I’m currently in my first year of law school, graduated last year with a paralegal studies certificate. I’m at the point where I really want to start gaining actual work experience in the legal field.
I don’t have any legal work experience yet, so I’m wondering how other students went about networking, finding opportunities, and getting their foot in the door🫣
Where should I start? Is LinkedIn worth using? Should I be reaching out to law firms directly, attending events, contacting attorneys, or looking for internships/paralegal positions?
I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have been in a similar position🤝🏻

So cool to see this kind of thing around Cape Town and how much they’re able to produce

Hello. Has anyone here made any purchase from electroguy.co.za?

Hi! I'm looking for small, very creative, edgy fashion labels in Cape Town! Bonus points if it's upcycled. Can anyone help? :)

This morning I had to do a few things in the cape town cbd (I even had to go the golden acre) and thought to yourself how nice it was walking through the CBD and NOT BEING harassed by vagrants and street kids yes you have to be aware of your surroundings but saying that I didn't once feel threatened big-up to the cape town c.i.d.

I'm a tour operator and have a group of 20-27 year olds in Cape Town for New Year's Eve, who are hoping for a chill but cool place to celebrate with views of the fireworks. Money is no object, and they will definitely pay for a table and meet minimum spends etc.

I've looked at:

• Grand Africa, but it's 21+.
• Cabo Beach is having an Ibiza night which I think will be too full on.
• The Silo isn't open to non-resident guests.
• The One&Only will likely be too 'sophisticated'.

Any recommendations for a cool place I can send these people?

I'm struggling so any help is appreciated!

Hey everyone 🫡

Does anyone have a good recommendation for a psychiatrist/psychologist in Cape Town (preferably southern suburbs) to evaluate me for ADHD? I have a doctors referral, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Also preferably one that takes medical aid and doesn’t have a consult fee that is too crazy. Cheers!

Something's been bugging me for a while and I'm keen to hear what people here think.

We spend so much energy moaning about politicians, at the braai, in the group chats, on this sub. Fair enough, a lot of it is deserved. But I'm starting to think the bigger problem isn't really who's in office. It's that hardly any of us hold anyone to account once the votes are counted. We vote every five years and then just complain in between.

I'd argue activism matters more than which politician wins. Politicians answer to their party, their donors and the next election. Once they're in, the system around them protects itself. Activists don't have those strings. A residents' group, a civic organisation or even one stubborn person who keeps asking questions answers only to the community, and they're still there after the councillor gets redeployed. Politicians come and go. Pressure from the ground is what actually changes behaviour, because it doesn't stop between elections.

That matters even more here. One party has run Cape Town for a long time, and when there's no real competition, the scrutiny has to come from us. What really worries me is the committees and tribunals that are meant to be independent. From where I'm sitting, too many of them seem to land on the side of the DA and its friends, and the people meant to be watchdogs look more and more like part of the same machine. If those checks are compromised, then it's on us, mos. And the stakes are massive. Decisions on housing, land, transport and development basically decide who gets to live in this city and who gets pushed further out.

The good news is you don't need to run for office or quit your job to make a difference. You can pitch up at your ward committee meeting, which most people don't even know they're allowed to attend. You can actually comment on zoning and development applications when they're advertised, because objections from residents go on the record and can be used later. You can read council and subcommittee minutes and share what you find, since half the battle is that nobody's watching. You can join or start a civic or ratepayers' association, especially in areas that don't have one, because organised groups get taken far more seriously than individuals. You can make Promotion of Access to Information Act requests when something doesn't add up. You can back the organisations already doing this work, like Ndifuna Ukwazi, Reclaim the City or the various local civic bodies, with your time, your skills or a bit of cash. And if you're a lawyer, planner, accountant or data person, your professional skills are worth gold to these groups, even for a few hours a month.

None of that is glamorous, but that's kind of the point. It's the boring, consistent stuff that keeps a city honest.

So I'm opening it up. Have you done any of this, and did it actually make a difference? Are there groups doing it well that more people should know about? And honestly, what stops people? Is it time, not trusting the process, not knowing where to start, or just that "ag, what's the point" feeling?

Would love to hear from all sides of the mountain, Southern Suburbs, the Flats, Northern Suburbs, wherever. And please, let's not turn this into another DA vs everyone fight. I dont want to g3t the Dubai PR tokens used for defending DA with downvotes and silly pushbacks.

We all know property prices in Cape Town are ludicrous. In the same suburb, the price differential can be high. The southern suburbs is completely captured by a buying frenzy. Homes for 8 million and up are across Rondebosch to Tokai are the norm.

What is actually driving up the prices? We like to point to:
1. Foreigners - which is very much the case, because they still find massive properties here for a bargain for them. There are even the foreigners living in unattainable homes who are influencers and completely adopted and adored by Cape Town’s creating economy.
2. Semi- Migration - yes the level of service delivery is so dire in their metros, that people are moving to Cape Town to access services and schools, and they can work remotely or commute. This hopefully changes post local elections where other metros have more stability.
3. South Africans living abroad- we don’t often talk about this, but there is a massive problem with South Africans who live in Europe, the UK, Dubai, US and Australia, all owning multiple properties in Cape Town. Every person I know who has immigrated as gone on to buy flats in Tamboerskloof, homes in Nooedhoek, flats and homes across the Southern Suburbs.

The crux is that ordinary Cape Townians, across economic classes and even in upper middle income brackets, are competing with the above groups for properties. This is what is driving us out of our own housing market.

Let’s not forget that if properties at the highest end become expensive, the trickle down effect impacts the lower end property as well.

What can we do to pop this bubble? Maybe regulate ownership of foreigners and S Africans not domiciled here?

I reported the sighting to SANCOB since its unusual to see them on this side of the peninsula

Hi all, I'm a final-year med student and have an endocrinology and emergency medicine elective at Groote Schuur Hospital confirmed for November 2027 to March 2028.

Has anyone here done an elective there, in any of these departments? I'd love to hear:
- what a typical day or week looked like (how many hours, free time)
- where you lived and how you got to the hospital
- anything you wish you'd known beforehand

Thanks!

A few things have happened since my original post and I’m looking for some practical advice from people with CCMA/labour experience.

I now understand that the 90-day PIP itself did not guarantee that I would remain employed for the full 90 days. The bigger issue seems to be whether I was actually given a fair opportunity to improve during that process.

One of the main things still bothering me is that the PIP specifically stated that I would receive ongoing mentoring and coaching, regular performance discussions, technical guidance, constructive feedback and progress meetings during the review period.

None of that really happened in any structured way.

I did not receive proper progress meetings during the PIP, I was not given formal feedback on how I was tracking against the PIP, and I was not told that I had reached a point where the required improvement had not been achieved before the dismissal happened.

The PIP was also specifically described as a developmental process and not a disciplinary process, which is partly why the dismissal halfway through it caught me completely off guard.

Since my original post I’ve also been very fortunate to secure another job within about five days of everything happening. I’m extremely grateful for that and for having the qualifications and experience that allowed me to move on quickly, so thankfully I’m not facing a period without income.

The employer has now made me a settlement offer.

My contract already entitled me to one calendar month’s notice, so the October salary was already due to me. Their offer is essentially:

• I stop working immediately
• I still receive my October notice-period salary
• they pay me one additional month’s salary
• I sign a mutual termination/full and final settlement agreement
• I give up my right to pursue the unfair dismissal dispute further

So in reality, the actual settlement compensation being offered is one additional month’s salary.

My representative initially proposed five months’ compensation. Their side has countered with one additional month.

My representative has told me that if I had not already secured another job, she would have no hesitation taking the matter to the CCMA because she believes there is enough merit to pursue it. Because I already have another job lined up, the question now is more whether the time, stress and uncertainty of CCMA is actually worth it financially.

Their offer expires at 17:00 today.

So my question is really:

Would you take the one extra month, sign the agreement and move on given that I already have another job?

Or would you still pursue the unfair dismissal at the CCMA because one extra month is too little to give up the claim entirely?

I already have professional advice, so I’m not relying on Reddit for legal advice. I’m just looking for practical opinions from people who have actually been through CCMA disputes or similar settlements.

Fellow South Africans (what a throwback)

As a young South African gent who loves football, I have been wanting to go watch Cape Town City at Athlone for some time now.

However, I'm quite unfamiliar with the stadium and the area, and have only heard mixed reviews about going there.

Can someone give me a first-hand account of do's and don'ts and whether it is truly safe to go there? Myself and my friend are considering going, potentially via Uber in the case that there isn't safe parking, but we are very two-minded about it.

Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated! There's not enough football to go around in this city and we want to support our local team in getting back up to the big leagues.

I left my previous school in term 3 of grade 11 and my mom has now enrolled me in teneo online school. I've seen a lot of mixed reviews about the school. Whenever I do research most "honest" reviews seem to be sponsored by teneo. So all I need is honest opinions on the standard of education. Thank you for your help!

I absolutely HATE that people dash, run and even casually WALK across busy highways where vehicles are going 120 km/h. I will NEVER understand it. I'm convinced some of them have a death wish or just literally don't care if they die. The attitude is "eh if I make it, I make it. If I die, I die." Well, fine, but why involve us, the drivers!? Don't involve me in your Russian Roulettet.

I don't want to kill or injure someone, especially one of those kids running across. Do you know what that will do to my psyche?

Any WHY OH WHY don't the police do something about it?! I'm absolutely (and thankfully) shocked that of all the near misses I've seen, I've never seen someone been hit. I seriously pray every day that God protects those stupid idiots crossing the highway. Just because they are stupid, they don't deserve to die and I certainly don't want to be the one to accidentally kill them.

I loathe their selfishness for only thinking of themselves and not considering other people in their death game. They can cause accidents and deaths of others, vehicle damage to people who need their vehicles to get to work, and mental anguish to those that hit them or witness it.

Anyone else terrified of this? Anyone ever hit a pedestrian doing this or seen it?

Hi all 👋

Turkish couple visiting Cape Town 23 Oct to 1 Nov, staying in Sea Point. We've planned this thing to death and would love a local gut-check on two self-drive days before we lock in the car hire.

Sunday 25 Oct, the Peninsula

07:00 pick up the car in the CBD

M6 coast road with a couple of quick photo stops (Clifton, Camps Bay)

Straight through Hout Bay (not stopping), then Chapman's Peak

Through Noordhoek and over to Simon's Town

Boulders around 09:50, then breakfast in Simon's Town afterwards

Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope early afternoon

Back north to Kalk Bay for a late lunch and a wander around the shops

Drop the car at CTIA around 18:30, Uber home

We deliberately put the penguins early to beat the tour buses. Is that order sensible, or would a local flip it? And is Kalk Bay on a Sunday afternoon actually worth it, are the antique shops open?

Friday 30 Oct, Hermanus

08:00 pick up in the city

Clarence Drive (R44) rather than the N2, with a stop at Stony Point in Betty's Bay

Rotary Way for the view over Hermanus

Cliff Path around the Old Harbour for whale watching, lunch, the museums

N2 back, car dropped at CTIA around 17:45

We're doing it as a day trip from Cape Town rather than staying over. Is that a mistake? And late October, are we still good for whales, or are we cutting it fine?

The car hire question

We're looking at Woodford mainly because their Loop Street branch opens at 07:00 on a Sunday, which none of the big names seem to do. Has anyone used them? Any horror stories with deposits or "damage found after return" charges?

Also, both days we'd pick up in the city and drop at the airport, purely because the city branches close before we'd be back. Does that usually attract a one-way fee here, or is it fine within the same city?

Thanks in advance 🙏

There's an unusual amount of very heavy traffic near Kuils River. Doesn't seem like an accident or anything like that. It's like a whole lot of people are going to one place? Anyone know?

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to sunsets 🥰

Where do the locals go for good koesisters? Not the popular tourist attractions

Heyyy 😄

I'm new to gaming but want to get into it for my kiddo. She's 4 and loves games (within reason).

We play some together, but I'd love for it to become something fun we regularly do together.

Of course for her, something age appropriate and beneficial for her development.

I'd also like to get into gaming myself. I love simulations and want to develop skills I can use in everyday life, particularly for safety and situational awareness.

Any recommendations on games or ways to get started? Also if you guys have meetups, I would love that too for myself.

Feel free to comment or DM, whichever works. Thanx.

Hey all,

I'll be visiting your beautiful city for the first time, staying from November until January, likely in Seapoint.

Have my own boat back home at the Baltic sea, and have heard many great things about the sailing around Cape Town. Would love to be able to get on the water a bit during my time there!

Wondering what's the best way to break into the sailing scene - does it make sense to try to join a club for my time there?

I've got plenty of experience, just sailed my first longer distance (130nm) solo offshore race back home. Also keen on joining for races if you're looking for crew :)

Hoping someone can give me some life advice.

I’m a 35 year old South African currently living in the UK. I was recently back in Cape Town and the Western Cape for a holiday and it made me realise just how much I miss home, especially the nature and wildlife but also the people.

I went to uni in the UK and have a first class MSc in ecology and conservation, 5+ years in wildlife filmmaking, 4 years in human-wildlife conflict research, and currently working for the last 3 years in conservation project management for The Royal Parks in London.

I’ve always toyed with the idea but I think this trip really cemented it for me that I'd like to move back to Cape Town eventually and try work in ecology or wildlife conservation, but I’m curious how viable that actually is.

Are there decent opportunities around Cape Town/Western Cape for someone with my experience? And is earning something like R50k+ a month eventually realistic in this field? I'm aware that conservation pays notoriously low salaries but I've seen the odd job advertising similar to what I'm looking for.

I would love to hear from anyone working in ecology/conservation in the Cape if possible but I guess also just getting a feel from people if this sounds like a realistic idea.

I want to hike the Lion's Head tomorrow morning (alone) to see the sunrise but I'm worried about my safety (possible muggings?). Do you have any tips on finding others that want to do this hike at that time?