Tucked away in a small Cape Dutch building in a quiet corner of Hout Bay is a charity initiative which has been taking the world of design by storm from inside a tea cup. When Jill Heyes immigrated to Cape Town from England she was appalled by the poverty she found all over the Cape in particular her adopted home of Hout Bay, where the Imizamo Yethu Township housed thousands of locals dwelling in shacks and living in poverty.

South Africa’s very own Nelson Mandela turns 93 years old today and with his birthday comes a nationwide effort to give back to the community. In 2009, the United Nations voted unanimously that this day should be known as International Nelson Mandela Day, and should act as a reminder of one man’s incredible struggle, determination, and wisdom.

Cape Town, home of Table Mountain, Clifton 4th beach, the Gatsby and the topless red bus; this unrivalled combination of icons attracts throngs of tourists and models in thongs every summer. Models and film sets fill the streets of Cape Town to the point of irritation for those to old appreciate the importance of their presence, and to the point of frustration for those to ugly to get a model of their own.

Take yourself back to the days of enjoying the sunshine whilst having cucumber sandwiches and tea on a veranda that looks out onto beautiful gardens. Tea time is one of the most cherished times of day, especially at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town.

Religious or not, it’s difficult not to be moved by St George’s Cathedral in the centre of Cape Town. It’s a place of sanctuary and tranquility with extraordinary beauty found in its stained glass windows and sandstone structure. Regardless of whether you find yourself inspired by its reverence or magnificence, a visit to this cathedral promises to be worthwhile.

Hout Bay or the Republic of Hout Bay as it is “officially” known is a suburb on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula. Although it is not a republic the locals are very quick and eager to correct you, should you venture this opinion. Built on the back of the timber trade this once small town is now a thriving mini metropolis, and despite the fact that it is not well known to many overseas visitors it is always a favourite amongst those that end up visiting.

There can be few better tourist attractions to represent the South African experience than the topless red buses of the City Sightseeing Company. Cape Town, as a microcosm of South Africa, is a rich tapestry of South African cultures, languages and history.

Imizamo Yethu is one of many townships in Cape Town and is one of many sad indictments on the state of the government’s promises about housing development for the previously disadvantaged.

After 8 years of research and 18 months of construction the 2 Ocean Aquarium was opened in 1995 and fast became one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cape Town.

In my efforts to join the feel good green brigade I took part in what must’ve been one of the most powerful acts of solidarity I have ever been involved in, the Ride of Silence.

Cycling is a bit like voting for the opposition, many believe that it will improve their quality of life, however there are not enough people doing it to make it worth getting out of bed early on a day off. There were, however, hundreds of Cape Town cyclists for whom neither the Mothers City’s torturous topography, nor temperamental weather was enough to keep them out of the saddle.

The Tourism Indaba held last weekend at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban is the largest event of its kind in Africa and is only dwarfed internationally by two similar events in Berlin and London. This year’s event attracted 13000 delegates representing all sectors of the tourism industry in South Africa.