Cape Town as World Design Capital

While I might be biased, I would say a great place to start a tour of Cape Town if you're interested in the city as a World Design Capital, would be the fringe. This is an area of the centre that was formerly downtrodden and derelict. It was home to a number of abandoned buildings, beggar fights and the police station, ironically enough. These days though, it's been transformed, and is now the seat of innovation in the city centre. You can pop into the Cape Craft Institute to see how crafts projects in impoverished areas have given the people some basic income, you can enjoy the newly created craft market on Saturdays, or you can pop into any one of the uber-hip eateries (Field Office or Charley's Bakery) to see how an entrepreneurial spirit and an appreciation for creativity have laid the groundwork for some fantastic small businesses. 

Hi Jenny

Check out www.creativecapetown.net for more info, events and updates on the fringe district in Cape Town.

Also, if you're around then, the annual Design Indaba in March (http://www.designindaba.com/) is an absolute must if you're at all interested in design in Cape Town - it's a big expo with lots of exhibitions by just the sort of initiative you'd be interested in and is lots of fun. You will make some great contacts and find some excellent buys as well.

Woodstock is another up-and-coming area in Cape Town (once a run-down industrial area but now being gentrified) if you're interested in urban art movements and design. The area has some fantastic graffiti although you should be careful of walking around on your own.

Read through See and Do in Cape Town for more ideas :)