CPT Brew – 8th August | Marimba Champs & Robot Race

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Cape Town's marimba scene is having its biggest weekend yet, with over 1,000 players converging on St Cyprian's for a first-ever world championship. Out past George, an ultra-runner spent Friday climbing the same peak 26 times over, chasing triple the height of Everest for a children's charity.

Table Mountain's cable cars flick back on Monday after dodging a wildfire mid-repair, and there's a squash tournament, a robot drag race and a Kalk Bay curry deal worth knowing about too.

Here's what's brewing.

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Headlines

3 reads

More than 1,000 marimba players are converging on St Cyprian's School for the first-ever Marimba World Championships, hosted by Guinness World Record holders Marimba Jam. The 15 and 16 August weekend builds to a Sunday night final, with Joburg trio Biko's Manna, fresh off their America's Got Talent run, joining the showcase.

Table Mountain's cable cars switch back on this Monday, wrapping up a maintenance stint that also involved dodging a wildfire above Kloofnek. Technicians were on the ropes when the fire broke out, and stayed to help put it out.

Ultra-runner Thembinkosi Sojola climbed George Peak in the Outeniqua Mountains 26 times, more than 26,400m of elevation, to raise funds for George Child and Family Welfare. His crowdfunder has already pulled in over R26,500.

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Events

4 plans

Wed 12 Aug, 6:30pm From R70	Honda vs The Rest turns Killarney into a full-contact robot drag strip for the night, two-car heats and zero ceremony. Cheaper online than at the gate.
Thu 13 Aug Free	Growthpoint SA Nationals Squash puts the country's best on a glass court at Maker's Landing, running through 22 August. Free to watch, oddly mesmerising up close.
Sat 15 Aug, 10am Free	Everard Read's Cubicle walkabout lets five artists talk through work made with zero pressure to sell it, a rare unfiltered look at process. An hour, no booking drama.
Sat 15 Aug, 1pm R295	Rachel Kolisi brings her Falling Forward documentary to Artscape, an afternoon of screening, market stalls and a fireside chat on loss and rebuilding.

Hidden Gems

3 finds

Montreal in Green Point does build-your-own bagels and coffee that actually holds up, plus canned coffees and smoothies for a no-mess grab-and-go. Sleek workspace on site too, with a bookable boardroom if you need somewhere to actually get things done.

JJ's Indian Cuisine has quietly run a Kalk Bay corner house for years, serving Durban-style curries in portions that make no financial sense. The lamb curry, for two, comes in under R100.

ChocoTag is molding chocolate into little bears and a rotating cast of other shapes, pistachio among the flavours worth trying. Cute enough for a gift box, sweet enough to make a solid low-effort date idea.

Fact of the Day

Dassies sunning on Table Mountain look like oversized guinea pigs, but their closest relative isn't a rodent. It's the elephant.

That's your sip, Brews. Stay dry, go clap for a marimba band.
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CPT Brew – 8th August, 2026

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