Cape Town is a city of extreme contrasts, often cited as one of the most unequal cities in the world. As of 2026, it is simultaneously home to some of the wealthiest real estate in Africa, such as Clifton and Camps Bay, and some of the most impoverished informal settlements, like Khayelitsha. The "rich" side of Cape Town features world-class infrastructure, high-end shopping, and a booming tech and film industry. Conversely, a large portion of the population lives in poverty, facing challenges with housing, sanitation, and unemployment. This economic divide is a legacy of the apartheid era's spatial planning, which physically separated racial and economic groups. While Cape Town contributes significantly to South Africa's GDP and attracts massive international investment, the wealth is not evenly distributed. For a visitor, the city can feel like two different worlds existing side-by-side, where the glittering V&A Waterfront sits just miles away from sprawling townships struggling for basic services.