edits
IS S UE TH IRT Y-FIVE 1st Quarter 2020
magazine
YOUR
FREE COPY
The Century City Sports Festival packed a punch
CHRIS’S CORNER
EDITOR’S NOTE
What an exciting start to the year at Century City! Our 12th annual Sports Festival was a tremendous success once again. Every year it just gets better, and we are very fortunate to have amazing partners who are passionate about their sports. It’s been Discovery Vitality’s third year of sponsoring the very popular 5km and Century City Express 10km running races. The array of sporting codes this year has been incredible – from running, touch rugby and cycling to SUP-ing, canoeing and dragon boat racing. It’s an opportunity to not only bring the Century City community together, but to showcase the various aspects within our precinct to those from other suburbs and cities – to introduce our way of living! Read all about the Sports Festival on pages 13 to 14. An exciting addition to the Century City team is Louise de Roubaix, our new Environmental and Horticulture Manager. Read more about Louise in “Five Minutes with Louise” on page 9. It’s great to have the energy and experience of Louise on board to drive not only our conservation efforts, but also the greening of Century City in a responsible and sustainable way. We have a great programme of activities and events lined up for the year, where we hope to see our Century City community connect with each other and just enjoy life. See you out there!
There’s so much more to Century City than meets the eye! It’s hard to believe that when asked, many Capetonians have no idea where Intaka Island is and have not heard of it before. Once you find out that it’s a beautiful, 16-hectare wetland and bird sanctuary right in the centre of Century City, you start to wonder what else you don’t know about the precinct. Taking a boat ride from Intaka Island through the canals of Century City is quite an interesting experience. Day visitors’ entrance fees onto Intaka Island are R24 for adults and R14 for children under 12 (which includes entry onto the Island), and you can glide over the waters and appreciate not only the amazing lifestyle of living near the water, but the abundant birdlife right in the middle of the city! Read more about living, working and playing in Century City on page 1. Our art trail, founded by Century City Arts Foundation, is another hidden gem. Did you know that we have 23 artworks on our art trail? They range from thought-provoking murals to beautiful statues. Canal Walk has four large art pieces inside the mall, and then we also have the new addition to our cultural experience: “The Long March to Freedom” life-size bronze statues, which are displayed at the Steelbridge e-Parking on the corner of Century Drive and Century Boulevard. Read about some of the artists who were responsible for these exquisite sculptures on page 5. Come on over!
Chris Blackshaw
Natalie du Preez
CEO | Century City Property Owners’ Association
Editor
EDITOR: Natalie du Preez | 021 550 7000 | natalie@centurycity.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER: Tatum Sieni | 021 552 6889 ART DIRECTOR: Elinore de Lisle | 083 574 8937 | elinore@iafrica.com COVER PHOTO: Century City Sports Festival 2020 COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: Michel Dei-Cont
021 0105 555 0105 021 555
Tamarin Smith 084 301 8616 Devon Usher 082 446 9188
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O U R G R OW I N G C I T Y
WHY CENTURY CITY IS THE HOTTEST PLACE TO RENT, BUY AND WORK
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entury City has been named as one of the rental hot spots in the Western Cape by Property 24. “The rising trend is for young professionals to cluster in cosmopolitan mixed-use areas such as the CBD and Century City, where they have access to excellent amenities and lifestyle and the MyCiTi transport network,” reads their article of 18 February 2020. With rental vacancy figures the lowest in four years, it is quite evident that Century City is a prime choice for young professionals and young families, as well as for retirees and mature professionals who prefer a lockup-and-go lifestyle in a safe and secure environment. The growing trend is “rentvesting”, where millennials, who cannot afford to purchase the property in the suburb they want to live, purchase a more affordable property in another area, which they rent out to build up an investment, while renting in the suburb they want to live in. Young professionals prefer to rent in the trendy live-work-play environments. Renting also typically means less maintenance and offers a convenient lifestyle. “We have seen a drop in rental vacancies from 20% to under 10% over a period of four years, which is excellent for the precinct,” says Miguel Rodrigues, Director at Rabie Property Group. “Century City offers a beautifully
maintained environment, safety, convenience and ample green open spaces. For those who also work here, it’s the ultimate lifestyle. With two preschools and Curro Primary and High schools, the kids are taken care of too.” However, it’s not only the rental statistics that are very positive. The investment in sales of new apartments and resales of existing homes reached R220m from October 2019 to the end of January 2020. Devon Usher, director of Property World, confirms the positive sentiment in the node. “Our resales have seen an increase, especially since January. Sellers are all achieving very good returns on investment, especially those who have held their properties for more than five years. We are seeing returns of 8% and
9% and even up to 12.5% per annum on some homes.” The retirement sector’s resales and rentals in Century City are not lagging. Over the last six months, Oasis Luxury Resort, which consists wholly of sectional title apartments, has seen resales equal to the value of the preceding 12 months. Century City remains a desirable retirement address due to its walkability, closeness to nature and sense of community. It’s the desire to invest in a lifestyle and not just a roof over your head that’s fuelling a new way of living: skipping hours in the traffic and rather cycling or walking to work in a beautiful, safe suburb. It’s about having all the conveniences at your fingertips. Emerging as Cape Town’s own Smart City, the living’s good at Century City!
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O U R G R OW I N G C I T Y
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NEW “GREEN” DEPOT FOR CENTURY CITY
n Friday, 21 February 2020, Century City Property Owners’ Association took the handover of their newly completed 1,200 square metre Depot. This multiuse facility will be used as a maintenance workshop, tools and equipment storage, and changing rooms and showers for maintenance and ground staff. They will be moving into their new “digs” during the first week of March from what was meant to be a temporary facility at Ratanga Junction, but which became a 10-year residence and
is now well beyond its lifespan. “It’s the first time since the inception of Century City that our maintenance and ground staff have an appropriate facility where they can work, enjoy a lunch break, and have a shower before they go home,” says CCPOA’s Facilities and Infrastructure Manager, Gordon Ralph. “We are proud to have been intrinsically involved in the management of this project together with Tim Hughes Architects and Big Ben Construction. “The Depot was designed
utilising green building principles,” says Ralph. “Green initiatives include extended roof eaves to cast a shadow over the horizontal windows, use of natural light to reduce the need for lights, LED lights throughout the building to reduce energy demand, and a 10kW solar system to reduce dependency on the municipality’s supplied electricity. The offices only get morning sun, so air conditioning is not required to cool the building. Recycled effluent is used for the irrigation and the flushing of toilets.”
From left to right: Tim Hughes (Tim Hughes Architects), Chris Blackshaw (CCPOA), Rob Stuart-Fox (S&T Consulting), Gordon Ralph (CCPOA), Riaan van der Heever (Big Ben), Alistair Turell (Planning Partners), Colin Ridley (Big Ben)
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O U R G R OW I N G C I T Y
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INTAKA ISLAND OPENS NEW FRESHWATER EXHIBIT
f you’ve ever wondered what goes on inside the Century City canals, you can visit the new freshwater exhibit at Intaka Island. The donation of a beautiful tank by Jeremy Horner to Intaka Island triggered the idea of recreating the conditions of the Century City canals. All the fish and aquatic plants were obtained from the local canals and include Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), Cape kurper (Sandelia capensis), Banded tilapia (Tilapia sparrmanii) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), which are endemic to South Africa. Representing the natural ecosystem in the canals, this singular glimpse
of an ecosystem matches well with curriculum topics of abiotic and biotic factors and their interactions. The tank is located in Intaka Island’s energy classroom, and learners will now be able to
understand the canals and their microcosm so much better. Day visitors’ entrance fees onto Intaka Island are R24 for adults and R14 for children under 12.
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O U R G R OW I N G C I T Y
BRIDGEWATER: CENTURY CITY'S NEW HOTEL, BOOSTS HOSPITALITY NODE
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ollowing the success of Century City Conference Centre and Hotel, joint CEOs Gary Koetser and Glyn Taylor have broken ground on a brand-new hotel in Century City. Aimed for completion by mid-2021, Century City Hotel Bridgewater is an exciting addition to the acclaimed Century City Hotels brand and is set to complement the existing hospitality offering in the node. The existing Century City Hotel will be rebranded as Century City Hotel Urban Square, and Century City Hotel Bridgewater will claim its role as the new “sister” property. The new hotel will increase accommodation from 125 rooms at Century City Hotel Urban Square to 223 rooms between the two properties, and almost 700 rooms within walking distance of Century City Conference Centre. This addition to the already diverse accommodation offering in Century City firmly cements Century City as an established hospitality destination. The “breaking of ground” ceremony was led by Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, who – in his role as a minister for economic opportunities – officially opened the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel four years ago. Says Winde: “It’s really exciting to see how the investment has grown, and as a result of that investment and vision, the generated demand now
From left to right: Gary Koetser (Joint CEO, Century City Conference Centre and Hotel); Colin Anderson (COO, Rabie Property Group); Alan Winde (Western Cape Premier); Glyn Taylor (Joint CEO, Century City Conference Centre and Hotel); Mariska Auret (Project Manager, Rabie Property Group); Tafadzwa Ncube (Project Manager, Rabie Property Group)
requires this expansion. A huge focus will be on sustainability and the reusing of water in a water-scarce environment.” The waterways in the Bridgewater Precinct will flow within the canals and not flow off into the ocean – Century City Hotel Bridgewater will also operate as a “green building”. The Premier furthermore expressed his delight at the job creation ignited by the Bridgewater One project. “This expansion means that more jobs are created in the construction industry, more jobs in the hospitality and catering industry, and more jobs for local entrepreneurs.” What is Bridgewater One? When complete, Rabie Property Group’s R600-million mixeduse development will consist
of an 80-room hotel flanked by 122 apartments, overlooking three hectares of water and greenery, and three individual office buildings. Between this cluster of buildings, a sunny, sheltered, central courtyard will be lined with shops and restaurants. Beneath them, two levels of parking will provide 376 secure undercover bays, offering Bridgewater residents a superb quality of life in Century City’s rapidly maturing Bridgeways Precinct. Says Koetser: “We are all excited to be part of this new development, as it will provide further growth opportunities for our employees. Our culture of mentorship and employee empowerment is of utmost importance to us and will continue to be prioritised as the business grows.”
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CITY LIFE
MEET THE LOCAL ARTISTS BEHIND “THE LONG MARCH TO FREEDOM” STATUES
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s the sun sets behind Table Mountain, the silhouettes of the procession of 100 life-size statues, “The Long March to Freedom”, cast long shadows. Moving the exhibition to its new home in Century City brought the bronzes closer to two local artists who were responsible for a number of these exquisite artworks. Artists Tania Lee and Cristina Salvoldi, Cape Town residents, and Lungisa Kala, who hails from the Eastern Cape, were commissioned to jointly complete the statues of Winnie Mandela and Dr Martin Luther King. All fulltime artists, they had each previously created other bronzes in the procession: Tania Lee sculpted Walter and Albertina Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo and Rev Zaccheus Mahabane. Cristina Salvoldi sculpted Ray Alexander Simons, Bertha Mkhize and Govan Mbeki. Lungisa Kala sculpted Josiah Gumede. Lungisa Kala is a young, up-and-coming artist and started out as an assistant on “The Long March to Freedom” project. Through Tania and Cristina’s mentorship, Lungisa developed and honed his skills to
a professional level. All three sculptors are passionate about sharing their skills, and during the making of these bronzes they mentored another trainee assistant, Madodana Cita. The artists commenced the
process by working closely with “The Long March to Freedom” professional team, collecting as much research and information on the person to be depicted as possible, and decisions were made on the age, pose and clothing. They prepared maquettes, or scale models,
which are about 30cm tall. These were 3D scanned and upscaled to life size and then carved out of high-density foam. This served as an armature for the artist to work on with a plasticine clay to create the final surfaces and exact portraits. The artists worked for about a month on each of the pieces before they were moulded and cast by Sculpture Casing Services, a professional foundry based in Strand, Cape Town. Working on the life-size figures is physically and mentally challenging, and each detail and measurement is constantly checked, rechecked and adjusted. “The Long March to Freedom” professional team visited and critiqued the work in progress, often resulting in radical changes. The portrait head of the Dr Martin Luther King figure, for instance, was removed and remade a couple of times to get the size right, and Winnie Mandela had to link to an existing sculpture of Nelson Mandela by another artist, which required careful planning and tweaking. Of the Dr Martin Luther King statue, Tania Lee says: “We wanted the sculpture to convey Dr Martin Luther King’s absolute ▶
6 determination and persistence in realising his vision despite all adversity. He is depicted walking determinedly, almost marching, looking straight ahead with dogged focus. His hands show trademark gestures and reflect his great flair as an inspiring orator. He is holding a microphone in his left hand and its cord spirals down towards the floor. The cord is made up of cut-out words from one of his well-known quotes, and the font style is indicative of the 1960s ‘radio’ type: If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward. “For Winnie Mandela, we wanted to capture the energy and vibrance of her character. It was decided that she should
From left to right: Lungisa Kala, Tania Lee, Madodana Cita, Cristina Salvoldi
be depicted holding hands with the sculpture of Nelson Mandela that had previously been sculpted by South African sculptor Barry Jackson. She was unveiled, having been joined to the statue of Mandela, on 14 February 2019,” says Lee.
“The Long March to Freedom” bronzes can be seen at the Steelbridge e-Parking on the corner of Century Drive and Century Boulevard. They are open from 9am to 6pm, and tickets are available through Computicket.
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CITY LIFE
THE CENTURY CITY EXPRESS WITH DISCOVERY VITALITY 10KM & 5KM FUN RUN
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he 2020 leap year morning dawned with a beautiful pink sky across an unusually quiet Century City. This morning, there was a sense of anticipation and great excitement as the runners for the Century City Express 10km and 5km Fun Run got ready to hit the road. The sun rose in bright yellows and reds as the runners started off, a pesky breeze the only blemish to a perfect morning. Part of the 12th annual Century City Sports Festival, the running event is the most popular, with this year’s runners exceeding 5,000. Discovery Vitality was the main sponsor for the third consecutive year. The race started off just beyond Intaka Island and circled wide around the boundary of the precinct, past Canal Walk and back again with the finish
line at Central Park. Runners of all ages and fitness levels enjoyed the fun of the 5km race, and more serious runners attempted to improve on their personal bests with the flat 10km. Various running clubs participated, including the local Century City Athletic Club, Bellville, Edgemead, Khayelitsha, Langa, Tygerberg, West Coast and various universities and corporate teams. There were 3,798 participants who crossed the finish line in the 10km race, and the 5km runners totalled 1,018, which included 200 children from JAG Foundation. The first over the finish line was 24-year-old Anthony Timoteus from the University of the Western Cape, who sprinted through at a rapid speed with a finishing time of 30:43. He won
10KM FIRST THREE MEN FINISHERS Left to right: Chris Blackshaw, CEO of the Century City Property Owners’ Association (CCPOA), Vuyolethu Mbukushe (3rd), Anthony Timoteus (1st), Mbongeni Ngxazozo (2nd) and Bertie Cloete, Chairman of the Century City Athletic Club
a R10,000 cash prize, a R3,000 Canal Walk voucher and a Discovery Vitality gift pack. Hot on his heels was 40-yearold Mbongeni Ngxazozo from Rockies, who charged in at 30:59. Third fastest was Vuyolethu Mbukushe, 29 years old, from Atlantic Athletic Club, who came in at 31:06. The ladies were led by 32-year-old Fortunate Chidzivo from Retail Capital Langa, who finished with a super speedy 32:53. 25-year-old Kyla van Graan from Murray & Roberts WP finished second with 35:28, and Paige Mackenzie, 19 years old, from UCT was in at third place at 36:09. The fastest veteran (70+) was 71-year-young Henry Cleophas from Nedbank Running Club, who blazed through with a finishing time of 48:31. The fastest of the ladies was Diana ▶
10KM FIRST LADIES FINISHERS Left to right: Chris Blackshaw, CEO of the Century City Property Owners’ Association (CCPOA), Paige Mackenzie (3rd), Fortunate Chidzivo (1st), Kyla van Graan (2nd) and Bertie Cloete, Chairman of the Century City Athletic Club
8 Thomson, 73 years young, from K-Way VOB with 56:41. The less serious 5km was more of family affair and the top 10 runners were dominated by youngsters. Jason Bruiners (24) did a quick 16:08 run, with 19year old Batandwa Matinise on
his heels at 16:48 and Micardo Maregele (17) with 16:54. 64-year-old Clive Justus – the only runner over the age of 30 in the 5km top 10 – finished with a great time of 18:50. The ladies were led by 29-year-old Simone Loedolff,
10KM VETERAN (70+) LADIES FINISHERS Left to right: Chris Blackshaw, Pixie Sparg (3rd) Diana Thomson (1st) and Marietha Herbert (2nd)
with a finishing time of 20:17. Two 10-year-olds were second and third – Zoe-Jane Cole with a time of 20:52, and Amy Opperman with a great 20:58. For the full list of 5km and 10km results, please visit: www. centurycity.co.za
10KM VETERAN GENT (70+) FINISHERS Left to right: Chris Blackshaw, Osbourne Renecke (3rd), Jeff Smith (2nd) and Henry Cleophas (1st)
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CITY LIFE
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FIVE MINUTES WITH LOUISE DE ROUBAIX
ewly appointed Environmental and Horticulture Manager for Century City, Louise de Roubaix, was born and bred in the Western Cape and has dedicated her life to caring for its fauna and flora. Louise is originally from Paarl and grew up in Wellington in the heart of the Boland mountains. She studied Nature Conservation and has been working in the environmental, conservation and urban greening industry for over 20 years. Her career started with the South African National Parks Board (Garden Route area), whereafter she spent more than eight years as Conservation Manager with CapeNature, managing conservation areas and extended public works programmes in the Boland and West Coast areas. Louise joined Drakenstein Municipality’s Parks & Nature Conservation Division and worked there for about 11 years as Conservationist, where she was responsible for overseeing the municipality’s urban greening, public open spaces and protected area management. In 2019, she joined marine conservation and coral reef restoration projects for different international NGOs in the Seychelles. Born and bred in Paarl and Wellington, you spent 11 years conserving the natural heritage of Paarlberg. Looking after a 1,910ha area
is quite a challenge. What were one or two highlights of your time spent there? Drakenstein Municipality is regarded as the second-largest municipality in the Western Cape, and therefore it was a privilege for me to oversee the Nature Conservation function for the organisation. As an ever-evolving position, things were always interesting! What I enjoyed the most was living and working in the majestic Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve and looking after the area where I grew up. Intaka Island differs substantially from the vast open spaces of Paarl, and you will hopefully not encounter any leopards here! What excites you most about being involved with this precious wetland in the midst of a mini-city? What excites me most about this position is that the role is very diverse! It involves not only the conservation of the Intaka Island Nature Reserve,
but also includes environmental management of the entire Century City precinct. My role is to ensure that sustainable development continues to take place and that it does not compromise the green splendor and ecological functioning of the now established natural ecosystem. I also oversee horticulture and landscaping, which includes the maintenance and upgrading of Century City’s beautiful green public open spaces, gardens, parks and lawned landscapes. The management of arboriculture, or urban trees, and the water canals system is also part of my overarching responsibilities. The concept of new urbanism excites me – when urban development is executed in a sustainable manner around the existing natural environment; when a man-made ecosystem can coexist with a natural system and a balance between nature and people exists. I am very excited about working for an innovative and professional NPO such as the CCPOA. Besides carrying the flag for our beautiful environment, what other passions do you have? I am passionate about animal rights and volunteer work. In my free time I love to do any kind of outdoor activity and sport, so I enjoy mountain biking, trail running, park runs, yoga and just generally try to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I also love to travel, both locally and abroad.
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CITY LIFE
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A WHOLE LOTTA LOVE AT THE VELENTINE’S NIGHT MARKET
hen the moon hits your eye at the Valentine’s Night Market, you know it’s amore! Century City was awash with community love on the evening of 14 February when the stars came out with a twinkle in their eyes. The fast and the thirsty were assured of good seats as the crowd spilled out across The Square. It was a hive of activity with live music, way too many
food choices and a whole lotta love for the good things in life. Ice-cold drinks for every taste were flowing, and a vast array of food was a feast for the senses. There was wine of every variety, G+Ts of all colours, and beer for days. We tried a little tenderness and sank our teeth into everything from shawarmas, pitas, pizzas, sushi and kebabs to cakes, tartlets and hot churros with dripping chocolate sauce.
And these were just a few of our favourite things! Night markets are nothing without acoustic vibes, which were passionately delivered by Celine and Empire Alight. Celine’s blend of pop and rock is inspired by female artists such as Jessie J, Joan Jett, Alanis Morisette, Janis Joplin and Lady Gaga. Empire Alight’s intimate acoustic trio tugged on the heartstrings with love songs, and got the shower-soloists going with a collection of all-time favorites. Whether you ended up holding someone’s hand, didn’t find what you’re looking for or got a bit crazy in love, you are the wind beneath our wings! We will always love Summer Night Markets, which is why we’re doing it all again on 13 March. You know we belong together, so we’ll see you there from 4pm on The Square.
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CITY LIFE
CULINARY GENIUSES FROM THE RESTAURANTS IN CENTURY CITY I have been concentrating on a healthy diet, as I gym often. I would say avocado chicken salad is my favourite, and scrambled eggs on wholewheat toast is my go-to breakfast.
Abbas Abrahams
Head Chef at Abbas’ kitchen, Century City Conference Centre Abbas started his career in 1982 and has worked in numerous hotels in Cape Town, starting off as a trainee and working his way up the ranks to his current position of Head Chef at Century City Conference Centre. “I have had quite a journey over the years! Thus far, I have achieved all my life’s goals. Working in this industry has given me exposure to various clients, working with younger chefs and moulding them for their future careers.” Abbas’ kitchen serves a wide range of meals for an array of different functions: anything from 10 to 1,200 people, whether it be a finger fork lunch, buffet or set menu. You are a Capetonian through and through – born in Constantia and grew up in the Cape Flats. What is your favourite local dish? Lately,
In terms of an international cuisine destination – is there a country on your bucket list you would love to visit, and what about their cuisine intrigues you? I love Mediterranean cuisine, which offers a little bit of everything. I am particularly drawn to Turkish cuisine. If money and distance were no object and you could open your own restaurant anywhere in the world and serve anything you fancy – where would you choose, what would you call it and why? A dream would be a café on the beach. I saw this amazing place in Rio’s Copacabana Beach last year – fresh salads and cocktails being served the whole day. I would most definitely open my café in Camps Bay.
Melisha Dodgen-Roman
Executive Chef at CinCin Restaurant, Colosseum Melisha joined the team right from the opening date in 2007. Starting out as sous-chef, Melisha was promoted to Executive Chef in 2013. When did you decide that the culinary world was one you wanted to be in, and what about it do you enjoy the most? This is not a world I had my heart set on! My journey started at Morton’s on the Wharf in the Waterfront where I was exposed to cuisines from New Orleans. In the four years spent there, I never looked back. I love the rush from working under pressure. Working in a 360-seater restaurant that’s fully booked every night, high season, and quick turning tables: that’s pressure! I have lived it and loved it for 27 years. As an executive chef, it’s your job to make sure that your
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menu remains relevant, fresh and appealing to clientele. Where do you find your inspiration and how do you make sure that your dishes remain interesting? My main inspiration comes from our guests. We make an effort to listen to their suggestions and try and make that the foundation of any new creation, whether it’s a cocktail in our bar or a simple sandwich. The secret is to top it off with a little modern magic! My à la carte menu is not based on the latest trends, as we have found that our regular guests love simple, yet elegant food. You are a judge on an international cooking show, and you have to choose four indigenous ingredients from South Africa for the contestants to cook with, which must be the hero of the dish. What do you choose and why? I would choose a tin of pilchards, maize meal, samp and sour figs. These are affordable and accessible, and the most amazing dishes can be created with them. Preparing a great meal doesn’t have to be expensive.
Setsuo Tateuchi Executive Chef at Akiya Sushi
Setsuo Tateuchi hails from Hokkaido Island in Japan and grew up in his father’s French restaurant. From a young age, he was surrounded and influenced by culinary excellence and it was a natural progression for him to
follow in his father’s footsteps to become a chef too. With his father’s encouragement, he was taught the ropes across a variety of specialist Japanese cuisine as well as French cuisine. In 1986, at the age of 24, he came to South Africa with a group of young chefs through the Southern Sun Group for about six years. After a stint back in Japan, Chef Setsuo joined Southern Sun again in Durban and then went through to Johannesburg. His name is connected to the conceptualisation of several top restaurants – Haiku, Monk, Saigon and Willoughby & Co. He joined Akiya Sushi a year ago. You followed in your father’s footsteps. What are some of the early learnings that have been valuable to your career? In Japan, each type of cuisine is a speciality. If you want to learn how to do the best kaiseki, you study at one restaurant; if you want to learn how to do the best tempura, you study at another. I was very fortunate that I had my father to guide me and also teach me what he knew in terms of French cuisine. I grew up with
a love for original, delicious food and that is what I aim to create. What type of food do you enjoy and what are your core principles for creating dishes? I believe in using the freshest, best ingredients. I love authentic, simple food made with quality ingredients. The flavours of a dish must not compete with each other. I quite like spicy food, specifically Korean, but I prefer to buy the best ingredients from the suppliers I know best and prepare my own. The Western palette is very different from that of the Japanese, which is quite simple with a leaning towards minimalism. The complexity, of course, is in the preparation. The aesthetic of beautiful presentation and the use of fresh, high-quality seasonal ingredients is the reason for the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine. Akiya Sushi is a Japanese-style cuisine restaurant. Based on sushi, they also offer dim sum and Chinese dishes. Their sit-down restaurant is situated opposite Curro Century City on the corner of Century Avenue and Socrates Way. They also have a takeaway outlet in Century Village, situated opposite Curro Century City on Century Way. You can visit their website https://www.akiyasushi. com/ for more info, or call the restaurant on 021 110 5747 between 10am and 9pm, or for takeaways between 10:30am and 9:30pm, contact them on 063 553 6016.
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CITY LIFE
CENTURY CITY SPORTS FESTIVAL 2020 PACKED A PUNCH
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ith eight sporting codes over three days, the Century City Sports Festival was a great success. Held from Friday 28 February to Sunday 1 March, the total number of participants across the spectrum was in excess of 6,000.
The outdoor events showcased all that Century City has to offer – a great environment for a variety of sports: soccer, running, cycling and the thrilling water sports which include Stand-Up Paddling, canoeing and dragon boat racing. Friday kicked off with Curro
Century City Independent School’s own mini-tournament, starting with Senior Tennis. The day ended on a high with strong boys across 11 teams battling it out in the Schools Touch Rugby tournament, and 14 teams of “manne” in the Corporate Touch.
Jarrod Doyle
14 Dragon Boat Racers also competed in their clubs’ 2,400m and 1,000m events. Saturday started bright and early with over 5,000 runners lining up pre-dawn for the festival’s signature event, The Century City Express with Discovery Vitality 10km and 5km Fun Run. Read the full story on page 7-8. The Century City Canoe Club hosted a “Guess your time challenge” on the Grand Canal. Canoeists had to enter a guesstimate finishing time over a 6.7km course at registration. They then raced against each other to beat these times along the Grand Canal and Intaka Island. Dragon Boat Racing club sprints are always entertaining to watch and exhilarating to participate in. The racing took place on the Grand Canal in the afternoon, with several teams participating. Curro Century City Independent School’s mini tournament continued with a swimathon in their new aquatics centre, a girls’ 5-a-side soccer game, and a table tennis tournament for learners. They also hosted Senior Soccer matches. Sunday, the last day of the Sports Festival, started at the crack of dawn with the Cycling Kermesse, a street circuit on Century Way and Esplanade Road. There were general male and female categories as well as junior races for under 11 years, under 13 years and under 15 to 17 years. Stand-Up Paddling (SUP) is trending as a new and ▶
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exiting sport, and the Stand-Up Paddling South Africa Century City SUP & Paddleboard Challenge did not disappoint. Participants could compete in 15km, 9km and 3km races along the Grand Canal and around
Intaka Island. They also hosted a social event after the races, during which the public were invited to try out the SUP boards. One of the spectator highlights were the 45 teams with 360 players who partook in the Elite
and Social 5-a-side Soccer Tournament at Fives Futbol. This kicked off at midday, and the large crowd kept the energy of this growing sport going. Half Moon Bay was the location of the Canoe Polo, a game of two halves of 10 minutes where two teams of five players battle it out with a water polo ball. The aim is to score into a goal, which is suspended 2m above the water at each end of a rectangular “playing pitch”. This sport is as much fun to play as it is to watch. The Western Cape Canoe Union is also very active in growing the sport. The Century City Sports Festival sure packed a punch. See you again next year!
What to do? Where to go? What to eat? Yes, we know load shedding can be a real drag. That’s why we’ve rounded up all the future-focused and power-shutdown-ready places in Century City where you can get something to eat and drink during these dark times. Please visit our website for a full list of restaurants that are operational during load shedding: www.centurycity.co.za/blogs
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CITY LIFE
EVENTS AT CENTURY CITY Century City Parkrun Every Saturday at Central Park Join us for a free, timed 5km run/walk at 8am every Saturday on Central Park. Rain or shine, we parkrun!
Summer Night Market 13 March at The Square Situated on the iconic Century City Square, boasting an array of food, drinks, goodies and gifts as well as some great live music.
The Galileo Open Air Cinema 13 March & 10 April at Central Park We welcome you to a magical movie experience under a canopy of stars. It’s the perfect setting for a memorable evening with friends, a romantic date, intimate birthday party or work social.
Full Moon Hike 8 April at Intaka Island Join us for a guided tour and discover the sights, sounds and smells of Intaka Island at night while the city goes into hibernation.
Century City Natural Goods Market & Art on the Island 29 March & 26 April at Central Park On the last Sunday of the month. Relax and sample delicious fare, browse the monthly art exhibion, enjoy live music, and let the kids take advantage of activities on offer.
Intaka Island Easter Egg Hunt 12 April at Intaka Island Join us on Intaka Island this Easter Sunday for a funfilled afternoon of education, entertainment and, of course ‌ chocolate!
Century City Winter Night Markets 29 May at Intaka Island Winter sees the return of the Century City Winter Night Markets to Intaka Island. Cuddle up next to the heaters in one of our tented seating areas and enjoy the live music, good food and ambience. Visit www.centurycity.co.za or email tatum@centurycity.co.za more information
MEDIA PLATFORMS Century City Media (CCM) offers a niche and unique multimedia marketing platform to businesses and consumers based in and around Century City.
TOUCH POINTS:
150
14 000
12 000
40 000
NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION POINTS
MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS
UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
TOTAL COPIES 4 MAGAZINES PER YEAR
REACH
600
BUSINESSES
4 000
RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS
15 000 RESIDENTS
50 000 OFFICE WORKERS
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO LIST YOUR BUSINESS, VISIT WWW.CENTURYCITY.CO.ZA
Century City Property Owner’s Association Century City House I 1 Park Lane I Grand Central I Century City I Cape Town Telephone: +27 (0)21 552 6889 I email: info@centurycity.co.za I Website: www.centurycity.co.za