At the Edge of Two Oceans

One of my first assignments published in 2020 focused on Cape Town and the Western Cape for the Italian Spring edition of National Geographic Traveler.

Cape Town is a city of layers — geographic, cultural and historical. Ocean and mountains define its physical frame, while neighborhoods, markets and townships reveal a complex social fabric that is both captivating and, at times, challenging.

The project explored the contrasts that shape the region: natural grandeur and urban tension, heritage and reinvention, light that shifts dramatically between Atlantic winds and inland heat.

A defining moment of the trip was meeting Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, Academy Award winner for Searching for Sugar Man. Our conversation added a personal dimension to the story, linking Cape Town’s creative energy to a broader narrative of music, memory and rediscovery.