The Watershed checks all the boxes expected of such a place: trendy craft boutiques, soy milk coffee… At its heart, on a vast mezzanine, a shared workspace that houses more than 90 registered organizations, including numerous start-ups. Lora works at Workshop 17. "It does seem to be a central hub for start-ups, she suggests. I think the community here is very supportive. There are a lot of resources that people can lean on. And then… success breeds success."

Daniel, in a red poncho and a badge around his neck, is all smiles. He is a young video editor. He sees many advantages to working for a start-up like Digital Frontier Institute. "They hired me when I was just starting out and I grew with the company. Two years later, at just 24 years old, I'm leading a team, which would not have happened in another context. For example, if I had started in commercial film production for television, I would be a junior. And then, you can easily end up leading a production department for a company where you manage cameras that cost half a million rands but you earn less than 10,000 rands a month. The start-up seems like the best choice for working conditions."

"Yes, it's the new California…"

Fred Roed heads Heavy Chef, a learning platform for entrepreneurs: "I think that as a start-up, we are able to move fast, to be agile, to solve problems without asking permission… And so that gives us the ability to truly break the rules and act quickly. That's the difference with a traditional company, which potentially provides a service to a small audience and is happy to make the same margin month after month. Whereas a start-up can decline very quickly but can also grow substantially very rapidly."

For this specialist, Cape Town's appeal to entrepreneurs is strategic: "Cape Town is a city that can work with Western countries but at the same time is very connected to the third world. So it's a kind of bridge. We have a lot of skills here. It's very profitable to start a business here. It's worthwhile. And it attracts a set of very creative individuals."

A bill, the "start-up act," is currently on the table. Industry professionals hope for a reduction in taxes as well as a simplification of administrative procedures for the creation of start-ups.