Dear Pretoria fan, foodie, art, architecture and design lover, proud South African, explorer and Capital Collective supporter
Our capital city is getting into her groove. Wonderful things and changes are happening all over the city, creating more reasons why Pretoria was voted the most liveable city in South Africa. One of these days we will have a wonderful public transport system in place, the inner city is cleaner and safer than it’s been in years, fabulous eateries and shops are popping up all over the place and we are seeing more and more major attractions choosing the capital to host crowd-pulling events.
For some reason however, there is still this need to clarify the assumption that Pretoria is only a city with magnificent historical architecture, but with an unfortunate dull vibe..
But perceptions are slowly shifting. The sentiments of the people living in- and loving the city, have reached a tipping point and a network of like-minded people, passionate about the rejuvenation of the Capital are connecting and getting their hands dirty in the quest to put the city “on the map” – locally and internationally.
Various initiatives are taking shape and a wide variety of role-players and companies are coming to the party to show their support and commitment to make the city liveable, resilient and inclusive- as per the vision of the City of Tshwane.
One of these, the Capital Collective initiative, is focused on starting projects and creating connections between different stakeholders who are or want to be part of the inner city rejuvenation. The initiative creates a space where ideas and initiatives can be shared and explored, not only to raise interest and awareness, but also to find possible avenues for collaboration or support, and eventually tangible outcomes.
“Essentially we are creating a united, non-political force of people and organisations who want to leverage the influence, knowledge, skills, resources and passion of people in Tshwane to make the city’s revival a reality”, says Mareli Wassenaar, the Programme Director.
One gets the feeling that Pretoria is on the verge of a blooming phase. Not only do we have a Mayor who drives the city’s vision, within Pretoria are individuals and companies with revolutionary ideas, awe-inspiring projects and money to spend. “We have so much to go for and to take pride in, it is time for us to capture and embrace our city’s unique brand identity and create the place we want to live in. Fred Kent says it best: “Everyone has the right to live in a great place. More importantly, everyone has the right to contribute to making the place where they already live great”.
The Capital Collective encourages people to collaborate to be able to achieve more as part of a collective effort.
Originally planned for the Cool Capital Biennale, the Capital Collective now hosts Pretoria’s own, first of its kind inner city art, food, music and design market, Market@theSheds on an ongoing basis. As a fully inclusive market catering to a wide variety of interests group in the city, the market has its own distinct urban flavour, unique to the capital and its colourful people.