10 Bagamoya Guest Information

The apartment guide

Cleaning

Cape Town basics

Activities & food

Books, movies, TV

Oopsies

Checking out

Explore

The apartment guide

In short: this is our home. We love our space very much and hope you will take care of it the same way we would.

There are a few things we expect you to follow:

No smoking (not even on the balcony)

No shoes in the house (not even tiptoeing to the bedrooms)

No pets (not even cute ones)

No parties (not even quiet ones)

No extra guests —than those we agreed upon— are allowed.

🚪Entering and exiting

The address is 3 Brunswick Road, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town. The building is called Bagamoya and you’ll be in unit 10, which is on the top floor at the back (far side) of the building.

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Main building gate (electronic)

If you have a phone that can call/SMS a South African number, we will have programmed that in. Do one of the following (either works) when you are in front of the main gate:

Call +27829575165; or

Send an SMS with “1994CC” (no quotation marks, all uppercase) to +27829575165

Either option should open the entrance gate to the right.

The gate closes automatically after a few seconds.

(If you are stuck, we can also remotely open the gate from our phones or we can call a neighbour to help; assuming we’re on the same time zone / awake at that time).

Walk to the back of the parking area and take the furthest staircase, up to the top floor, unit 10.

Unit 10 entrance

On our white gate, there will be a lock box. Use the code we gave you to open it and find the key to the gate. Remember to close the lock box and scramble the code afterwards.

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Next, the white door has two locks: the bottom door lock (via a key, which you won’t use) and the black electronic door lock (via an access code).

During your stay, you’ll only be using the electronic door lock. To unlock it from outside:

“Wake up” the keypad by lightly tapping it once or tapping on the ⏪ back button

Type in the door code, followed by the lock/unlock button.

If successful, it’ll flash green and you’ll hear a sound as the bolt moves (unlocks). Wait a second for it to unlock fully before trying to open the door.

Turn the handle and open the door.

Once inside, just turn the knob to the right to lock the electronic lock again.

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When leaving, you can lock it by entering the code and the lock/unlock button again (basically, steps 1-3 above). Wait for it to lock fully and double-check that it is in fact locked.

Security note: Always remember to lock both the door and the security gate when leaving the property. We also lock both at night.

Inside the flat, by the photo wall, we left two gate remotes. You can use this from now instead of calling the gate’s number, should you prefer to. Note that there are two buttons. One of the buttons opens the gate on the OTHER side of the building, and the other button opens the one you’ll use.

Parking

As noted in

Pre-arrival⁠

, we have a dedicated garage (locked, our car is in there) and the bay in front of it, so you are always welcome to park there.

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If you have more than one vehicle, the second vehicle needs to park elsewhere on the street, not in any of the other bays or in front of any of the garages.

During tourist season (Dec-Feb), with the growing number of Airbnbs, we find that sometimes people end up parking in that bay, thinking it’s normal street parking. If this happens, leave an angry note on their window to let them know not to do it again, and just park on the street. There’s usually a space available nearby.

🛜 WiFi

WiFi network: Perro de Colima Password: 0796370767

The unit has fast internet (100mb upload / 100mb download speed). Perfect for constant streaming or work videos.

Should there be any power outages (known in SA as “load shedding”), there is a WiFi battery (UPS -- uninterrupted power supply) connected to the WiFi router. It should provide uninterrupted internet connectivity for up to five hours should the power go out.

👀 Monitoring devices

Note that we have a white nanny cam in the entrance area. This is in place to communicate with our cleaner, Charles, when we’re not at home. Once you’ve entered, you can simply unplug the camera (just remember to plug it back in after checkout again!). There is a pink air quality and moisture/humidity monitor next to the nanny cam; please leave that plugged in.

🇿🇦 Not enough power, too much wind

🔌 Electricity

Sockets and voltage

South Africa has for many years used the big and unique “type M” sockets, but these are being phased out in favour of “type N” and “type C” sockets.

See them here⁠

We have equipped the apartment with travel adapters that should work with most laptop and phone charging cables from Europe, Japan, India, China, and North America.

Note that we use 220v ~ 50Hz electricity in South Africa, so appliances that are rated only for 110v use, like some from the United States and Taiwan—often hair dryers— should not be plugged in. Those rated for only 220v or a range of 110v to 220v (like most laptops or devices from elsewhere in the world) will work.

Electricity use

As in the

Cape Town basics⁠

page, South Africa is experiencing a

massive power crisis⁠

(which peaked in 2023 and seems to be subsiding). Please be mindful of your electricity use. Consider using a fan before the air conditioner; close the windows if you’re using the air conditioner or heaters; consider hanging your clothes in stead of using the dryer; turn off lights when not in use; and don’t leave anything running when you leave the apartment.

Load shedding

As noted earlier, South Africa experiences “load shedding” — scheduled power outages in different parts of the country. These usually last between 1 and 4 hours. It peaked in 2023, and we’re happy to say that we haven’t had any load shedding since March 2024. It may come back during high-use periods. You can see if any load shedding is scheduled

here⁠

We’ve tried to make this annoying matter as non-disruptive as possible:

Lights: Most (but not all) ceiling and bedside lights throughout the flat have light bulbs with built-in rechargeable batteries; they will continue to work for a few hours after the power goes out.

WiFi: We have a Gizzu UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply battery) connected to the WiFi router. This should should supply uninterrupted WiFi internet for an additional ~6 hours. In a pinch, it also has USB plugs for charging your phone/devices.

Stove: Since this is a gas stove, it will work, you’ll just need to use a lighter to light it. There should be a lighter in the second drawer (beneath the cutlery). However, you will not be able to use the oven, air fryer, electric kettle, or anything else plugged into the wall sockets.

Coffee grinder: The beans grinder won’t work; there is a hand grinder in the cupboard above the stove. Find our stovetop kettle in the cabinet as the electric one won’t work.

Hot water: Since we have a solar geyser, you should continue to have hot water, unless there has been more than a few cloudy days in a row.

To know in advance when load shedding is planned, we recommend downloading the ESP (”Eskom SE Push”)

app for iOS/Android⁠

and adding the suburb of “Tamboerskloof, Cape Town” to monitor (and get notified) of when the next load shedding is scheduled.

The user experience on the app isn’t the best, so here are some tips:

How to use the ESP app (click-to-expand)

How to use the ESP app (click-to-expand)

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💨 Wind

Portuguese explorers called this the “Cape of Storms,” and one big reason for that is the wind. It gets intense. As in: we somewhat regularly have tree-uprooting storms of 100km per hour. The wind generally gets stronger in summer.

In the apartment, this just means:

Close all windows and the balcony door when you leave the flat!

Don’t place breakable items next to open windows, in case the wind starts up ;)

Don’t put anything on the balcony railing

Check the

wind forecast⁠

before planning a braai/barbecue on the balcony

Bring in your laundry when you leave the flat

If the forecast is for it to be very windy or rainy, please move the balcony sofa cushions indoors

Make sure nothing is left outside on the balcony when you leave it — including ensuring that the Weber braai is inside the cabinet when you’re done cooking (Once, we left our braai on top the cabinet and the wind ripped off the metal lid and sent it flying into our neighbor’s garden. Luckily, nobody was harmed!)

🛋️ Dining & living room

Tables: On all wooden furniture, please use coasters and place mats. Don’t put plates and cups on the table.

Fireplace: Please only use the fireplace if you are 100% confident you won’t smoke up the house or cause damage to our house. Don’t leave the fire unattended and always keep the door latched (else ash could go flying in the house if the wind picks up). You can purchase firewood at most supermarkets. Please keep wood stored on the patio, and not indoors, as firewood in SA often carries invasive beetles which can burrow into and destroy other wood (which all our floors & much of our furniture is made of!).

Ceiling fan & light: This is a bit tricky. Because of load shedding, we didn’t get a “normal” remote controlled fan (when the power goes of and comes back on, the lights on these turn on). So then, the middle switch in the living room gives power to the fan (and light). If you turn it off, there will be no power to it (so no light, and no fan). The fan itself has two draw cords you can pull: a short one to independently turn off the light (so you can have fan and no light), and to change the speed of the fan (fastest - medium - slow - off).

Music & speakers: We have a Sonos receiver connected to some good (and retro — 50 years old!) Bang & Olufsen speakers. Once you’re connected to the WiFi, you’ll see it listed as “Living room” in your Spotify or other streaming account. You can also download the

Sonos S1 app⁠

to use with Pandora or Tidal, or alternatively connect via Bluetooth (the amplifier is called Ampie Omo). They’re both in the cabinet under the speakers in the living room, if you need to fine-tune the bass. Please be mindful of the music volume not to disturb the neighbours.

🍳 Kitchen

Please see the separate

🧹 Cleaning section⁠

for info on:

Dishwasher

Washing machine / Dryer / Clothes horse

Trash / Recycling

Cleaning supplies

For other things:

Gas

Open the gas valve in the cupboard after arrival (and close it again before departing)

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WhatsApp Image 2024-10-06 at 08.27.18.jpeg

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The 9kg gas cylinder under the sink runs out every 4-6 months. If it runs out while you’re staying, you can swap it out with the gas cylinder for the braai (in the balcony inside the cabinet). Otherwise, you can arrange for Simply Gas (WhatsApp/call: 061-147-2044) to come swap out the gas tank for you. Shortly before it runs out, there might be a faint gas smell (something about the ratio of air to gas in the tank, we’ve been told); this is the signal that you need to change it. I think generally they send an invoice (so you can just have them send it to us, thewerlotte@gmail.com). There is a gas switchoff valve in the cupboard next to the oven.

Use of coffee/tea - Please help yourself to some coffee or the tea

Use of condiments, spices, etc - Please feel free to use condiments in the fridge (e.g. mustard, Sriracha) and oils/spices (in the pantry) for your cooking!

🛁 Bathroom

Hot water geyser - We have a solar water geyser — it provides hot water warmed by the sun— with an electricity backup (for cloudy days). The electric backup goes on twice a day, at 6:30-7:30am and 7:30-8:15pm. We’ve found that the water is hot at all hours with this schedule in winter, but let us know if you have any issues. Please take short showers to conserve water.

Toiletries - Feel free to use liquid soaps, shampoos, and conditioners.

Towels - We left a grey body towel and a face towel per person. Please don’t use any of these for the beach or park picnics. For that, we’ve left a picnic blanket and a pair of Turkish towels for you, in the main bedroom cupboard.

🛌 Bedrooms

Linens: Unfortunately, we won’t be able to provide a change of linen, but you’re welcome to wash yours if needed (or request that Charles the cleaner come in on a Wednesday to change them for you).

Cupboard space: Any unlocked space that’s empty is yours to use! We’ll clear out some space for you in both bedrooms, including some extra hangers.

Too cold?

Extra blankets: We’ve left an extra cotton blanket in the main bedroom cupboard, in case the current duvets are insufficient.

Space heaters: If it’s winter-ish (May to Oct), we’ll leave some space heaters out or in the cupboard for you to use. None of them have timers, so please remember to turn them off when you leave the room/flat.

Too warm?

Fans: In the warmer months (Nov to Mar), use the floor/table fans left out or in the bedroom cupboard. The white table fan has a solar panel and a battery, so can work during load shedding.

Ceiling fans: As described in “Living room” above, there are ceiling fans in the main bedroom and living room.

Air conditioner: Please consider opening windows and using the ceiling/floor fans first instead of air conditioning, as nearly all electricity in SA is powered by dirty coal. But there are of course nights when the heat could be insufferable, so there is an air conditioner for that purpose (but only in the main bedroom). The remote is in the bedside table.

🪟 Balcony

Braai (barbecue) - We have a little Weber gas braai (barbecue) in the cabinet, which you’re welcome to use. Please remember to close the gas cylinder when you are done and put it back in the cabinet when done. (See note above re: the crazy Cape winds blowing the last braai off the balcony!!)

Wind! - We know we’re being repetitive here, but it bears repeating.

🚭 Smoking

As per our description, this is a strictly no smoking apartment.

You may not smoke cigarettes, nor tobacco, nor cannabis, nor e-cigarettes (vape), not anywhere in the apartment, not blow it from inside to outside the windows, and not on the balcony.

Unfortunately, some non-smokers like us are allergic to smoke or suffer from asthma. Complaints and penalties will go to Home Exchange against those who break this rule — including recovering the costs to steam clean the curtains, linen, mattress, duvets, pillows, blankets, rugs, sofa, and more.

🌳 Plants

If you’re staying less than 2 weeks: You don’t need to water the plants. Charles the cleaner will water them before and after your stay.

If you are staying for longer than 2 weeks and Charles isn’t cleaning while you are here: Please water (not too much!) once per week. We’ve specifically chosen low-water, low-admin plants, so over-watering might kill them.

🛒 Supermarkets

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Checkers⁠

on Kloof is where we do the majority of our shopping. You can also order groceries to be delivered using their app,

Checkers 60-60⁠

(but you’ll have to meet them on the street, they generally don’t carry the groceries up for you).

There is a well-stocked convenience store two blocks away,

Kloof Nek Grocer⁠

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Woolies⁠

on Kloof is another good option.

We also stock up on grains/oils/etc at the zero waste shop in town,

Nude Foods⁠

and sustainable cleaning/toiletries products at

Faithful to Nature⁠

(physical shop at the V&A Waterfront mall, or bigger selection by ordering online).

All three supermarkets have liquor stores or wine shops next to them.

📦 Deliveries

Uber Eats and

Mr D⁠

are the most popular food delivery apps, available on iOS and Android.

Save the full address and your South African phone number in the app before ordering. Collect from the delivery person downstairs. It’s common to tip 10% for deliveries (in the app or in person to the delivery person in cash).

If you ordered something online for delivery (

Takealot⁠

and

Amazon South Africa⁠

are popular), they can only guarantee the day of delivery, but not the time (they just say “sometime from 8am to 5pm” 🙄). The delivery person will then call you when they arrive at the property, to hand you your parcel in person. This is often inconvenient, unless you work from home, so you might find it easier to collect from one of their pickup points instead. (The closest Takealot one is in Foreshore, the closest Amazon one is the Kloof Nek Grocer 300m from the flat)

🏢 Building (Bagamoya) rules

Noise & Quiet hours

This is our home. Please be respectful of our neighbours, and keep music and noise to a reasonable level.

The building has quiet hours between 10pm and 8am each day. It is strictly a “no parties” apartment (there are many bars, restaurants, and clubs nearby for that sort of thing).

Other rules

All residential buildings have a Rules of Conduct document that applies to all residents and guests and says what can and can’t be done in the building. These rules apply to you and your stay.

You can view them here:

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Bagamoya - Conduct rules January 2021 (3).pdf

159.7 kB

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📞 Phone numbers

You can always reach us via WhatsApp.

Werner: +27796370767

Charlie: +27768260999

Emergencies

Cape Town fire, police, and general emergencies: +27214807700

South Africa general emergencies: 112 (from a mobile phone)

Wilderness Search & Rescue: +27 21 937 0300 (all mountain, ocean, and outdoor emergencies — save this number if you plan to hike Table Mountain or Lion’s Head)

🧯There are fire extinguishers on each corridor of the building (go outside the flat, go to the middle of the corridor, and you will find the firehose. We also have another small extinguisher in the kitchen cupboard.

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