Like minded people? The amusing JHB / CT debate
10. Jun, 2009
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Any South African will tell you that the rivalry between the major cities is fervent – on which is best, has the hottest inhabitants and has the most to do. It goes to say therefore that both these cities will invest avidly on what visitors and locals alike can get up to, and, two sites that boast the best of both regions are JHBLive and 48Hours.
JHBLive has spent time and money on looking trendy and reaching the hip audiences likely to frequent the venues that are listed on the site. I say that like it’s a bad thing… it’s not. I am one. The site is slick and filled with activities from Kulcha to art and music to eating and partying. There is a certain amount of cross referencing of the same places under different headings, but I think the benefit of this is that the venues covered are sure to be seen and attract an eclectic audience.
The welcoming banner consists of scrolling news and is subbed by the easy-to-follow click-through options. At the bottom of the site are more links – and so very many to choose from. These will take you through submitted reviews and news on food, sports, galleries, venues, watering holes and more. The site is a forum for people who enjoy eating out, dancing, drinking, taking in art and then sharing on that. Written by people who have actually sat in those spaces as opposed to publishing press releases from the venues; you know you are hearing it first hand.
The site is presented in a blog format from the homepage with a long scrolling page to get through. Perhaps they might consider click through banner-options in a landscape version to assure quick browsers the best choice when they click on to the site – specially if only for a few minutes.
There is a very interesting call for entries to their ITCH venture; an art forum for submissions of any interpretation and medium. As fervent travelers and seekers of information from national and international stimulus here on Travelwires.com, you might have your own itch (or itchy feet) to talk/paint/write/create about. Why not set that inner creative free and give it a shot?!
The Next 48 Hours is both a printed and online version of the coolest events in Cape Town from movies, theatre, music and reviews to a jam-packed Entertainment Guide section that lists the best in theatre, arts and the nightlife etc.
The site has a welcoming feel to it and runs its itinerary on a cycle that starts on a Friday and ends the following Thursday. Appealing to both locals and tourists alike, the site offers exchange rates, a newsletter to register for and a scrolling weather bar.
48Hours is a trouble-free site to use in order to plan a weekend for all age groups. I also think its user-friendliness responds to a younger browsing internet surfer because, trust me, I know eight year olds that are using the internet. The colour scheme would invite an overhaul if I had my way, but the site’s simplicity and the way it presents its information is conducive to its purpose: simply finding something to do.
48Hours is an open book and calls for emails from anyone with any information to share on what’s going down in the mother city. Well written and informative articles guide you through your paces and will help you best plan your next 48 hours. There’s even some retrospect angle: check out a great summation of the year so far by Kirsten Smart.
Debate as we may about these two cities, it is also something we can giggle about and be transient with. People move from Joburg to Cape Town and become staunch devotees for the coolness of the mother city and renounce any connection to their previous abodes. And then if-and-when they move back – all is forgotten once more. As different as these two cities are, they are also so much of the very same; both are filled with people that like people and like to spend time with like-minded people. Check out both and more, you won’t be sorry.
Next week: where to lay your hat, with Holiday Inn or Southern Sun.
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
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