Thousands of people live in the heart of the vibrant Cape Town Central City. Every year we ask them why they love it and what makes the downtown lifestyle so appealing. Here are the results of our 2019 dipstick survey which generated 411 responses.
PROFILE OF RESIDENTS
Nearly 40 % of current residents have lived in the Central City for three years or less, possibly moving into one of the many new property developments offering an attractive “live, play, work and fun” lifestyle.
The vast majority – 54.9 % – are owner-occupiers, while just over a third (34.8 %) rent the accommodation. Owners who rent out their properties amount to 10.2 %. Most of these – 66.7 % – are short-term rentals.
Nearly 40 % (37.7 %) of respondents are South African, originally from outside the Western Cape; 30.5 % are Capetonians while 22.3 % of Central City residents are from overseas.
Nearly a third (32.3 %) of respondents are “middle-aged” (between 35-44 years), while a further 25.5 % are between the ages of 25-34 years. Just under 7 % of all respondents are retirees. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority (68.8 %) of CCID residents do not have children.
WHY LIVE IN THE CENTRAL CITY?
When asked why they decided to live in the CBD, most respondents (61.6 %) like the “downtown lifestyle” followed by “proximity to work” (56.2 %). Almost half the respondents (47 %) live within 1 km of their place of work or study and like access to “great restaurants” (52.1 %).
THE HAPPINESS FACTOR
The majority (69.3 %) of respondents are “satisfied” or “very happy” to be living in the Central City.
SAFETY
About 55.3% of respondents felt it’s safer in the Central City than in the suburbs of Cape Town.
OCCUPATION
While respondents report a wide range of occupations, the most popular are:
- Media & marketing – 13.9 %
- Creative industries – 8.8%
- Full-time employment – 51.1%
- Self-employed & freelance – 31.8%
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
The sluggish economy appears to be taking its toll, with the percentage of respondents visiting a coffee shop at least once a week declining from 82 % in 2018 to 77 % in 2019. Similarly the percentage of respondents who eat out at least weekly has declined from 73 % in 2017 to 69 % in 2018 and just 59 % in 2019.
When asked where they go when they eat out, respondents living the Central City indicate they eat at restaurants within the City Bowl (71.7 %) and the city centre (60.4 %) – with the V&A Waterfront a distant third (45.3 %).
There is a marked shift in the percentage of residents visiting takeaway outlets – which fell from 57 % in 2018 to just 40 % in 2019. This could be due to the tight economy or reflects the impact of online food apps, with 66.7 % of respondents indicating that they order food online.
MOST POPULAR PUBLIC SPACE
The Company’s Garden was a clear winner with 76.2 % of respondents still enjoying spending time in the Central City’s green lung, with St Georges Mall finding favour with 30.2 % of respondents and Greenmarket Square being favoured by 23.3 %.
These three popular public spaces remain unchanged from the 2018 Residential Survey – with the Company’s Garden remaining the clear favourite among respondents.
MOBILITY
A third of respondents (36.8 %) get around by car, while 34 % walk. There was a marginal decline in reported car usage since the previous survey, which might reflect the use of ride-hailing apps such as Uber (8 %) and that a growing number of residents (5 %) work from home.
MOST POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATIONS:
- Kloof Street – 65.1%
- Bree Street – 57.4%
- The East City – 37.3%
RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE MORE OF THESE:
- Longer shopping hours – 60 %
- Movie theatres – 44.6 %
- Public parks with playgrounds – 45.1 %
Note: The article appeared in the spring edition of City Views.
IMAGES: Ed Suter