Cape Town, A Dark Cloud With A Silver Lining

A lot of people take it for granted that sights and sounds of Cape Town are all about the ocean, Table Mountain and the winelands. Oliver Wainwright recently wrote an article in The Guardian, Apartheid Ended Twenty Years Ago, So Why Is Cape Town Still A Paradise For The Few. 

The story is true, and in my opinion is applicable even if you replace Cape Town with South Africa. In fact, I would argue replacing Cape Town with America or China in the title.

I think Oliver Wainwright understands the cloud Cape Town is under in terms of the racism and inequality debate in South Africa. He was looking to deliver a message about the South African city dubbed the World Design Capital of 2014 with a twist.

Income inequality is a problem worldwide. China, the communist giant, with a growing economy is worried about it's income inequality gap widening beyond that of the USA if you read this Bloomberg Businessweek article. Warren Buffett, in an interview with CNN Money commented on the U.S inequality gap widening further going forward and technology replacing jobs.

I am not denying that Cape Town has problems. I am highlighting that the world over we have a problem when it comes to the growing gap between the "haves and have nots". I am just grateful that my life is gravitating towards the have and further away from the have nots. That in my mind is progress considering I grew up being closer to the have nots than to the have. My children are growing up in Cape Town, and have relatively equal opportunities for their lives to be built on.

I am not a "bury your head in the sand type of person". I do think one needs to find a balance between the dark clouds that hang over our cities, with the silver lining that comes with those clouds.