logo
Three renowned Cape Town eateries shine on the 2025 World's Best Restaurants list

Three renowned Cape Town eateries shine on the 2025 World's Best Restaurants list

IOL Newsa day ago

La Colombe ranked 55th.
Image: Facebook / La Colombe
Cape Town continues to assert itself as a global culinary capital, with three of its most acclaimed restaurants earning coveted spots on the 2025 World's Best Restaurants list.
These fine-dining establishments, known for their innovation, world-class talent, and spectacular settings, are showcasing the best of South African gastronomy on the world stage.
La Colombe ranked 55th
Making its sixth appearance on the list, La Colombe stands tall at number 55, reaffirming its status as a South African fine-dining icon.
Nestled within the Silvermist organic wine estate at the top of Constantia Nek, the restaurant boasts panoramic views of the Constantia Valley, stretching all the way to the sea.
La Colombe is the crown jewel of Scot Kirton's La Colombe Group, which includes some of South Africa's most celebrated restaurants.
Under the direction of Chef James Gaag, the kitchen delivers a refined dining experience rooted in classic French technique, subtly infused with Asian influences.
In 2024, La Colombe was ranked 49th globally and was named Best Restaurant in Africa, adding to its impressive string of accolades.
FYN ranked 82nd
Securing the 82nd spot, FYN returns to the list for the fifth time, further establishing its reputation as a cutting-edge culinary destination.
Opened in 2018 by renowned chef Peter Tempelhoff, with Culinary Director Ashley Moss and Beverage Director Jennifer Hugé, FYN fuses Japanese precision with the rich flavours of South African ingredients.
The restaurant offers a curated, seasonal tasting menu that highlights sustainability and storytelling, delivering an immersive dining journey.
In 2023, FYN became the first stand-alone African restaurant to be inducted into the prestigious Relais and Châteaux association, a global hallmark of excellence in fine dining and luxury hospitality.
Salsify at the Roundhouse ranked 88th
A fresh addition to the global stage, Salsify at the Roundhouse debuts on the list at number 88.
Located in the historic Roundhouse building above Camps Bay, the restaurant offers sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean and Lion's Head.
Led by Executive Chef Ryan Cole and Head Chef Nina du Toit, Salsify presents modern, seasonal tasting menus that draw inspiration from local, foraged ingredients, blending land and sea in every bite.
Recognised locally, the restaurant earned three-star status at the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards in both 2022 and 2023.
IOL Lifestyle

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

AUTO ambitions: 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT review
AUTO ambitions: 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT review

The South African

time3 hours ago

  • The South African

AUTO ambitions: 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT review

While the 2025 Suzuki Fronx may not be one of the Japanese manufacturers best-sellers in its lineup, it's certainly one of the most compelling. Moreover, the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT keeps all the good stuff from the slope-roofed, coupe-styled crossover that impressed us last year. Let's also not forget how well the humble Japanese carmaker is doing in a contracting South African economy. The firm continues to set sales records, seemingly each month, according to NAAMSA sales data. As a result, the high-value marque is comfortably ensconced in third position for South African new-car sales in the passenger segment. There's no practical situation the 2025 Suzuki Fronx GLX 4AT doesn't handle with aplomb. Image: File Now the brand has brought a 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT to market. Clearly, it's aimed at motorists who'd rather not bother with a manual gearshift and third pedal. And as excellent as the 5MT Fronx is, we totally accept South Africa's unique market demands. Chat to any layperson in the street about commuting and the vast majority will say they just want something easy in traffic. Nevertheless, Suzuki's slope-roofed crossover joined the market somewhat late. But launching back in 2023 did at least allow the brand to survey the segment and make appropriate provisions. Key of which was the introduction of the 4AT in top-wrung GLX spec, retailing for R362 900. It hails from India – like most of Suzuki's cars sold in SA – because the Indian government gives tax breaks to cars manufactured that are shorter than four metres. Which, in turn, means savings are passed onto the consumer at the end of the day … Suzuki Fronx GLX 5MT model pictured. Image: File Accordingly, the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT measures 3 995 mm long to adhere to the Indian restriction. It is 1 765 mm wide and stands 1 550 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2 520 mm. Inside, there is no issue with head and shoulder space. The boot is rated at 304 litres, which is par for the course for compact crossovers nowadays. And you can fold the rear seats really easily for plenty of extra utility space. What we most enjoy is that the GLX is the highest-spec Fronx on offer. So, there's the contrasting black roof that gives it a sleek silhouette. Gunmetal alloy wheels, distinctive two-tier LED headlamps and the largest 9-inch touchscreen available comes with wireless Apple CarPlay. Plus, a 360-degree reverse camera, 4.2-inch LCD driver-info display, automatic climate control and cruise control, mean you'll want for nothing in the 2025 Suzuki Fronx GLX. The Fronx is yet another impressive offering built in India for Suzuki. Image: File As before, there's only one engine available in the 2025 Suzuki Fronx range. It's the bomb-proof naturally aspirated 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol, which is good for 77 kW and 138 Nm of torque. It's a rev-happy engine that combines comfortably with the easy-shifting, four-speed automatic gearbox. Unfortunately, like in the CVT Swift and auto Jimny models we drove recently, going for two pedals instead of three does have its downsides though. Against the stopwatch the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 4AT is a bit tardier to 100 km/h, coming in slower than 10 seconds. Likewise, you'll be using more fuel to commute around. Our average eventually settled on 6.9 l/100 km, when the three pedal was closer to 5.9 l/100 km. Despite this, it accelerates in a linear fashion and is suitably easy-going and quiet at moderate throttle. You'll spot a 2025 Suzuki Fronx GLX by the contrasting roof and gunmetal alloy wheels. Image: File On the evidence of our review, we think the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT will find plenty of happy homes in South Africa. The high-spec 9-inch infotainment and other bells and whistles is worth the R362 900 price of admission alone. Likewise, the build quality for the sub-continental offering really impressed us. Perhaps, the only slightly divisive issue is the name: Fronx. 'Yes, I just brought a new Fronx!'. Which you can explain to your mates is a portmanteau of 'Frontier' and 'Crossover,' just by the way. However, when you experience its peppy drive and composed road manners, you'll care less what it's called. 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT Engine: 1.5-litre petrol 1.5-litre petrol Transmission: 4-speed automatic 4-speed automatic Power: 77 kW 77 kW Torque: 138 Nm 138 Nm 0-100 km/h: 10.20 seconds (tested) 10.20 seconds (tested) Top speed: 170 km/h 170 km/h Consumption: 6.9 l/100 km (tested) 6.9 l/100 km (tested) Price: R362 900 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Africa has an AI skills problem that is forcing a youth empowerment rethink
Africa has an AI skills problem that is forcing a youth empowerment rethink

Daily Maverick

time6 hours ago

  • Daily Maverick

Africa has an AI skills problem that is forcing a youth empowerment rethink

AI is evolving from generative tools to autonomous agents, now African businesses face skills shortages as the tech giants shift focus from traditional coding bootcamps to 'AI readiness' – but are we preparing our youth for the right future? There was a nightmare scenario revealed in SAP's latest Africa AI Skills Readiness Revealed report: the technology goalposts have shifted, once again, leaving the continent caught between digital transformation ambitions and the harsh reality of skills shortages that are already undermining business operations. 'A hundred percent of the African organisations that we surveyed said that they saw an increase in demand for AI skills in 2025, and just around 50% of that said they saw a significant increase in the demand for those AI skills,' explains Nazia Pillay, interim managing director for Southern Africa at SAP. The impact isn't theoretical – it's immediate and painful. Nearly 90% of survey responses report that AI skills shortages are already causing 'delays in implementations, failed innovation initiatives, an inability to take on new work, and loss of clients.' For South African companies, the situation is particularly worrying – 98% say lacking AI skills undermines their innovation capabilities, making them more vulnerable to competitive disadvantage. The agentic age changes everything But even as organisations scramble to address these shortages, the AI landscape is rapidly shifting beyond the generative AI tools that dominated 2023 and 2024 keynotes, toward 'agentic AI' – autonomous systems that can plan, act, and adapt independently. 'Copilot was like version one of AI for enterprises with the generative stuff it's moved beyond, so you'll see everyone talks about agents – and the secret of agents is that it's autonomous,' explains Robin Fisher, head of EMEA growth markets at Salesforce, describing how these systems represent a fundamental departure from reactive AI tools toward proactive, goal-directed agents. This shift is forcing a complete rethink of what 'AI readiness skills' even are. The traditional focus on coding – the bread and butter of coding academies across Africa that spawned under the weight of the last future-focused skills wave – is giving way to something far more nuanced. Ursula Fear, Salesforce's senior talent programme manager, warns that '39% of all of our core skills, the global workforce core skills, are to be changed by 2030'. She now says we should all be 'lifelong learners', dedicating 'a minimum of about 10 hours a week' to staying relevant. The skills that matter now extend far beyond 'ones and zeros' coding. Fisher suggests that future AI readiness includes 'the ability to maybe even go back to some of those things like psychology or linguistics because it's around making agents human' – skills crucial for ensuring AI agents operate with empathy and effective communication. The new rules of AI readiness This evolution is reshaping how major tech companies approach youth empowerment in Africa. Both Salesforce and its upstart Indian competitor Zoho are moving away from partnerships with coding bootcamps toward more holistic AI readiness programmes. Salesforce has launched rural interventions, including a pilot partnership with Absa in what Fear describes as a 'tier three town' (she's talking about Dundee), where they discovered qualified individuals – including computer science graduates and marine biologists – who had returned home due to a lack of urban job opportunities. The goal is building 'digital hubs in tier three towns' that can scale Salesforce solutions to businesses as small as a local 'meat producer'. 'We 100% believe that the only way that we are going to be able to solve this problem is through collaboration,' Fear continues, describing partnerships with workforce development organisations like Collective X that focus on 'work-integrated learning – the application of it' rather than just certifications. Zoho, meanwhile, is implementing what it calls 'transnational localism' – a philosophy that blends global reach with local engagement. The company is still riding the learn to code rollercoaster with Code Intelligence in Khayelitsha and Bench Bites for 'train the trainer programmes,' bringing students to their Cape Town offices and hiring directly from these programmes. But even the low-cost CRM hero acknowledges the fundamental shift under way. 'We're trying to not hire any more developers' internally, explains Hyther Nizam, president of Zoho Middle East and Africa, instead aiming to 'repurpose them to some other things' while equipping existing developers with AI tools like copilots. Wake-up call for the African dream For South Africa specifically, these shifts come against a backdrop of sobering economic realities. With youth unemployment at 62%, Andrew Bourne, regional manager for Zoho Southern Africa, stresses the critical need for young South Africans to 'think global' because 'we actually won't have enough jobs in South Africa for the unemployed'. This global perspective is reflected in Zoho's pricing strategy, which is basically offering 'first world technology at a third world price' with 25% subsidised pricing for the rand, maintained consistently for five years. Their new Zoho Solo mobile only app, designed for solopreneurs at R99 a month, aims to build 'digital skills literacy' among one-person businesses. The challenge isn't just about individual skills development, it's about systemic change. Despite 94% of African organisations now offering IT training monthly (up from 74% previously), budget allocation for training has actually decreased from 14% to 7% of IT and HR budgets, with no organisation spending more than 10%. 'We need to allocate a budget for upskilling our existing workforce,' Pillay insists, warning organisations to 'prepare for an AI-related skills gap in 2025' and 'understand the impact that a lack of skills will have on your business, your employees, and your customers.' What South Africa's AI skills crunch means for you If you're a young job seeker, a business owner, or just trying to future-proof your career, this isn't some distant tech debate; it's your next paycheque. AI isn't optional any more. Whether you're in finance, farming, or fashion, businesses are under pressure to adopt AI, but there's a huge shortage of local talent. Your CV needs more than just coding. AI readiness is about more than programming. Skills in communication, business strategy, ethics, and even psychology are now just as valuable. Training is free, if you know where to look. Companies like Salesforce and Zoho are offering open-access training, internships, and rural digital hubs. Jobs aren't disappearing, they're shifting. Data entry might be automated, but someone still needs to guide the agents. AI is a tool, not a takeover. The more you understand it, the more irreplaceable you become. Think beyond our borders. With SA's youth unemployment pushing 60%, the real opportunity might be global. Local startups and students are already getting remote gigs with international firms. The internet doesn't care about your postcode. Bottom line: If you wait for government policy to catch up, you'll be left behind. Start skilling up now; even ten hours a week can change your trajectory. Disproving the replacement theory Both CRM companies are quick to reject the narrative that AI will simply replace human workers, even though they're selling agentic AI. 'At no point is it creating unemployment,' Fisher argues. 'In the same way, agents are going to make certain things probably redundant, data capture, data analysis, those jobs will grow, right? Because AI can do the data analysis, but then it's going to create new jobs that are more powerful because you have context.' Nizam says Zoho's internal experience suggests a more measured reality: AI provides '30% to 40%' productivity improvement, not the '5x to 10x' often promised, partly because 'reading the AI-generated code is a nightmare.' The reality is that the stakes couldn't be higher – 60% of African organisations view AI skills as critical to their success, but 100% expect to face skills gaps. The companies getting it right are those recognising that in an agentic AI world, the most valuable skill might not be writing code, but understanding how to make machines work better with humans. DM

The quiet Western Cape towns South Africans are semigrating to
The quiet Western Cape towns South Africans are semigrating to

The South African

time7 hours ago

  • The South African

The quiet Western Cape towns South Africans are semigrating to

If you were wondering where South Africans are semigrating to in 2025, it seems the Western Cape's smaller, country towns are becoming quite popular. According to BusinessTech and property experts from Seeff Property Group, country towns across the Western Cape are experiencing a surge in demand for property as more South Africans wish to opt out of busy city life. This semigration trend was seen, in particular, amongst remote workers, retirees, and families looking for quieter and safer lifestyles. Some of the most popular Western Cape country towns include Barrydale, Bonnievale, Ladismith, Swellendam, Pearly Beach, Riversdale, Gansbaai, Still Bay and Struisbaai. BusinessTech also reported data that showed that over 8 000 property transactions worth nearly R9.5 billion occurred across the Cape countryside last year, with an estimated 90% of these sales coming in under R1.5 million per transaction. 'We're seeing strong interest from all over the country, with nearly 60% of buyers from Gauteng,' Anet Rossouw from Seeff noted, as per BusinessTech . Another 10 percent are from the other South African provinces, with the rest of the buyers being from the Western Cape itself, looking for second homes or future retirement homes. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store