Want to know where the locals love to go? In this exclusive series on Time Out Cape Town, ‘Local Intel’ taps into some of the city’s best-connected characters to unearth the corners you simply can’t miss in the Mother City.
Drawing inspiration from her Zulu and Ndebele heritage, Sindiso Khumalo is a celebrated textile designer based in Cape Town.
A former architecture student at the University of Cape Town, she later honed her creative vision with a Master’s in Textiles Futures from Central St. Martins in London, after working under renowned architect David Adjaye.
Deeply influenced by her activist mother, Khumalo integrates social equality and female empowerment into her brand ethos, with designs spotlighting handcrafted textiles often produced in collaboration with NGOs and workshops in South Africa and Burkina Faso.
Through her collections, Khumalo explores the representation of Black women from the early 20th century to the 1980s, weaving narratives of Africa’s rich history and women’s empowerment into every garment.
A joint recipient of the 2020 LVMH Prize, Khumalo’s work has been shown at institutions including the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Zeitz MOCAA, and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, while global brand collaborations include IKEA and Vodacom.
Llandudno has always been my favourite beach. It’s great if you have young kids, with a sandy beach and pools of water ideal for kids. It’s a very easy spot, it’s not too big. It feels like a very local beach and it’s close to most parts of Cape Town, so you can meet people coming from town or the southern suburbs. And because it’s not as popular as Camps Bay it feels more relaxed.
Definitely my favourite foodie place for lunch with girlfriends. The food at Our Local is really good, but within a relaxed setting. It’s on Kloof Street which is really buzzy but it’s an oasis within Kloof. My usual order? Always the shakshuka in the mornings. It’s also a really nice place to watch the rugby, because it’s not too boisterous.
117 Kloof St, Gardens
Even though it’s an internationally acclaimed hotel, the Mount Nelson Hotel feels very local; very Cape Town. And culturally, it’s a really relevant space right now. It’s a combination of being this old heritage hotel, but with a young fresh cultural experience with the artwork and the fashion experiences they have on offer. I love the Planet Bar: they do the best margaritas! But I also love their Sunday lunches at the Oasis Restaurant. It’s a lovely brunch with beautiful jazz.
76 Orange St, Gardens
I’m obsessed with ëlgr! Also on Kloof Street, it’s a little oasis, especially in the winter when they light up the fireplaces. But I love the way it exists as a really lovely restaurant in the winter as well as the summer.
75 Kloof St, Gardens
This is more of a Cape Town store, where you can find the best of Cape Town’s designers. It’s got very exclusive capsules of people’s collections, and it’s all hyper-curated. AKJP is where I go to get birthday presents or Christmas gifts because they always have really interesting brands across a range of items, from ceramics to bags to jewellery.
73 Kloof St, Gardens
I love running on the Sea Point promenade. On a Saturday I’ll start at Sea Point Pool and do a run all the way to the Oranjezicht City Farm Market at the Waterfront. It’s a really lovely way of experiencing the city, ending off at an amazing market with fresh produce and lovely fresh juices.
I simply love this atelier. When you’re in the Pichulik space it feels very quiet, an oasis just off Bree Street. I love the storytelling behind her work. She always has an exhibition on offer too, so it’s always about more than the jewellery, but about storytelling around the unique strength of femininity.
8 Watson Street, Cape Town
I love going to Spier for the weekend. It has so much to offer in terms of activities, like the bike rides and Eagle Encounters. It’s just lovely, and the staff are amazing. I think it’s brilliant for locals doing a staycation.
R310, Stellenbosch
Merchants on Long is an African concept store that has a very contemporary African aesthetic. It’s where I go to find out and learn about new African designers. A lot of designers, such as Thebe Magugu and myself, we all started out at Merchants and I love how they’ve supported designers’ journeys. They have a real sense of African storytelling.
34 Long St, Cape Town
The tiny Gin Bar on Wale Street is a really lovely place to meet up with girlfriends. But I also enjoy Athletic Club & Social. There’s a bit of an older crowd, and I love the fact there are lots of little nooks and quieter spaces. I’m a bubbles girl, so I’ll always order a Cap Classique.
The Gin Bar: 64a Wale Street
Athletic Club & Social: 35 Buitengracht Street
The Werf Restaurant at Boschendal, overlooking the gardens, is just wonderful. Whenever we have guests visiting, we’ll always take them out there. They have an art exhibition, too, so there’s always something culturally relevant, which I think is crucial in these spaces. I love to see an element of art or design as part of the setup.
Helshoogte Road, Franschhoek
This store in the Long Street Arcade is where all the stylists go to pick up things. Glitterati Vintage is just a real hidden gem, and I have found the most incredible vintage clothes there. It’s organised perfectly, with such specific items, and so nicely curated.
127 Long Street, Cape Town
The trail up Lion’s Head is a great walk, especially with friends. And from the top, you really get to understand the geography of Cape Town in such a panoramic setting.
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