Only a tour guide would think it’s reasonable to invite someone for a coffee at 6:45 on a weekday without blinking, writes Miriam Kimvangu.
View of Table Mountain from V&A Waterfront/Miriam Kimvangu
Maybe I’m as crazy as he is because it didn’t take me more than a second to accept. I met tour guide, Gideon was been sharing the infectious energy of the city with visitors since 2016. I arrived barely awake and still defrosting, but thinking I would be the first to arrive, just to see him sitting with a coffee and people-watching like it was as normal as breathing.
“Guiding teaches you to notice everything,” is the first thing he said to me before hello. Dramatic, I know.
Born and raised in the Cape, Gideon knows the city inside out. He’s almost like a walking Encyclopedia and there’s nothing he doesn’t love about the city… except water. Tour guiding placed him in constant proximity to the very element that unsettles him, but between that, his introversion and his love for the city, he made it work.
During busy work periods, this was where he came to reset.
“The ocean out there feels wild. Here it feels contained. The boats just sit. It calms me.”
Guiding shaped much, if not all, of Gideon’s adult life. Touring demands an equal amount of logic tied to geographical knowledge and emotional intelligence to be able to stay in sync with people. Each day brings encounters with travellers from different cultures, each carrying their own expectations and curiosities. Conversations often reach into history, identity, and everyday life in the city and you have to know how to
“I finished school, not knowing what to do. I didn’t have any strong skills. I was mediocre at best. I always just passed so the last thing I wanted after all that was go to university. I ended up showing a family friend around and when they suggested I go into guiding because of my knowledge and my ability to relate to people, I really had nothing to lose. Worst case, I could just try something else. It worked, though and it became like a drug. Meeting new people and all.”
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Gideon spoke fondly about repeat visitors who returned year after year and formed genuine relationships with him. One couple in particular booked him multiple times and eventually discovered that a scheduled tour coincided with his birthday. Their response was memorable.
They took him out on a paddle boat for the first time.
Pedal Boats in the Marina/Miriam Kimvangu
“Yoh, I thought I was gonna die. I had no desire to face my fear, but these people paid so I felt bad. I’ll never do it again but it was fun.”
As crazy of an experience as it was, it also revealed the trust that had developed between guide and guest. What began as professional interaction had grown into something personal, even playful.
Moments like these reveal the texture of tour guiding. The work involves itineraries and landmarks, but it also creates space for shared experiences and relationships that continue after the trip is over. It is structured and unpredictable at the same time, yet forever rewarding.
The industry itself carries instability. During the pandemic, global travel halted and tourism paused almost overnight. Gideon came close to losing his livelihood. Like many working in the sector, he had to pivot quickly and find alternative ways to sustain himself while borders remained closed and the city’s visitor economy fell silent.
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Signpost in the Marina/Miriam Kimvangu
The disruption was financial. It was also emotional. The absence of guiding meant the absence of daily interaction. The work that kept him connected to people simply stopped. As soon as travel resumed, he returned to guiding without hesitation. He missed the human connection at the centre of the job.
Connection shapes every aspect of his work. Gideon speaks conversational French and has picked up bits of numerous other languages, which allows him to engage with visitors in their own language. During our conversation, we slipped naturally between English and French. The shift revealed another layer of his approach to guiding. Language becomes a bridge that allows for deeper connection.
The role itself demands constant social awareness. Tour guides manage group dynamics, interpret local context, and navigate cultural misunderstandings with patience and tact. They act as intermediaries between visitor and place, translating experience into understanding.
In a city as busy as Cape Town, it is easy to fade into the background. Crowded spaces allow anonymity. Gideon feels as if guiding disrupts that tendency. The work requires presence. It demands conversation. It places human interaction at the centre of daily life. It keeps him connected to the people moving through the city’s shared spaces.
These experiences now shape his future plans. Gideon intends to start his own tour company, drawing on years of lived experience within the industry. His vision centres on storytelling and meaningful engagement. He wants visitors to experience the city through conversation and context rather than scripted performance.
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