Get ready to experience the heart and soul of Cape Town before the official start of the IFA 17th Global Conference on Ageing!
Experience Discovery Day on 8th September 2025—a unique chance to explore the vibrant city of Cape Town through a range of full and half-day activities designed to connect you with its culture, heritage, and age-friendly initiatives. Whether you’re drawn to intergenerational storytelling in historic District Six, inspired by the empowering work of local NGOs, or eager to soak in the natural beauty of the winelands, each activity offers a meaningful encounter with the people and places shaping the future of ageing in South Africa.
Spaces are limited, and participants may select only one event.
Half-day Community Engagement Tours
Please click on each box to view detailed information about the tour.
Cape Town Society for the Blind
Tour Details:
| Date | 8th September 2025 | |
| Time | 08:00 – 13:00, Half-day | |
| Departure Point | CTICC 2 – Entrance 7 | |
| Cost | USD 50.00 per person | |
About the tour
What they do: Supports visually impaired older persons with independent living skills, social programs, and rehabilitation.
Website: https://capetownsocietyfortheblind.co.za
Cape Town Society for the Blind (CTSB) was founded in 1929 by a group of women from Cape Town who identified the need to provide training and employment opportunities for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons within a secure and supportive environment. The Society has remained true to its mission for over 90 years and has become a beacon of hope to individuals who need to navigate the complex world without sight.
Their vision is to continuously expand training, education, and development programmes, thereby aligning the skills of the blind and visually impaired people with enhanced employment opportunities within the corporate sector.
Read more about this tour Read less
Duration
Half Day
Vehicle
Air-conditioned coach to suite group size.
Included
Transportation, sightseeing as per itinerary.
Excluded
Meals, gratuities, items of a personal nature, drinks, any additional extras.
Activity Level
Low.
Learn about inclusive and accessible ageing programs for visually impaired seniors.
Intergenerational Dialogue and Storytelling Tour
Tour Details:
| Date | 8th September 2025 | |
| Time | 08:00 – 13:00, Half-day | |
| Departure Point | CTICC 2 – Entrance 7 | |
| Cost | USD 50.00 per person, excludes entrance fee. | |
About the tour
District Six before its destruction under Apartheid, was a community representative of diversity on several levels – language, religion, economic class, geographical area of origin – and became a living example of how diversity could a be a strengthening characteristic of a community and need not be feared. It was a vibrant community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, labourers and immigrants, with close links to the city and the port. It represented the opposite of what the Apartheid government, inaugurated by the National Party coming into power in 1948, needed people to believe and internalise.
District Six thus became one of the main urban targets for destruction in the city of Cape Town.
On 11 February 1966 it was declared a white area under the Group Areas Act of 1950, and by 1982, the life of the community was over. More than 60 000 people were forcibly removed to barren outlying areas aptly known as the Cape Flats, and their houses in District Six were flattened by bulldozers.
During our visit, we will witness a dialogue between youth and elders on history, resilience, and cultural heritage.
Listen to an Elder-led storytelling about apartheid-era forced removals and community rebuilding and Musical and spoken word performances.
Read more about this tour Read less
Duration
Half Day
Vehicle
Air-conditioned coach to suite group size.
Included
Transportation, sightseeing as per itinerary.
Excluded
Meals, gratuities, items of a personal nature, drinks, any additional extras.
Activity Level
Low.
Comments
A dialogue between youth and elders on history, resilience, and cultural heritage.
Full-day Community Engagement Tours
Please click on each box to view detailed information about the tour.
Neighbourhood Old Age Homes (NOAH)
Tour Details:
| Date | 8th September 2025 | |
| Time | 08:00 – 17:00, Full-day | |
| Departure Point | CTICC 2 – Entrance 7 | |
| Cost | USD 75.00 per person | |
About the tour
Why Visit? Delegates can learn about sustainable senior living models and visit NOAH’s social enterprises run by older persons.
NOAH provides affordable housing, healthcare, and social enterprise opportunities for older persons. They focus on independent living and community integration.
NOAH is a unique, progressive, strengths-based solution to the ageing crisis. The uniqueness is in the integrated nature of the model, providing a full bouquet of services to facilitate active, healthy and independent living. NOAH is innovating new approaches to ageing and ensuring that those who have suffered most have an opportunity for self-discovery, healing, inclusion and participation in society.
Prospective residents often come from chilling circumstances: inter-generational conflict, abusive relationships, crippling rentals, isolation, neglect, etc.
NOAH’s communal housing model provides exactly the opposite: ordinary houses in ordinary streets, these affordable ‘digs’ are non-institutional, communal homes, where residents have companionship, dignity, security and independence.
Read more about this tour Read less
Duration
Full Day
Vehicle
Air-conditioned coach to suite group size.
Included
Transportation, sightseeing as per itinerary.
Excluded
Meals, gratuities, items of a personal nature, drinks, any additional extras.
Activity Level
Low.
Comments
NOAH co-creates a thriving, interdependent community where elders live with a sense of purpose, belonging, contribution and hope.
Golden Oldies Senior Centre, Hout Bay
Tour Details:
| Date | 8th September 2025 | |
| Time | 08:00 – 18:00, Full-day | |
| Departure Point | CTICC 2 – Entrance 7 | |
| Cost | USD 125.00 per person, excludes entrance fee. | |
About the tour
Hangberg Dreams NPC is a community organization in Hangberg, that focuses on supporting vulnerable seniors with events, home visits, and outreach programs.
They host annual events to entertain, spoil, and educate seniors. These events include activities like massages, snacks, lunch, and gifts.
A lively group of older persons: stories on history, resilience, and cultural heritage.
After the community engagements, the group embarks on a scenic tour of Hout Bay for a Seal Island Cruise (weather dependent) and a visit to the Penguins at Bolders Beach.
Read more about this tour Read less
Duration
Full Day
Vehicle
Air-conditioned coach to suite group size.
Included
Transportation, sightseeing as per itinerary.
Excluded
Meals, gratuities, items of a personal nature, drinks, any additional extras.
Activity Level
Low.
Comments
A lively group of older persons: stories on history, resilience, and cultural heritage.
Val de Vie Retirement Estate, Paarl Valley
Tour Details:
| Date | 8th September 2025 | |
| Time | 08:00 – 18:00, Full-day | |
| Departure Point | CTICC 2 – Entrance 7 | |
| Cost | USD 125.00 per person, excludes entrance fee. | |
About the tour
Val de Vie Evergreen, located within the heart of Val de Vie Estate, is South Africa’s safest retirement village. With a strong sense of community and inspiration drawn from the natural beauty that surrounds it, this retirement village offers the secure and welcoming living reminiscent of days gone by.
The estate boasts their own restaurants, deli, wine cellar, mountain bike route, jogging and walking trails, picnic spots, dog parks, a polo club and paddocks for horse riding.
Thereafter, the group will depart on a tour of the winelands with two wine tastings, and a cellar tour with cheese tasting.
Read more about this tour Duration Full Day Vehicle Air-conditioned coach to suite group size. Included Transportation, sightseeing as per itinerary. Excluded Meals, gratuities, items of a personal nature, drinks, any additional extras. Activity Level Low. Comments A visit to see the extreme disparities of the South African retirement living communities combined with a day trip to the Winelands. Read less