Cape Town and you are most

likely going to bump into other nomads at coworking spaces. Here are

some groups to join if you are looking for community:

Digital Nomads in Cape Town (Meetup group)

NETWORKING

Solo Travellers Cape Town (Meetup group)

Digital Nomads Cape Town (Facebook group)

@digitalnomadscapetown (Instagram)

EXPLORING CAPE TOWNVoted no. 1 tourist city in the world by the Telegraph Awards, it's definitely abucket-list destination. With beautiful lanscapes, endless wine farms, white sandybeaches, eclectic African culture and epic wildlife - it's one not to miss!

TOPATTRACTIONS

Table MountainRobben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned)Stellenboch, Granschhoek, Constantia Nek Wine FarmsBoulders Beach (see the penguins)Aquila Game ReserveMojo marketChapmans Peak Coffee on Bree StreetV&A WaterfrontThe sea point promenadeSea kayakingParaglidingLions HeadCity Walking ToursOranjezicht Farmers Market

SAFETYSouth Africa has a reputation for crime and the statistics do support

this. As mentioned previously, the areas you stay in and frequent in

Cape Town can correlate to your exposure to this social issue.

Cape Town is fueled by tourism so there is a large effort to welcome

foreigners and encourage return. Most tourists and nomads will

unaffected by crime as the bad instances generally occur in the poverty

stricken areas called townships as well as the Cape Flats.

It is still important to stay vigilant and not go wandering around the

CBD or outskirts alone at night. The main crimes tourists should be

aware of are car break-ins and muggings/pickpockets. Be sure to lock

up after yourself (car or home) and not walk around flinging your

phone about. 

Overall, if you stay in the areas suggested above, you will be sheltered

from most crime. Remember, most crimes are opportunistic and

powered by poverty so don’t give them the opportunity if it can be

avoided. It is highly recommended to get travel insurance. The majority

of claims are for phones pickpocketed in bars and clubs as well as

laptops/tablets being stolen when left unattended. Check out Safety

Wings for nomad travel Insurance.

On our retreats, our Wanderers often say they don't know why there

was such a fuss about crime as they never felt unsafe or in danger. This

is pretty normal as they were staying in an affluent area (Camps Bay)

which has no poverty and is close to the beach. But overall, they key is

to remain vigilant as you would in any large city.

CLIMATECape Town has a Meditteranean climate which is moderate and pleasant. High season is in November - March and spans over the summer periodwhich is hot & dry. Summer in Cape Town breakdown:  Temperatures: 17°C – 29°C (63°F – 84°F)Rainfall: Average of 3 days per monthHours of daylight: 13-14 The low season is in Winter which spans June, July, August. It is wet andrainy during this period and best spent inside.  Autumn and Spring are lovely periods to travel to Cape Town, just bringsome warmer clothes as it can be chilly in the mornings and evenings.

The South African currency is the South African Rand (ZAR). This currency

is quite weak compared to those of 1st world countries, making it cheap

for foreigners to live and work there.

Here are the exchange rate as of 21/07/2019: 

(US) $1 = R13.92

(AU) $1 = R9.80

(GBP) ₤1 + R17.89

(EUR) €1 = R15.84

These fluctuate quite a bit, so best to check the currency when travelling

or making a booking. You can view updated exchange rate here.

EXCHANGE RATE

YOUR CONTACT IN CAPE TOWN

Hi, I'm Andrae

I am the Founder of Work Wanderers and

a local Capetonian. I am a digital nomad in

that I run Work Wanderers remotely

alongside my small team and I also am a

Paid Media consultant.

I quit my 9-5 job as Head of Marketing &

Strategy at a startup as I fell in love with

the digital nomad lifestyle when working

remotely in Europe for a few months.

I am truly passionate about Cape Town,

my home, and would be happy to provide

any guidance or assistance if you are

travelling in or looking to travel to this epic

city. Feel free to Whatsaap me or shoot

me an email.

Camps Bay Police Station

10111

Andrae Smith

andraes@workwanderers.com

+27719710323

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

ADT Private Security

086 121 2300

Fire Department

021 480 7700

MediClinic Cape Town

021 464 5500

21 Hof Street, Gardens, CT

Ambulance

10177