A33, Cape Town, South Africa

A33 is the place Cape Town didn’t know it was missing

Books, art, music, furniture — Pule Taukobong filled it with all of that and more, but it’s the passion behind it that you feel first. Connect and unplug, the sign outside says, and that’s exactly what happens once you’re in: a full calendar of events, a space that doesn’t compare to anything else around, and a feeling the moment you walk in that your phone can wait.

I (Toni) took a group of friends through recently and watched everyone fall for it the same way I did. A few weeks back I joined Silent Book Club Cape Town’s Sunday morning session there — the place was packed, most experiencing A33 for the first time, and listening in on the conversations around me made it obvious: this is exactly what the city needed.

Peaches greets you with her smile and joyful nature, then with the best coffee in the city. Khangelani will go deep with you on any conversation, any time. Marc’s the connector behind half the events on the calendar, and you’ll find out about his love for vintage cars the second you start talking. Can we hope for an A33 car event later this year? That’s the thing about Pule — he has a way of pulling great people into one room, and somehow it always works.

Pule and his wife Hannah — we’ve known them eleven years, and reconnecting with them over the years has always meant something. Having them settled into a permanent spot in town feels like the right kind of full circle.

7 Orphan Street, City Centre. Go see it for yourself. This is just the beginning.