What's Up in Cape Town This Week (19–25 Jan 2026) | The Cape Town Weekly

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January 22, 2026

What's Up in Cape Town This Week (19–25 Jan 2026) | The Cape Town Weekly

Things to do this weekend in Cape Town • Things to do in Cape Town this week • Week in Review • Fires • Property • Crime • Events • What's Next

Fire, Floods of Cash & A City on the Move

From the blazing wildfires in Franschhoek — now in its fifth day, driven by strong winds that have repeatedly grounded helicopters and kept firefighters working on rugged, hard-to-reach slopes — 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 — 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.

Published 23 January 2026 Reading time: ~12 minutes

Things to Do This Weekend Week Ahead District Roundup Wildfire Watch Fuel Prices Property & Economy Dunoon Update Safety Update Local Gem

Week at a Glance (19–25 Jan):

What to do: SA20 cricket energy in the city, Kirstenbosch-style summer nights, and the build-up to the Cape Town Met — 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 62–66c/l; diesel down R1.35–1.50/l from 7 January — the biggest relief in months.

Property: Black Coffee’s 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 — 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 Brown’s 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 city’s standout picks from the past few days — 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

Jan

Freshlyground & Manana at Kirstenbosch

A cross-generational celebration of South African sound against the mountain backdrop. The summer concerts continue every Saturday until March.

17-18

Jan

Sheer City Festival — Harrington Street

A two-day inner-city block party across multiple venues, bringing together underground nightlife, community, and culture.

Jan

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 – 1 Feb)

Cape Town Met — 31 January

Theme: Symphony of Style
South Africa's most glamorous race day returns to HollywoodBets Kenilworth Racecourse. The R5 million race blends elite horse racing, fashion, and celebrity culture. Eight On Eighteen leads the early betting as defending champion. Tickets via Computicket.

Jan

SA20 Final — Newlands

The climax of Season 4. Expect a packed house as the qualified teams battle it out.

Jan

Bombino at Kirstenbosch

The Tuareg guitar legend brings his desert blues to the botanical gardens.

Jan

Shxtsngigs (James & Fuhad) — 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 — check TMNP notices before any hikes.

District Roundup

Sea Point & Atlantic Seaboard

The luxury market continues to defy gravity, but locals increasingly report being priced out. Average rentals on the Atlantic Seaboard now exceed R22,000/month. Clifton’s Thursday sunset volleyball sessions remain a free community highlight (every Thursday until March).

CBD & City Bowl

Harrington Street’s Sheer City Festival (17–18 Jan) brought Cape Town’s underground nightlife scene together with international acts across multiple venues. Foot traffic in the East City Precinct continues to build.

V&A Waterfront

Expansion projects continue, with strong rental demand for premium properties. The Cape Town Jazzathon (9–11 Jan) drew crowds to the Amphitheatre — free entry for a long-running music festival celebrating its 29th anniversary.

Southern Suburbs

Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts continue to draw thousands. Freshlyground & Manana delivered a cross-generational crowd on 18 Jan. Rondebosch property demand remains strong with families prioritising school catchments.

Khayelitsha & Cape Flats

A difficult week dominated by violence and the ongoing N2 security wall debate. Bright spot: Manyano High achieved a 99.5% matric pass rate with 106 distinctions.

Winelands

Franschhoek mountain areas remain off-limits due to the ongoing fire. Wine farms in town are accessible, but monitor conditions. Stellenbosch Newinbosch development saw 80 of 130 units sell within two days in a recent phase.

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 Cape’s 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

Out of control

19 Jan: Fire burning in mountains; some containment progress
20 Jan: Crossed Berg River overnight; spread to Stellenbosch side; winds limited aerial operations
21 Jan: Multiple fire lines active; flare-ups damaged equipment

Signal Hill

Under monitoring

18 Jan (~22:00): Renewed fire activity near Upper Strand Street/High Level Road. TMNP crews deployed; fire contained by late evening with mop-up operations overnight.

Strand Foam Industrial Fire

Industrial incident

21 Jan: Major industrial fire at Strand Foam (Broadlands Rd, Strand). Heavy smoke was visible from the N2 / Sir Lowry’s Pass approach.

Expert view: Stellenbosch University’s 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 — the biggest relief in months.

Tip: rotate your phone for the full table

Fuel Type	December 2025	January 2026	Change
Petrol 93	R21.26/l	R20.64/l	↓ 62c
Petrol 95	R20.58/l	R19.92/l	↓ 66c
Diesel 0.05%	R18.95/l	R17.58/l	↓ R1.37
Diesel 0.005%	R19.26/l	R17.76/l	↓ 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 Town’s property market kicked off 2026 loudly when Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee (Nkosinathi Maphumulo) purchased “The Pentagon” luxury villa on Nettleton Road, Clifton for R157.5 million, widely reported as the most expensive property purchase of 2025.

R157.5m

Black Coffee’s 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 — particularly from Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK — typically spend more than local buyers.

The caution: “Reverse semigration” 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 — supportive for affordability across market segments.

Dunoon Disaster — 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 Givers’ Dr Imtiaz Sooliman described the scale of destruction and the humanitarian need that followed.

City Response:

• R12 million allocated for urgent reblocking efforts
• Contractors on standby ready to begin work
• Donation drop-off points at several fire stations (Goodwood, Roeland Street, Lakeside, Constantia, Hout Bay, Strand, Wynberg, Milnerton)
• 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 — Marikana: Eight killed in an extortion-linked attack

19 Jan — Brown’s Farm: Police officer shot dead

20 Jan — Ndabeni: Four killed inside an informal dwelling

20 Jan — 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 — Salt River

Forget the tourist traps. If you want to eat where the chefs eat on their day off, head to Table Seven — a lunch-only spot tucked into an artisanal complex in Salt River.

Run by chefs Luke and Katie Wonnacott, it’s 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 — seats are limited.

A real local favourite — the kind of place you hear about from a friend of a friend, then keep coming back to.

Emergency Contacts