What's Up in Cape Town This Week (19β25 Jan 2026) | The Cape Town Weekly
January 22, 2026
Things to do this weekend in Cape Town β’ Things to do in Cape Town this week β’ Week in Review β’ Fires β’ Property β’ Crime β’ Events β’ What's Next
Fire, Floods of Cash & A City on the Move
From the blazing wildfires in Franschhoek β now in its fifth day, driven by strong winds that have repeatedly grounded helicopters and kept firefighters working on rugged, hard-to-reach slopes β to the Signal Hill flare-up and the Strand Foam industrial blaze along the N2, fire dominated the week's headlines. Add Black Coffee's R157m Clifton buy, fuel-price relief at the pumps, SA20 cricket lighting up Newlands, and the build-up to the Cape Town Met β and you get a city moving fast in every direction. Here's what was up, what changed, and things to do this weekend in Cape Town: jump to Events & Entertainment and The Week Ahead for Cape Town events this weekend, and skim District Roundup for quick neighbourhood notes. If you're searching things to do in Cape Town this week, this edition pulls the biggest updates and the best plans into one place.
Week at a Glance (19β25 Jan):
What to do: SA20 cricket energy in the city, Kirstenbosch-style summer nights, and the build-up to the Cape Town Met β see Events & Entertainment and The Week Ahead for Cape Town events this weekend and the key dates coming up.
Fires: Franschhoek entered its fifth day burning out of control; Signal Hill reignited; Strand Foam industrial fire hit the N2 corridor. Province-wide: 100,000+ hectares burned this season.
Fuel: Petrol dropped 62β66c/l; diesel down R1.35β1.50/l from 7 January β the biggest relief in months.
Property: Black Coffeeβs R157.5m Nettleton Road purchase made headlines; Atlantic Seaboard sales up 26% to R11.3bn; foreign buyers account for 40% of R10m+ sales.
Dunoon: 5,500 people displaced, 1,000+ structures destroyed β the largest informal settlement fire since Khayelitsha 2013. City allocated R12m for reblocking.
Safety: Eight killed in Marikana shebeen shooting (extortion-linked); six killed in separate Ndabeni/Kensington incidents; police officer murdered in Brownβs Farm.
Events & Entertainment (Things to Do This Weekend in Cape Town)
If you're deciding on things to do this weekend in Cape Town, start here. These are the cityβs standout picks from the past few days β plus the easiest options for a last-minute plan.
SA20 Cricket Energy
The SA20 Season 4 stayed lively in Cape Town, with MI Cape Town (the defending champions) trying to stay in contention. After a tense win over Sunrisers Eastern Cape on 16 Jan, a seven-wicket loss on 18 Jan ended their run.
SA20 Playoff Picture:
Qualified: Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals
Final: 25 January at Newlands
Live Music Highlights
Freshlyground & Manana at Kirstenbosch
A cross-generational celebration of South African sound against the mountain backdrop. The summer concerts continue every Saturday until March.
Sheer City Festival β Harrington Street
A two-day inner-city block party across multiple venues, bringing together underground nightlife, community, and culture.
Calum Scott at Kirstenbosch
The British singer-songwriter brought his ballads to the gardens for an intimate Cape Town performance.
The Week Ahead (26 Jan β 1 Feb)
Cape Town Met β 31 January
SA20 Final β Newlands
The climax of Season 4. Expect a packed house as the qualified teams battle it out.
Bombino at Kirstenbosch
The Tuareg guitar legend brings his desert blues to the botanical gardens.
Shxtsngigs (James & Fuhad) β GrandWest
The UK podcast duo bring their live show to Cape Town. Tickets from R440.
Fire watch: Monitor AFIS for real-time updates. Franschhoek mountain areas may remain closed β check TMNP notices before any hikes.
District Roundup
Sea Point & Atlantic Seaboard
CBD & City Bowl
V&A Waterfront
Southern Suburbs
Khayelitsha & Cape Flats
Winelands
Western Cape Wildfire Emergency
Franschhoek (21 Jan): The fire burned for five consecutive days and remained out of control. The blaze crossed the Berg River overnight (19/20 Jan), spreading onto the Stellenbosch side of the mountain. Helicopters struggled to water-bomb due to strong winds and turbulence.
Avoid Franschhoek mountain areas. Smoke advisories may apply. No injuries or structural damage to homes reported at the time of writing.
This has been one of the Western Capeβs most challenging fire weeks in recent memory. What began as a mountain slopes fire evolved into a multi-front blaze burning in rugged, inaccessible terrain where weather conditions repeatedly limited aerial support.
100,000+
Hectares burned (province-wide this season)
5 Days
Franschhoek fire duration (as of 21 Jan)
Key Developments
Franschhoek
Signal Hill
Strand Foam Industrial Fire
Expert view: Stellenbosch Universityβs Neville Sweijd described the season as a convergence of heavy fuel loads from wetter years, persistent wind, and the growing urban-wildland interface.
Relief at the Pump
Cape Town motorists caught a break as fuel prices dropped significantly from 7 January β the biggest relief in months.
| Fuel Type | December 2025 | January 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol 93 | R21.26/l | R20.64/l | β 62c |
| Petrol 95 | R20.58/l | R19.92/l | β 66c |
| Diesel 0.05% | R18.95/l | R17.58/l | β R1.37 |
| Diesel 0.005% | R19.26/l | R17.76/l | β R1.50 |
What drove the cuts: A firmer rand and slightly lower international oil prices. Diesel saw the biggest drop due to elevated inventory levels in Europe.
Impact: Lower fuel costs can ease transport pressure and help keep inflation softer in the short term.
Property & The Luxury Boom
Cape Townβs property market kicked off 2026 loudly when Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee (Nkosinathi Maphumulo) purchased βThe Pentagonβ luxury villa on Nettleton Road, Clifton for R157.5 million, widely reported as the most expensive property purchase of 2025.
R157.5m
Black Coffeeβs Nettleton Road purchase
8.5%
Cape Town price growth (vs 5.2% national)
R11.3bn
Atlantic Seaboard + City Bowl sales (up 26%)
40%
Foreign buyers in R10m+ transactions
Estate agent Lance Cohen said buyers on Nettleton Road may pay up to R500 million for a single property, citing new wealth creation and changing buyer profiles.
Market Outlook 2026
The bullish case: Limited stock in prime coastal areas continues to support prices. Foreign buyers β particularly from Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK β typically spend more than local buyers.
The caution: βReverse semigrationβ is emerging as some move back to Gauteng, driven by job opportunities and the rising cost of living in coastal areas.
Interest rate outlook: Following cuts in 2025, analysts expect further relief in 2026 β supportive for affordability across market segments.
Dunoon Disaster β 5,500 Displaced
Largest informal settlement fire in the Western Cape since Khayelitsha 2013. Over 1,000 structures were destroyed at Site 5 (Doornbach) in Dunoon on 9 January, leaving approximately 5,500 people homeless.
The fire broke out on Friday 9 January and spread rapidly in strong winds, requiring a major firefighting response before it was extinguished later that evening.
Gift of the Giversβ Dr Imtiaz Sooliman described the scale of destruction and the humanitarian need that followed.
City Response:
β’ R12 million allocated for urgent reblocking efforts
β’ Contractors on standby ready to begin work
β’ Donation drop-off points at several fire stations (Goodwood, Roeland Street, Lakeside, Constantia, Hout Bay, Strand, Wynberg, Milnerton)
β’ Needed: Non-perishable foods, personal hygiene items, baby toiletries and formula
Community tensions emerged around reblocking proposals, with City officials acknowledging mistrust shaped by past delays and unfulfilled commitments.
Crime & Safety Watch
A brutal week of violence shook communities across the Cape Flats, with multiple shootings and the murder of a police officer dominating headlines.
Marikana (17 Jan): Eight people were killed in an extortion-linked attack at a shebeen in Marikana, Philippi East. Police were searching for suspects at the time of reporting.
Major Incidents
17 Jan β Marikana: Eight killed in an extortion-linked attack
19 Jan β Brownβs Farm: Police officer shot dead
20 Jan β Ndabeni: Four killed inside an informal dwelling
20 Jan β Kensington: Two men killed at Maitland Cemetery; two wounded
N2 Security Initiative: The City continued defending plans to improve safety along the N2 corridor between the airport and the city centre, alongside additional deployments and interventions.
Justice Served:
Khayelitsha Court (14 Jan): Two men were sentenced for the 2022 Endlovini mass shooting that killed five.
Local's Pick: The Hidden Gem
Table Seven β Salt River
Forget the tourist traps. If you want to eat where the chefs eat on their day off, head to Table Seven β a lunch-only spot tucked into an artisanal complex in Salt River.
Run by chefs Luke and Katie Wonnacott, itβs a blackboard-menu kind of place: seasonal, local, and changing constantly. Grab a counter seat if you can.
Location: Salt River
Hours: Weekday lunches only
Tip: Go early β seats are limited.
A real local favourite β the kind of place you hear about from a friend of a friend, then keep coming back to.
Emergency Contacts
| Situation | Number |
|---|---|
| Life-threatening emergency | 112 (cellphone) |
| Cape Town metro emergencies | 107 (landline) / 021 480 7700 (cell) |
| Table Mountain National Park | 086 110 021 / 021 689 7438 |
| Crime Stop (anonymous) | 08600 10111 |
| City tip-off line | 0800 110 077 |