Events in Cape Town on the up

For two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected the event industry with numerous events being postponed or even called off. However, a review of the 2021/2022 financial year provides a glimmer of hope for the industry as well as those who rely on it for their livelihoods. 

The City of Cape Town’s Events Permit Office has issued 436 permits to host events since the start of the financial year in July 2021.

A majority of the permits this financial year were issued in March when 64 events were approved by the permit office for that month.

This has more than quadrupled compared to the previous year when only 91 permits were issued in the 2020/21 financial year. 

 Pre-pandemic, the office issued, on average, more than 1 200 event permits annually.

Permits are required for all events with more than 200 participants or when the occasion will have amplified sounds, will require the closure of roads and structures to be erected.

‘This financial year has provided the perfect foundation for the industry to fully recover from the impact of the pandemic. This development is testament to the fantastic partnerships between the Events Department, various event organisers who have shown resilience and continue to showcase Cape Town’s expertise in hosting successful, world class major events,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

During the 2021/2022 financial year, Cape Town hosted a number of major events including, among others:

∙         Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

∙         Africa Energy Week

∙         Loeries Creative Week

∙         Absa Run Your City races

∙         British and Irish Lions Tour

∙         Cape Town Cycle Tour

∙         Absa Cape Epic

∙         Suidoosterfees

∙         Silwerskermfees

∙         Red Bull King of the Air

∙         FAME Week Africa

∙         South African International Ballet Competition

∙         Miss South Africa

∙         National Youth Music Competition

∙         International Public Art Festival

∙         SA Innovation Summit

∙         Cape Town Carnival

∙         South Africa Disabled Golf Open

∙         Africa Travel Week

∙         Investing in the Mining Indaba

∙         Mitchell’s Plain Festival

‘This increase in permits also shows the appetite for events and the need to relax restrictions on event capacity, which will in turn assist organisers to earn livelihoods and bolster a struggling economy.  

 ‘This also shows that organisers working with our events permit office as well as our service departments are able to successfully host major events without incidents,’ added Alderman JP Smith.

 This month, Cape Town will play host to the month-long Jive Funny Festival, the United Rugby Championship knockout stages, the Encounters International Documentary Festival, Decorex Cape Town and Jazzathon.