If there is one conclusion we can draw from this past year, it is that certain aspects of our contemporary lifestyle have irrevocably changed. With home-office meetings and significantly reduced international travel (and the corresponding minimization of the transient hotel-room experience) becoming the norm, the present and future of how and where we conduct our professional engagements has experienced something of a sudden paradigm shift. A myriad of technologies are enabling a nearly seamless transition into this new world of remote work—and it should come as a surprise to no-one that Cape Town is emerging as one of the most coveted destinations for conducting remote work and enjoying the comfortable work-life balance we all seek.

Indeed, the Mother City was recently ranked as one of the best cities in the world for remote work by the travel website Big 7 Travel. Obvious benefits that Cape Town offers for those seeking a high-quality remote work environment include the low exchange rate, the unbeatably low-price access to luxury experiences, and the ability to work visa-free for up to 90 days for non-residents. In addition to these practical benefits, there are of course few other cities in the world where one can step out of one’s office onto pristine beaches for a mid-day dip in crystal-clear seawater, or take a pre-work hike up Table Mountain, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, to behold a magical African sunrise.

The trend towards home office work driven by the events of the last year indeed corresponds quite fittingly, in our opinion, to the trend in the luxury hospitality industry over the last decade—one in which the traditional hotel room has increasingly become supplanted by home rental services. While the latter development has until last year largely only occurred within the context of holiday travel, the former is opening up interesting alternatives—especially within the South African context—for longer-term villa and apartment rentals for those who are able to work remotely.

Much like the experts at Big 7 Travel, we at In Residence can think of no better setting in which to live out the exciting novel prospect of a remote home office than that of Cape Town. Moreover, the intimacy, accessibility, and personal customizability that are characteristic of the luxury rental services we offer are ultimately perfectly suited to realizing the very plausible new norm of working from home. While we have always been proponents of cultivating the sense of a “home away from home” with our villas, we have extended that philosophy to an “office away from the office”.

The exquisite luxury of our villas and personalized services, combined with Cape Town’s inherent, easily-accessible beauty, can provide a perfect counterpoise to (or rather, even enhance) the working experience of the new age.

Whether an award-winning villa overlooking the azure waters of Clifton beach, or an elegant home nestled away in the Constantia vineyards, our residences—among the best in both the Cape and continent—are singularly pristine, private, and comfortable. And, as part of our adaption to the entirely novel set of circumstances which we all face, we bring to the doorstep of these villas the best art, wine, and food that South Africa has to offer.

We share the excitement in imagining the very real possibility of a new kind of work setting, with Cape Town as the trend-setter of this progressive new remote work culture. We invite you to consider trying it out. For indeed, conferencing from the Cape could well be the happy reality of your new work life!

Featured Luxury Villa in Cape Town, South Africa - Beyond

An iconic modern architectural structure jutting out from underneath Lion’s Head and overlooking Nettleton Road and the Atlantic Ocean, Beyond is a villa that stays true to its name. Boasting a state-of-the-art, open interior with soft, minimalistic furnishings supplemented by a blend of the finest traditional and contemporary African art, Beyond’s array of aesthetic delights ensures that each stay is marked by an experience beyond one’s wildest expectations.

Featured Luxury Villa in Cape Town, South Africa - Boma

Take in Cape Town’s picturesque sunsets from our spectacular u-shaped Boma villa. With its inimitable structure encircling an open courtyard, Boma takes its name from the similarly-designed traditional African livestock and community enclosures. Perched on the iconic Lion’s Head mountain, this spacious, stylishly-furnished abode offers breath-taking views of the Atlantic Ocean and immediate access to the city’s most sought-after attractions.

Featured Restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa - Siba Mtongana

In late December, the 5-star Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront inaugurated its latest culinary offering, an exciting pop-up dining experience hosted in collaboration with Siba Mtongana, an award-winning South African celebrity chef, author, and founder of The Siba Co. Featuring such experimental dishes as miso meatballs in chakalaka sauce, the Siba Mtongana Restaurant at The Table Bay explores authentic African flavours within a contemporary context, making this vibrant new culinary venture a must for anyone seeking to experience the quintessentially South African flavour palette with an avant-garde twist.

Featured Restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa - Fyn

Opened last year at the very heart of Cape Town’s city center, Fyn offers an ambitious, world-class fusion of Japanese and local flavours. Fronted by both chefs and staff with Michelin-star backgrounds, Fyn offers appropriately contemporary, unforgettable dishes and service. Indeed, to bring in 2021, Fyn has curated a new dining menu based on the traditional Hirumi and Yugure experience in Japanese dining; guests to the restaurant—already an established mainstay of Capetonian haute cuisine and synonymous with culinary excellence—can expect to regale themselves on exquisite sushi combinations and bento boxes combined with exotic tea pairings. Against the backdrop of Table Mountain and the restaurant’s immaculately-designed modern interior, one is sure to experience the very best of Cape Town’s unrivalled food scene at Fyn.