Cape Town’s Century City Conference Centre and Bootlegger Colab isn’t just about big stages and sharp suits – it’s quietly become one of the city’s most interesting cultural platforms. During September, in honour of both Tourism and Heritage Month, the award-winning venue threw open its doors for an event aptly named Locally Inspired.
What followed was less “conference” and more “Cape Town in miniature” with coffee, art, cuisine, and stories stitched together in a way that reminded everyone in the room why this city has such pulling power with visitors from across the globe.
Coffee, Koeksisters & Collaboration
Guests were welcomed with Bootlegger Coffee in hand and a side plate of traditional koe’sisters and koeksisters – because nothing says Cape Town hospitality quite like a sweet treat laced with spice and nostalgia. This wasn’t just about caffeine, though. It marked the launch of a new partnership between Bootlegger Coffee Company and Century City Conference Centre.
As CEO Gary Koetser explained,
“Century City Conference Centre is not only an award-winning venue, it’s a living showcase of local art, food, and partnerships that define our unique identity. This event demonstrated how collaboration can strengthen communities, honour our heritage, and create experiences that truly stand out.”
Painting Cape Town’s Story – Fadiel Hermans Masterclass
After the ribbon-cutting, the first highlight of the day saw celebrated Bo-Kaap artist Fadiel Hermans guiding guests through a paint masterclass. His subject? Two of Cape Town’s most iconic cultural symbols – Signal Hill and the Bo-Kaap’s technicolour houses.
Born and raised in Bo-Kaap, Hermans paints from memory, layering colour, shadow, and emotion into every piece. His art is less postcard, more lived experience, a reminder that heritage is not just something we look at, but something we carry.
A Heritage Feast with a Twist – Chef Abbas Abrahams
From paint palettes to dinner plates, Executive Chef Abbas Abrahams took the stage with a series of locally inspired canapés. Each dish came with a story: a Masala Steak Gatsby reimagined in miniature, bobotie spring rolls crisp with Cape Malay spice, and a delicate little “melk tert” that landed somewhere between comfort food and edible art.
Abrahams, who cut his teeth in South Africa’s top hotels, including The Table Bay Hotel and The Westin Cape Town, has helmed the Conference Centre kitchen for nearly a decade, making it clear that food is both memory and identity. Guests walked away with full stomachs and jars of his homemade blatjang (a recipe handed down from his mother) tucked into their gift bags.
Century City Conference Centre Bootlegger Colab – The Bigger Picture
“Locally Inspired” wasn’t about spectacle. It was about stitching together the threads of Cape Town’s tourism and heritage through partnerships that mean something. An artist whose work tells the city’s story, a chef who folds memory into flavour, and a coffee brand that’s become part of the city’s daily rhythm.
As guests sipped their final Bootlegger cappuccino and pocketed a hertzoggie for the road, the message was clear. When local talent and local businesses join forces, the result is bigger than an event. It’s a living celebration of who we are, and why the world keeps coming back to Cape Town. The Century City Conference Centre Bootlegger Colab was simply inspiring.
Address: No. 4 Energy Lane, Century City, Cape Town, South Africa
Website: www.ccconferencecentre.co.za
Tel: +27 21 204 8000
