What to Wear in Cape Town
What to Wear
in Cape Town
For the woman who commands every room from Table Mountain to Camps Bay
Shop the Cape Town EditDiscover luxury resort wear, kaftans, and vacation dresses designed for Cape Town's Camps Bay beach strip, Clifton's four beaches, sunset cocktails above the Atlantic, the V&A Waterfront, and the extraordinary natural drama of a city where Table Mountain watches everything. Sai Sankoh pieces are designed for women who dress with intention — available in sizes 0 through 24, shipping in 24–48 hours.
⚠️ The Serengeti Kaftan is on FINAL RESTOCK — once it sells out it will not return. If you are going to Cape Town, move first.
The Karmyn print is black and white — timeless, commanding, the kind of authority that doesn't need colour to announce itself. Cape Town is a city that rewards that kind of confidence. The Serengeti print is leopard — African wild, visceral, and on its final restock. Two prints that understand the continent this city belongs to.
Cape Town is the most complex city in Africa for a fashion-conscious traveller. It is simultaneously a world-class gastronomic destination, a world-class wine region, a world-class natural landscape, and a city whose own history and culture demand a certain consciousness from the women who visit it. The Mother City — as it is known — does not allow carelessness. It rewards attention.
Camps Bay is the Capri of the Southern Hemisphere: a beach strip lined with restaurants and beautiful people, with the Twelve Apostles mountain range towering behind it and the cold Atlantic in front. Clifton's four beaches are accessible only on foot, which means the women there chose to be there, and they dressed accordingly. The V&A Waterfront is the sophisticated urban heart. And above it all, Table Mountain — the most recognisable backdrop in Africa — watches everything.
The Karmyn print's black and white commands every one of these settings. It does not need to compete with the landscape. It stands alongside it as an equal. The Serengeti's leopard carries the wildness of the continent — real, grounded, African in its bones. If you are going to Cape Town, these are the two prints that belong there.
Worn by Beyoncé, Lupita Nyong'o, Gabrielle Union and women around the world who refuse to go unnoticed · Sizes 0–24 · Ships in 24–48 hours
"I wore the Karmyn Kaftan at sunset at Camps Bay and the light coming off the mountain turned it gold. A man at the next table sent over champagne and said he had never seen a more beautiful thing in Cape Town. I've been back twice."
The Cape Town Edit
Six pieces. One suitcase. Every moment covered.
Packing for Cape Town
Cape Town's weather is famously unpredictable — the locals say if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. Summer (December–February) can be hot and windy; winter (June–August) is cool and rainy. The Karmyn Kaftan's fluid silhouette handles both the sea breeze and the warm Atlantic summer day with equal elegance. Pack the Georgette version for summer; consider layering with the Colette Duster for cooler evenings.
The Serengeti Kaftan is on its final restock — it will not be made again. Cape Town is exactly the destination for which this leopard print was designed: a city on the southern tip of Africa, surrounded by one of the planet's most extraordinary wild landscapes. Wearing a Serengeti Kaftan at Clifton Beach with Table Mountain behind you is one of the great resort wear photographs available anywhere on earth.
Cape Town's restaurant scene rivals any city in the world — Test Kitchen, La Colombe, Pot Luck Club — and the dress culture at these venues is sophisticated and deliberate. The Karmyn Kaftan's black and white print reads as exactly the right kind of considered elegance for Cape Town's finest tables. Add the Selma Ruffle Dress for the kind of special evening that Cape Town's light turns into a memory.
Every Sai Sankoh piece is designed to fit sizes 0 through 24. The kaftans are one-size-fits-all — which means they actually fit all.
Cape Town Style Guide
Everything you need to know before you pack for the Mother City
What should women wear in Cape Town?
Cape Town is one of Africa's most sophisticated fashion cities with a cosmopolitan, internationally-aware style culture. The city dresses with confidence and intention — at Camps Bay beach, at the V&A Waterfront restaurants, at the wine estates of Stellenbosch, and at the world-class dining venues of the city centre. Bold resort wear, flowing kaftans, and elegant separates are all appropriate and admired. Cape Town's style culture rewards authenticity and presence — a commanding kaftan in a bold print reads as exactly the right kind of statement here.
What should I wear at Camps Bay beach Cape Town?
Camps Bay is Cape Town's most glamorous beach strip — a long stretch of white sand with the Twelve Apostles mountains behind it and the cold Atlantic in front. The beach restaurants and bars here have an elevated dress culture. A luxury kaftan over a swimsuit is the ideal look: it satisfies the coverup requirement while looking deliberately stylish. The Karmyn Kaftan's black and white print photographs magnificently against the mountain backdrop and the blue Atlantic sky.
What is the dress code at Cape Town restaurants?
Cape Town's top restaurants — Test Kitchen, La Colombe, Pot Luck Club, Nobu — have smart casual to elegant dress codes. For lunch at the waterfront or beach restaurants, resort wear is entirely appropriate. For dinner at the city's acclaimed fine dining venues, elevated resort wear — a flowing kaftan in Silk Viscose, a printed maxi dress, or elegant separates — is both expected and admired. The Karmyn Kaftan's timeless black and white print is one of the most versatile dinner choices for Cape Town's sophisticated dining culture.
What should I pack for a Cape Town wine tour?
The Cape Winelands — Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Constantia — are some of the world's most beautiful wine regions. A wine tour here calls for something elegant and practical: a flowing kaftan that works in the vineyards, at the tasting rooms, and at the estate restaurant lunches that often follow. The Karmyn Kaftan's black and white print is both tasteful enough for the formal wine estates and dramatic enough to photograph beautifully against the Cape mountain backdrop and the rows of vines.
What colors photograph best in Cape Town?
Cape Town's landscape creates extraordinary photographic backdrops — the flat-topped Table Mountain, the white sand beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, the blue Atlantic and Indian Oceans meeting at Cape Point, the lush green wine valleys, the colourful Bo-Kaap neighbourhood. Bold black and white prints like the Karmyn create sophisticated contrast against almost any Cape Town backdrop. Leopard and animal prints photograph magnificently against the mountain landscape. Bold rich colours stand out against the blue sky and ocean backdrop.
When is the best time to visit Cape Town?
December through March is Cape Town's summer — warm, long days, vibrant social scene, and the city at its most beautiful. However, the Cape Doctor (a strong southeaster wind) can make some days uncomfortable at the beaches. April and May are often the most reliable months: warm without the wind, the wine harvest is happening in the valleys, and the city is less crowded. October and November are beautiful spring months with dramatic wildflower displays across the Cape Flats.
Is Cape Town safe for tourists?
Cape Town is a city that requires the same awareness as any major international urban destination. The tourist areas — Camps Bay, Clifton, the V&A Waterfront, the Bo-Kaap, Constantia, Stellenbosch — are generally safe with sensible precautions. Stay aware of your surroundings, use reputable transport, and follow local guidance about areas and times to avoid. The overwhelming majority of Cape Town visitors have extraordinary, incident-free experiences in one of the world's most beautiful cities.
What should curvy women wear in Cape Town?
Cape Town's fashion culture celebrates confidence and individuality at every size. The Karmyn Kaftan's black and white print in a flowing goddess silhouette is one of the most universally flattering choices for this city — the high contrast print draws the eye to the whole look, the flowing fabric moves beautifully in the Cape breeze, and the one-size silhouette genuinely fits every body. Sai Sankoh kaftans are one-size-fits-all with separates available up to size 24.
Your Cape Town wardrobe starts here
The Karmyn was made for a city that demands presence.
Shop the Cape Town Edit
