# South African Cities - 1st World/3rd World



## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Very very nice and home to my favourite flowers: Strelitzia!


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

*Different Cape Town - Now for the Southern Suburbs*

Newlands... the Cape Town home of Rugby and Cricket...









Business district of the 'burbs... Claremont...

























Atrium in the 'home of the Southern Suburbs Mommy', Cavendish Square S.C.









Rondebosch Common (Univ. of Cape Town on Devil's Peak slopes)









Rhodes Memorial, Rondebosch...









Constantia... yes, this is within the City of Cape Town urban limits!

























Kirstenbosch, voted world's 2nd best botanical garden... S.Hemisphere's largest...

















Tokai... mist bank over the valley from Ou Kaapse Weg (Rd)









Tokai suburbia...









Tokai Valley from the Constatiaberg Range... (False Bay distant)








_*Flickr*_


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## nakoi28 (Jan 17, 2008)

wow


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Rhodes memorial temple looks like ancient Greek. That memorial has anything to do with Greece?


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

^^ Yes, the architecture is definitely Greek, but no... it is a monument to Cecil John Rhodes, a British governor who envisioned a united Africa under the British Crown, so it's very very colonial in nature.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Beautiful vegetation and flowers. That Table Rock scares me... such a haunting promontory.

Are the suburban homes rowhomes or are they detached suburban sprawl?

Cape Town could be the most perfect place to live if it weren't for the freezing ocean temperatures and it's isolated location. Other than that it is such an impressive region. It is not for the faint of heart. Neither is Alaska though.

I need to live near warm seas. That is why I am in South Florida. South Florida has little going for it other than the Keys, Miami, Ft. Laud, Palm Beach and the warm seas. Crime is rampant, many cars are uninsured and people are not friendly. One must drive constanty here.


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

It depends where you are in Cape Town. The southern suburbs are compact, generally medium density residential. The Atlantic Seaboard and city bowl is high-density residential, with the obvious commercial core. The northern suburbs and southern regions of the southern suburbs are large houses and low-density sprawl (but not as bad as say Orlando, Houston or Atlanta in any sense). The south-eastern suburbs (Cape Flats) are poor, generally have train and bus services, but those areas can be unsafe. Thus, in more central areas you don't need a car per sé, but in the suburbs further out, driving is a must. 

Cape Town is isolated geographically, but not isolated in services, entertainment and amenities. Anchorage is a much more boring urban area to live in than Cape Town. The entertainment/lifestyle/things-to-do for locals is far superior than Tampa or Orlando (lived there, so I can compare). 

The ocean on the west side of the peninsula is cold (Antarctic Benguella Current), the east side (Warmer Agulhas Current) is marginally warmer and in summer can actually be quite pleasant... the further east you travel, the warmer it gets, with the Garden Route's beach water quite balmy. Although, compared to Florida's "bath water", you'll only get that hot way up in Mozambique. 

PS. The people are much much friendlier here than the average Floridian. They have the mentality/life-outlook/taste of San Franciscans (generally) and the friendliness of the Mid-West, but they can sometimes be clicky.


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## goschio (Dec 2, 2002)

SA cities look so Australian.


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

^^ Same hemisphere, similar colonial heritage, same climate, similar vegetation types, similar lifestyle... so it is understandable.


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## HirakataShi (Feb 8, 2004)

The Cape doesn't look particularly Australian to me. :?


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## Andre_SP (Jul 3, 2004)

Just spent a couple of days in CT this May, on the way back from Mauritius to Brazil. Cape Town is indeed on the most beautiful and complete cities in the world. Lots of things to see and do, excellent shopping options and restaurants. Driving around sometimes I felt in the US, sometimes in Canada but S.Africa has a different and unique taste that's very distinctive. Apart from the messy connection in Jo'burg (hope it gets better for 2010!), S.Africa is a place I want to visit many times again in the future.
Congratulations for such a beutiful and interesting country!!!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

goschio said:


> SA cities look so Australian.


I dont think so


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## CanudosWar (May 27, 2007)

awesome thread


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## dysan1 (Dec 12, 2004)

Here some of my tit bits of Durban

Central city area




































































































The new Point area at the harbour mouth - regeneration





















Will get some of umhlanga up soon


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Is Durban a cheesy beach town?


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

^^ It's Miami-ish... However, cheesy? Well, I'll let the Durbanites answer that, else they may come show up at my Capetonian door with pitch-forks and blazing torches! :lol:


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Mmmmm Miami seems a bit different. It is slightly cheesy in a new glitzy way but at the same time following a mid century modern formula. Miami has a strong identity.

Durban seems that it was once high end deco that turned 1970s and 1980s cheese when it should have stuck with the post modern deco identity. In this sense it is more like San Juan, Puerto Rico Tel Aviv or Honolulu.

How safe is Durban for swimming and walking?


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

Perfectly fine from my experience. Sea water is nice and warm too  The beaches are packed over New Years!


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

*Johannesburg's Great North*

Apologies (double post)


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

*Johannesburg's Great North*

*Showcasing Africa's richest area... the giant northern sprawl of Jo'burg*

*Sandton...*

































*Fourways...*
























Dinner in the Sky...









*Rivonia...*
N1 (Western Bypass) through the northern suburbs









*Rosebank...*
Building the Gautrain (underground high-speed rail)...

















*Randburg...*
view towards Sandton (left) and Jo'burg (right)

















*Houghton...*









*Northcliffe...*

























*Midrand...* New "city" between Johannesburg & Pretoria
N1 (Ben Schoeman highway) looking towards Sandton/Johannesburg








Kyalami Racetrack...

















*Northgate & North Riding*
View after takeoff from Lanseria Int'l...









*Lanseria Int'l Airport*... Sandton's "executive" answer to OR Tambo International Airport...









_Flickr & Panoramio_


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

*Pretoria - The Capital (Administrative)*

Thanks Pule... wanted to help you out with some more Gauteng urban stuff! Now for "Snorstad!" (English: moustache-city)

PANO - Scroll>>>








































































_*PBase*_


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

*Cape Town*

*Couldn't resist... found some cool new photos, all from the last month*
































































_*Flickr*_


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## Quall (Feb 15, 2006)

Lovely pics of Cape Town


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## montesky (Mar 21, 2006)

stunning! I like Pretoria the most, however Cape Town and Johannesburg suburbs are lovely as well


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## montesky (Mar 21, 2006)

stunning! I like Pretoria the most, however Cape Town and Johannesburg suburbs are lovely as well


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

The first pic annman ^^^^ is awesome! Stunning!


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

Snowy mountains outside *Cape Town's* northern suburbs...









Cape Town sunrise...









Cape Town from Lion's Head...









same place at night...









Long Street... Cape Town's nightlife district... during the day first...









Then night...
































_*Flickr*_


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## Brisbaner21 (Jul 17, 2007)

I have been missing out on this thread.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very nice thread


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

*Johannesburg metro*

Hillbrow at sunset...









Marshalltown at sunrise...









Lines of engineering... Nelson Mandela Bridge and Brixton (Sentech) Tower...









Approaching Jo'burg on the N3 freeway from Durban...









Sandton, Nelson Mandela Square...









The grand halls of Sandton hotels and malls...









Recreating Italy at MonteCasino, Fourways...


















Winter at Zoo Lake...









Crowne Interchange (M1/M2) near Jo'Burg CBD...









Remembering the errors of the past...








_*Flickr*_


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

annman, if you are finding these in flickr, please start taking the time to cut and paste a credit from whosever site you are taking them. Thank you


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Nice pics ^^


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## Marco Polo (Oct 14, 2002)

What a marvelous country!!! I just love it.

Thanks for sharing


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

Will do that from now on Taller,Better.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Thank you sir! It is easy to do when we get used to it, and is respectful to whoever went to all the trouble to take the beautiful pics in the first place!! :cheers:


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## Guest (Jul 28, 2008)

I like it!!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Marvelous country indeed


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

*Port Elizabeth & Grahamstown*

Landing in Port Elizabeth looking towards Cape Recife...








_Flickr - Hereiskaty_

Cape Recife south of PE...








_Flickr - Callyjean_

Lightning on Summerstrand beachfront...
















_Flickr - Petri Karvinen_

Surfing at sunset...








_South African Tourism_

Offramp at SA's newest deepwater port and industrial development zone north of Port Elizabeth...








_Flickr - Eightbits_

Algoa Bay and Hobie Beach...








_Flickr - Depach_

*Now Grahamstown, small inland academic city 120km from PE*...
Architecture...








_Flickr - CrazyDinx_

Statuesque scenes in town...








_Flickr - Vincent Maher_

Views of Grahamstown...








_Flickr - Graham Racher_








_Flickr - *uGene_

From Rhodes University into town & St. Michael's Cathedral...








_Flickr - Princess Blahzah_


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## Jünyus Brütüs (Jul 9, 2007)

which city has the highest GDP per capita in S. Africa? Cape Town or Jburg?


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## annman (Aug 9, 2007)

Jo'burg is the 65th richest city in the world by net GDP at US$79billion, Cape Town is at 68th globally at US$75billion. I believe these figures are in municipal boundaries only and not in "urban economy" boundaries, as the West Rand of Jo'burg has a GDP of US$39billion listed separately. Population of Jo'burg municipal district is 3,8million, with Cape Town at 3,5million. Thus per capita, Jo'burg is US$20789 GDP per capita p.a., Cape Town is US$21428 per capita p.a. *Cape Town is higher, just slightly*. Remember, this is not the average salary of people, or a true reflection of the economic make up of our cities, it simply divides total economic output of each city amongst its population numbers.


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