Back to the future Formula E

From the world of motorsport comes Formula E. It's a wide, intricate network of opportunity, not without its fair share of engaging topics, which we explored at the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix

- Brent van der Schyff

Cape Town street circuit had finally arrived! The familiar commuting routes we travel had turned into an all-out race circuit. Casting my mind back as far as I can remember, there has always been a conversation around the Mother City playing host to a motorsport event - becoming the "Monaco of South Africa". Perhaps it was without all the glitz, glamour and palatial money boats belonging to oligarchs in the harbour, but there was a circuit, and some of the best drivers in the world outside of F1 raced the cars in front of a sell-out crowd of 25 000 people.

However, there is more to it than just the racing. The economic benefit might be an easy go-to in its favour. Looking at the effects of the pandemic and just how hard it hit our tourism industry, we need to grasp every opportunity. Along with the E-Prix came famous names in motorsport and the reach of millions of smart devices across the globe and it attracted enormous investment from several big players.

Tourism contributes 3,7% towards the GDP of our economy and the Formula E E-Prix is a prime event with Cape Town at its heart. Throughout the week, the media had opportunities to speak to team bosses, drivers, fellow journalists and photographers about their time in South Africa, and everyone had something positive to say. With the increased pressure of a busy week, many said they would love to return to the Mother City in their downtime, and others were staying on after the race. Still others such as Eddie Jordan and Adrian Newey own homes in Cape Town. Imagine the conversations with the likes of these two promoting the city in F1 paddocks. The same applies to the travelling circus of Formula E.