Cape Town New Year Resolutions

The who’s who of the Mother City reveal their goals and wishes for 2013

When the festive season finally comes to a close and the first day of January rolls round, it’s time to start getting serious about the new year ahead and to commit to making good on the promises you made yourself five mince pies, three extra servings of turkey and a few too many glasses of Champagne ago.

Whatever your plans and pledges for 2013 – whether they be to adopt a healthier diet, swear less, laugh more or to simply make no resolutions at all –we thought you could draw a little inspiration from a few of Cape Town’s best (yes, even renowned figures resolve to make personal improvements). So, we asked a selection of the Mother City’s most prominent personalities, from Helen Zille and Marc Lottering to Freshlyground and Reuben Riffel, to reveal their new year resolutions for 2013. Here’s what some of the city’s who’s who had to say:

Helen Zille (Premier of the Western Cape and Leader of the Democratic Alliance):
My goal for 2013 is to try not to start any more Twitter wars.

Freshlyground (Cape Town-based Afro-Fusion Band):

Julio Sigauque (guitar): I'm going to stop pretending and start being myself, the brutal Gugs.
Peter Cohen (drums): I just want to play harder... bigger...louder.
Josh Hawks (bass guitar) and Zolani Mahola (lead vocals): We aim to avoid corporates, neo-classical heavy metal music and short-haired biological warfare recruits.
Simon Attwell (saxophone and flute): My new year resolution is to never bother thinking about new year resolutions again.
Kyla-Rose Smith (violin): I resolve not to be too resolute.
Shaggy Scheepers (keyboard, percussion, backing vocals): I think I’m going to stop drinking liquids altogether.

Soli Philander (Broadcaster, Actor, Television Presenter, Comedian):
I hope to laugh more, which is not as easy as it sounds as it means not taking myself so seriously or the situations I find myself in so personally. I also need to remember that politicians are not comedians and we’re not supposed to laugh at them... well, not too often.

Reuben Riffel (Celebrity Chef and Owner of Reuben’s Restaurant and Bar):
I want to connect more with my staff on the floor, get my motorcycle licence and write another cookbook [he’s already released two, ‘Reuben Cooks’ and ‘Reuben Cooks Local’]. I also hope to travel around Asia and South America to sample interesting, exotic food.

Bryan Habana (Western Province and Springbok Rugby Player):
I'm hoping to take on 2013 with more vigour, a bigger smile and even greater passion for living and loving each day to the fullest. I plan to use my talents to the best of my ability!

Tanya Nefdt (eNews Channel Africa Reporter):
I’m going to strive to shop less, spend wisely, love even more, make more time for family gatherings and do something special for the elderly (I think I’ll start with a visit to an old age home). And of course, I will be doing all of this while trying to get fit too.

Nigel Pierce (GoodHope FM DJ):
I want to stay, and perhaps even be more, positive about life, my family and South Africa. I really need to improve certain aspects of my eating habits too, though I don’t want to become too regimented about this. My aim is just to concentrate on health and wellness.

Errol Arendz (Fashion Designer):
My resolutions are to try not to resume smoking, to become more selfish, consider my needs more and not give as much of myself to everything, and to actually stick to my new year resolutions.

Marc Lottering (Stand-Up Comedian):
The problem with new year resolutions is that they usually last only as long as the bubbles in the Champagne, so I've always steered clear of making them. For 2013, however, I want to make one commitment: to make someone else's day better, every day.

Jeremy Loops (Musician and One-Man Modern Folk Band):
I want to work harder at adopting a healthier vegetarian-based diet, up the ante on my fitness regime and become a conscious consumer in all aspects of life. Next year, I’d also like to book a world tour in the US and Europe, release an album I’m really proud of and hire more staff in both of my business areas [in addition to being a musician, Jeremy is also a founding member of Greenpop, an urban greening and reforestation enterprise] to help alleviate the workload. Then, I just plan to dance more, sing more, write more, worry less, spend less time in the city, plant more trees than in 2012, and get in the surf more than once a week.

Lauren Beukes (Author, Television Scriptwriter and Journalist):
My resolution for 2013 is to try kill fewer people. I killed many bright, young women in my new novel, ‘The Shining Girls’, and I have to murder even more for the one I'm writing at the moment. I'm considering a murder-free rom-com after this (no, not really).

Herman Lensing (Food Editor at SARIE Magazine):
In 2013, I plan to be more me and to refuse to compromise my visions to fit in with what’s dictated by the norms. As I’m young, I am often told that I aim too high, but I plan to aim even higher next year. First on my list is a television show; I want to go back into the kitchen and show South Africans that good food is all about fine ingredients, simple preparation methods and cooking from your heart. With my first cookbook being published in 2013, it is going to be my year to change people's lives through good food!

Kirsten Goss (Jewellery Designer):
I don't like resolutions on the basis that the minute you state them, they're normally doomed. So, to keep it simple, doable and, most importantly, delightful, I'd say for 2013 I will say ‘no’ more often and take more time out.

By Camilla Marsh

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Clear on your goals for 2013 but still not sure how to ring the year in? Have a gander at our guide to 2012 New Year’s Eve parties, dinners and dances in Cape Town.

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