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
+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