What's up in Cape Town - The Cape Town Weekly | 2β8 March 2026
March 6, 2026
Your guide to the Mother City
A sharper, more beautiful weekly city brief: Cycle Tour countdown, falling dam levels, road closures, standout events, weather, power, safety, and the essential pulse of Cape Town.
Cycle Tour Week, Dam Worry & a Festival Feast
Cape Townβs biggest sporting weekend is here. On Sunday, 30,000 cyclists take on the iconic 109km Peninsula route for the Cape Town Cycle Tour β now a UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier for the first time. Major road closures begin Friday.
Meanwhile, the water situation has worsened. Dams have dropped to 53.7% β down from 55% last week and now 17% below the same point in 2025. Stellenbosch has already imposed Level 2 restrictions; Cape Town is watching its next 90 days closely.
The rand has weakened to around R16.47/$ amid Middle East tensions, pulling back from post-Budget highs. The Reserve Bankβs March 26 decision is now uncertain, with a rate hike suddenly on the table.
In this edition: Cycle Tour guide & road closures Β· dam levels & water crisis Β· events (Bazique, Kingdom of Ubuntu, Lifecycle Expo) Β· Spier Light Art opens Β· currency update Β· weather Β· safety & power Β· emergency contacts.
From the Grand Parade to Chapmanβs Peak, expect major movement and major closures.
The city is closer to a harder conservation stance if current trends continue.
Free, atmospheric, and one of the most visually compelling outings of the month.
A cooler front helps the dams before a bright and ideal Sunday for the race.
Cape Town Cycle Tour β Sunday 8 March
Major Road Closures
Road closures begin Friday 6 March and intensify through Sunday. Key roads affected: Castle St, Darling St, Strand St (CBD from Sat 14:00), Helen Suzman Blvd, Chapmanβs Peak Drive, M3 (outbound), Nelson Mandela Blvd (N2 outbound), Hospital Bend, Victoria Rd Camps Bay, Main Rd (M4) through the Deep South. MyCiTi services to the CBD and Hout Bay/Hangberg will be disrupted. Plan ahead.
Where to watch: Camps Bay, Hout Bay, Sea Point Promenade, and the finish area in Green Point. Live broadcast: Cape Town Cycle Tour Facebook and YouTube from 06:00 Sunday. After the race: Celebrate along the Sea Point Promenade or at Green Point eateries near the finish.
Water Watch β Dams Below 54%
Early Drought Caution Continues
Combined dam storage has fallen to 53.7%, dropping 1.7% in one week. This is 17% lower than the same week in 2025. The City warns that if current usage trends continue, storage could reach 40% by May. Stellenbosch has imposed Level 2 Water Restrictions from 1 March. Cape Town has not yet imposed formal restrictions but the window is narrowing. Greenpeace Africa has called this a critical moment requiring urgent behavioural change.
The City thanked residents as usage dropped from 1,073 to 1,012 million litres per day β the first time in weeks it has been near the 1,000 MLD mark. But consumption is still 37 MLD above the 975 target. Around 70% of all water used in the city is consumed in homes. Fix leaks, water gardens at night only, skip pool top-ups. The drought has also been declared a national disaster across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.
Events β 2β8 March
Cape Town Cycle Tour
30,000 riders on the 109km Peninsula route. UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier. Major city-wide road closures. Live broadcast from 06:00.
Bazique Festival β Buffalo Drift, Tulbagh
Three days of music, art & absurdism. 6 music stages, 110+ local DJs, 7 international DJs (Pavel Petrov, Rafael Cerato, Floyd Lavine, Protonica), art installations, wellness area, camping. From R1,250. Ages 20+.
The Kingdom of Ubuntu β Artscape Opera House
Afro-epic musical in concert. Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, indigenous orchestra led by Dizu Plaatjies, AfriArts Choir, Sibonelo Dance Project. All 11 SA languages woven into one story. 7:30pm (+ Sat 3pm). R150βR300.
Spier Light Art β Stellenbosch
Free entry. 8th edition of the open-air nocturnal light art exhibition at Spier Wine Farm. 21 SA artists. From 6:30pm nightly. Guided tours Tue/Thu/Sun. Food experiences from R140. Booking essential.
Lifecycle Expo β DHL Stadium
Three-day cycling, health & fitness expo alongside the Cycle Tour. 35,000 visitors expected. Rider registration + bike check-in. Free entry. Thu 09:30β19:00, Fri 09:00β19:00, Sat 09:00β16:00.
Steenberg Jazz Under the Stars β Tryn
An evening of live jazz under the Cape Town night sky at Steenberg Wine Farmβs Tryn restaurant. Food and wine pairings available.
Matthew Mole β Kirstenbosch Sunset Concert
The popular SA singer-songwriter performs as part of the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Series. Gates at 5:15pm. One of the final concerts of the season (series runs until 29 March).
Twelfth Night at Maynardville
Final week of this jazz-infused outdoor Shakespeare production. Last shows running through 7 March. From R212. 8:15pm.
Still Running & Coming Up
Pretty Woman: The Musical β SA debut at Artscape Opera House, running to 19 April. Weekend markets β Neighbourgoods, Oranjezicht City Farm, Bay Harbour, Bree Street Sunday Market. National Gardens Week (9β15 March) β free entry to Kirstenbosch and other botanical gardens.
Spier Light Art β Opens 6 March
Rand & Economy
The rand pulled back from its post-Budget highs as escalating Middle East tensions fueled risk aversion and reduced appetite for emerging market currencies. Oil price fears have added inflationary pressure, and market pricing now shows some chance of a rate hike at the March 26 SARB meeting β a sharp shift from expectations of a cut just days ago. On the positive side, SAβs budget signalled fiscal consolidation, the debt-to-GDP ratio is stabilising for the first time in nearly two decades, and record gold prices continue to support SA export earnings.
Weekend Weather
A welcome front on Friday and Saturday brings light rain and cooler temperatures (every drop helps the dams) before Cycle Tour Sunday dawns clear and ideal β 26Β°C with light south-easterly winds. Next week heats up dramatically with highs approaching 32Β°C by Tuesday. UV levels remain high β sunscreen essential for the Expo, outdoor events, and race day. Riders can expect near-perfect conditions for the Tour.
Safety & Power
Load Shedding: Still Suspended
Grid Stable
Load shedding remains effectively ended β 689 days since major daily shedding last occurred (26 March 2024). Only 26 hours recorded in all of 2025. The power system is stable. Localised load reduction may still occur in areas with illegal connections. Check status: capetowndata.com/en/loadshedding
SANDF Cape Flats Deployment
The army deployment announced during SONA continues across the Cape Flats. SANDF personnel are supporting police in anti-gang operations in Nyanga, Philippi, and Khayelitsha. Community leaders remain cautiously optimistic while civil society calls for accountability and clear rules of engagement.
Emergency Contacts
Looking Ahead (9β15 March)
9β15 Mar: National Gardens Week
Free entry to Kirstenbosch (MonβFri) and other botanical gardens across SA. Theme: βYour free passport to nature.β
13β15 Mar: SA Tattoo Convention
120+ of the worldβs top tattoo artists from 20+ countries. Three days at the CTICC. All ages welcome; tattooing 18+ only.
14 Mar: Stormers vs Bulls
The big SA derby at Loftus Versfeld. Kick-off 14:00. Next Stormers home match: vs Dragons, 22 March at DHL Stadium.
19 Mar: James Bay at Kirstenbosch
The British singer-songwriter (Hold Back the River, Let It Go) performs a one-night-only show at the Gardens. 7pm.
Localβs Pick: Bazique Festival
If the Cycle Tour isnβt your thing, Bazique offers the weekendβs most creatively ambitious escape. This three-day camping festival at Buffalo Drift near Tulbagh (about 90 minutes from the CBD) brings together 110 local DJs, 7 international artists, 6 music stages, art installations made from recycled beach plastic, a wellness area with yoga and sound journeys, glamping, and a river to swim in. Itβs adult-only (20+), deeply Cape Town in spirit, and completely unlike anything else on the calendar.
Pro tip: Take the R44 and enjoy the Winelands drive. BYO camping or book glamping. Donβt miss the River Stage for house sets and the Secret Circus Stage for live music on Saturday. Tickets from R1,250 on bazique.co.za.
Sources & Credits
City of Cape Town Β· Department of Water and Sanitation Β· Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust Β· IOL Β· News24 Β· Daily Maverick Β· Business Day Β· BusinessTech Β· eNCA Β· EWN Β· GroundUp Β· SAnews Β· Trading Economics Β· Xe.com Β· AccuWeather Β· MetOffice Β· Eskom Β· Spier Wine Farm Β· Bazique Festival Β· Artscape Theatre Β· Whatβs On in Cape Town Β· Time Out Cape Town Β· Cape Town Magazine Β· Cape Town Tourism Β· Pedal Power Association Β· SANBI Β· The Citizen Β· The South African Β· SABC News Β· Cape Town Etc Β· Greenpeace Africa
Disclaimer: This newsletter is for general information only. Events, prices, conditions and exchange rates may change without notice. Always verify with official sources.
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