Welcome to 2023! Another year has landed with a bang of festivities, music and a renewed respect for generators.

It’s usually around this time that an influx of posts arrives, calling for a ‘new year, new you’, complete with resolutions about healthy eating, gymming and discipline. But this year we want to help you find the joy in your life by bringing you the very best of shopping, dining, drinking, working and other memorable experiences.

Are you ready to dive head-first into 2023? Check out our tips below for starting the year off on the right foot.

New year, big savings

Pockets feeling a bit emptier after a crazy festive season? We know how it can be post-December — which is why we’re helping to lighten the load with our annual Summer Sale. Between 3 and 31 January 2023 various retail stores across the V&A Waterfront will be offering huge discounts in everything from fashion to homeware.

Pick up the last gems of the season for less at popular fashion stores like Zara, H&M and YDE, and complement those outfits with accessories from luxury jewellery stores like Jack Friedman and Shimansky. A variety of homeware stores, such as Mr Price Home, SMEG and @Home, will be offering trendy homeware at low prices.

New year, ready for school

There’s nothing like stocking up on highlighters, gel pens and notepads to make you feel ready for anything! Get the kids set up for the school year with the coolest stationery and school supplies from the V&A Waterfront.

Stock up on stationery staples (pun intended) like A4 workbooks and pens at PNA’s one-stop shop, and grab groovy calendars, pencil cases, lunch boxes and other accessories from stores like Typo and Yokico.

New year, work better

As kids head back to school, it’s time for the rest of us to head back to work (if you haven’t already!). Our neighbourhood has various free-wifi zones, co-working spaces, coffee shops and restaurants that cater to remote and hybrid workers. Why not come and work with a view of Cape Town’s bustling harbour?

Work alongside other remote workers at Workshop17, the Watershed’s dedicated co-working space, or visit coffee shops like Shift Espresso Bar, Bootlegger Coffee Company, Starbucks and Seattle Coffee Company.

Don’t forget that the following areas at the V&A Waterfront also offer visitors free wifi: Victoria Wharf, Silo District, The Watershed, Cruise Terminal and Battery Park.

New year, treat yourself

After a relaxing and invigorating holiday period, you’ll hopefully be fresh and ready to tackle the year ahead. Don’t let that feeling slip away! Keep your mental, physical and social wellbeing in tip-top shape by soaking up the treats Cape Town has to offer.

Cocktails, tasty food and gatherings with friends don’t have to be reserved for December! Bring that ‘Dezemba’ spirit across the threshold into the new year with a sundowner tipple at RED Roof Bar or The Willaston Bar, savour delectable tapas at spots like La Parada and TANG, or explore the very best of homegrown food and drinks at Pienaar & Son Distilling Co and Emazulwini at Makers Landing.

Treat your body to an invigorating dose of fresh air and sun at one of our many outdoor spaces, or take part in some activities around our neighbourhood. Take a walk or run along the 5km route, have a picnic at Battery Park, go on a leisurely cycle around the harbourside with UpCycles, or step out of your comfort zone with a standup-paddle-boarding session with SUP Cape Town.

The New Year has never seemed more exciting, wouldn’t you agree?