The lost town where i grew up

Atlantis is a town in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in the Western Cape, South Africa. Atlantis is 40 km north of the Cape Town Central Business District (CBD)^. As of 2011, it has 67,491 residents. Unemployment, lack of housing and crime are major challenges in our area.

Atlantis was established during the 1970s by the apartheid government as an industrial center and as a community for Cape Town's Colored population. The government attempted, in anticipation of the influx of people, to provide an employment base by instituting a program to encourage industry, through subsidies and other inducements, to locate there; this effort was not particularly successful. Several factors, including the Six Day War between Israel and Arab nations, forced the government of the day to rethink its strategy in terms of subsidization of industries located in the town.

The withdrawal of subsidies meant that many factories found themselves having to foot bills not formerly anticipated, including high transportation costs. This led to the migration of businesses closer to and into the Cape Town CBD, in order to be closer to means of transportation, including Paarden Island, Killarney and Epping, and the airport and harbour.

I was born in Atlantis on 28 July1994, the year most people will argue apartheid ended so i never experienced apartheid. I started creche at Reme Kleuterskool in 1998, i then later went to Primary school at Park-view Primary and that was in 2000 till the year 2007.

My high school career started in 2008 at Atlantis Secondary School and ended in 2012 when i finished my Matric, for someone to complete their matric in my community is a big deal considering all the challenges we face as youngsters going to school. After matric i then started my life on University, at CPUT where i have completed my National Diploma in Sport Management, and are currently busy with the course PGCE to be a teacher in the future.

 This was a short introduction and story about my life in Atlantis, as well as my education life and experiences in a short span. It gives me great pleasure to talk about my life and where i grew up, because if i can inspire another young person in Atlantis to follow the route i followed they might not have to deal with the challenges we face in Atlantis as previously mentioned.

 Despite the challenges and crimes this town has we still have the dunes and this is one of the most beautiful sites in the world to come to, i will always love this town.