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ExpatCapeTown Newsletter, October 2017, South Africa economy - is it all politics? October 27, 2017 |
Welcome to our Cape Town Living TipsOctober 2017
Dear all,
don’t you just love the sound of raindrops? I never thought I could be so happy to hear rain tapping on our roof. Now we almost jump and dance when the sparse little rain we had over the last days felt like saving us and easing our worry about the dire water situation we find ourselves in at the Cape. Looking at my garden, I sometimes feel transported back to the desert in the Northern Cape, which is stunningly beautiful but that is a completely different place...well, also there the locals were longing for these life-bringing raindrops.
How to manage the water restrictions?
As you might have heard, we are now at Phase 1 of the critical water shortages disaster plan implemented by the City of Cape Town. This means that although we are at Level 5 water restrictions (max. 87 litre per person/day), water rationing through extreme pressure reduction and limiting supply has been activated. Rationing of water will lead to intermittent supply and shortages are most likely to occur during peak hours in the morning and evenings. There will not be a complete shutdown, but water outages are possible. So it is strongly advised to keep up to 5 litres of water for essential use for drinking and food preparation, but please do not store excessive amounts of municipal water. Let's all save as much water as we can, so the next steps of the plan including water distribution only at collection points will never come into effect.
Level 5 Water restrictions were introduced at the beginning of September, so be aware that now fines are levied on excess
water use. Read more here.
Read more about the City of Cape Town Water Restrictions Level 5
October is national mental health month in South Africa, while November is national disability awareness month. On 16 November we will all celebrate the International Day for Tolerance, which was first introduced by the UN in 1996. Every year many activities in schools and in our communities seek to strengthen tolerance and respect through promoting mutual understanding among the different cultures and people. This is especially important in a time of rising racism and violent extremism, when increasingly conflicts manifest in our societies due to the feeling of being left out and living in fear of not being heard. Let’s remember Indian human rights activist Mahatma Gandhi who spent twenty years in South Africa before he went back to India in 1914, who once said: ‘When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won.' Now enjoy our newsletter and have a great time in Cape Town or wherever you are!
Updates and NewsThis is what you will find in this ExpatCapeTown newsletter edition: * All you should know: Economy 2017/2018 * What's on in Cape Town: October and November events * Typical Slang Words: lapa and mozzie * Cape Town Insider Tips: Know where to go when... South Africa Economy - Politics - Give me some facts!South Africa’s economy is struggling. The president reshuffled the cabinet. The crime statistics give a dire picture. SAA needs another bail-out and the water crisis drags it all down even further. The energy policies seem to be restructured, but then this notion is dismissed again. What’s going on, give me some facts, you think. Of course, we all want to have clear facts to get a better picture. So I sat down to get some insights and key figures. Hope these insights help! Read more.
What's On in Cape Town?
There are many events happening in Cape Town in October and November not only in the expat communities: enjoy the German festival, the Belgium market, the French films and so much more. See these on our ExpatCapeTown event calendar.
Events in October
So make sure to know what’s going on in Cape Town and keep busy while exploring your surroundings and taking part in the many events which are offered at this time of the year. Also Christmas is not that far away and if you are keen to stock up on gifts and presents, make sure to visit the many lovely Cape Town markets and Christmas fairs.
Christmas Concerts
What means ‘lapa’? This term describes the typical South Africa outdoor place or hut where there is often a ‘braai’ place (grill area). The lapa often has a thatched roof and is either a separate enclosure in the garden or attached to the house.
What is a ‘mozzie'? This South African term refers to the tiny mosquitos that start to pester us in the warm evenings, especially in those South African regions that had plenty of rain. There are some really effective mozzie sprays/lotions available in South Africa to keep them at bay: ‘Peaceful Sleep’ or the natural citronella repellants, available as sprays, candles and lotions in most supermarkets, health stores and pharmacies.
Need to renew your South African drivers licence? If you are here on a temporary visa, you now need to have a confirmation of visa before requesting a licence renewal at your traffic department. The confirmation of visa will be dealt with via home affairs and takes around thee months. So be aware of this extra step and get the confirmation of visa before you apply for the renewal of your drivers licence.
Longing for a nice day out of town? You do not need to travel far to already be in the middle of rolling hills and vineyards! Just head to the lovely Durbanville Wine Valley, there is a really scenic drive through the valley and from many wine estates you can enjoy gorgeous views of Table Mountain. This weekend, we will celebrate life with fine food, music and entertainment and of course the best of local wines at this year’s ‘Season of Sauvignon’ wine festival. The festival is on from 28 - 29 October, but if you cannot make it this time, you just come another day. You simply must visit this side of town at least once during your stay. This lovely wine valley always has special treats to offer, such as concerts or open-air cinema as well as wine tastings and wine pairings. Read more here.
Durbanville Wine Valley Festivals
Looking for a baby-sitter or selling your furniture before going back 'home'? Check our Facebook page, where we allow our forum members to post personal ads. There are always some people looking for sharing their expertise, offering or looking for jobs, selling their household goods because of the next move etc. And of course let us know if you are keen to get featured on our site's expat interview section where you can tell us all a bit more about yourself and the services you can offer to our community. Looking forward to hearing from you! Read our interview section and enjoy the tips and insights other expats share.
Do you want place an ad on our new business directory? Due to growing demand to place ads on our forum and on the website, we decided to use our wide expat network and help you promote your local business to the Cape Town expat community directly through our new expat directory. Check out our directory and contact us for your options and pricing. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Do you need more info on living in Cape Town? Make sure to like our new Expat Cape Town Facebook page and join our ExpatCapeTown forum - a Facebook group. But please no ads in the forum and make sure to read our pinned post:-) Thanks!
Looking for a comprehensive South African expat guide in form of an e-book? If you want to give your foreign friends some more insights on South Africa, showing them why we all love living here, simply order one of our e-books for them. ‘Living in South Africa’ is available in .pdf and .epub form.
Enjoy your life wherever you are!
Best regards,
Regina
w: www.expatcapetown.com
t: @expatlivinginsa | #expatcapetown
f: Expat Cape Town | LivinginSouthAfrica
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