With its stunning location, tucked into the arms of a broad bay, surrounded by wild, white-sand beaches and set against the canvas of Table Mountain, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Affectionately nicknamed the Mother City, it is the capital of South Africa’s Western Cape Province and the seat of South Africa’s parliament.
‘There’s a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi. There’s a train that comes from Zambia and Zimbabwe. There’s a train that comes from Angola and Mozambique - from Lesotho from Botswana from Swaziland.’ These lines are from Hugh Masekela’s quintessential anthem, Stimela (steam engine), which profoundly captures the essence of the millions of migrant labourers who, since 4 October 1886 (when the first claims were laid out), have mined the gold that built the economy of Johannesburg and South Africa.