Page 416 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

414 TRA VELLERS ’ NEEDS
ENTERTAINMENT IN

SOUTH AFRICA

In the three main cities – Johannesburg, places have music, restaurant and clubbing
Cape Town and Durban – people party as venues. The demand for cinemas and casinos
hard as they work. There is always something is high, and exciting new venues are opened
happening and the choices of entertainment regularly. The dramatic arts are innovative
vary from nightclubs and stadium concerts to and of a very high standard, with theatre
community theatre and gallery openings. This companies committed to the development
does not mean, however, that other South of a local arts culture. The vibrant music scene
African cities and towns are dull. Even rural spans classical, jazz and African genres.

A credit or debit card is
required, which also means you
can book tickets before arriving
in South Africa. However, cash
is also accepted at the outlets,
and tickets can be purchased
directly at the venues.

Cinema
Mainstream Hollywood film
productions are the main fare –
South Africa’s film industry is still
in the fledgling stage, and there
is relatively little demand for
foreign-language films with
The Oude Libertas amphitheatre, Stellenbosch (see p41) subtitles. The cities host regular
film festivals whose themes
Information
events and sports fixtures. It range from French, Italian and
For details of entertainment has a comprehensive website Dutch to natural health, the
in the cities, check the local for booking online or you can environ ment and gay and
daily press and the weekly phone its call centre. In lesbian. Multi-screen Ster-
papers, such as the Mail & addition, tickets can be Kinekor and Nu Metro cinema
Guardian, available nation wide. purchased via mobile phone complexes are found in larger
They review and list theatre using the Computicket shopping malls.
productions, current film mobisite, or by visiting one of
festivals, art exhibitions, music its branches in major shopping
performances and other malls or at any Shoprite or Theatre, Opera
interesting events. Checkers super-market. Tickets and Dance
Reviews and listings also can be collected from these Comedy, satire, cabaret and
appear on a number of outlets or printed at home. musicals are particularly
websites – that of Cape Town
Magazine in Cape Town
(www.capetown magazine.com);
JHBLive in Johannesburg
(www.jhblive.com); and Durban
Live in Durban (www.durban
live.com) are good places to
start. However, the best source
of information is Computicket
(see below).
Booking Tickets
Computicket is South Africa’s
nationwide booking agency for
all concerts, plays and live
performances, plus cinema, Dancers at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown (see p43)