A month has flown by since I returned to Cape Town after “boot camp” in Johannesburg. I spent my first six weeks at Flow Communications at the almost-too-good-to-be-true offices in Waverley. I spotted the bunny, I worked in the tower, I played foosball (badly), I became familiar with a number of our clients, experienced “Jo’burg traffic” and all that it entails, finally went bowling at Zoo Lake and was thrown into the deep end of website development.
The result of those six weeks were a set of budding friendships, a stomach-churning bout of homesickness and one gloriously fabulous website (www.aquarium.co.za), as well as very pleased clients.
Getting back to Cape Town and settling in at the Flow office in Long Street – its location really is too good to be true – has been wonderful. I have met our clients down here and am establishing relationships with various key people at the Two Oceans Aquarium, Table Mountain Cableway and Cape Town Tourism.
As expected, the camaraderie down here is as strong as it is in Jo’burg. Flow General Manager Bronwen d’Oliveira and Media Developer Roy Barford have built themselves a finely tuned machine and I am really wowed by the volume of work that they’ve been churning out at increasing rates as 2010 FIFA World Cup™ publicity fever takes hold.
I’m now finally in a position where I can help them upload at rates previously unknown to humankind, and of course those sexy access passes (some of which even say “VIP”!) have made my life over the past few weeks much more fun than it was before Flow.
Before Ernie Joseph left, he photoshopped our heads onto football players’ bodies and our office walls are now graced by our faces on fabulous physiques. As the winter bulge knocks on the door, I can only look to the wall for inspiration.
What I didn’t expect was that I’d be working harder and longer here than up in Jo’burg. Not that I’m complaining! All the work is extremely stimulating and we’ve all been swept up in soccer spirit; being a part of a South African event that’s taking place on the world stage not only makes the work gratifying but also gives you instant access to the prevailing zeitgeist.
The time spent working here in Cape Town has also disproved the theory – those who perpetuate it shall remain nameless – that iKapa is a town full of slackers. Same-day service, timely uploads and thinking ahead are key to our ongoing success and being ahead of the competitors is what sets Flow apart. We are flying that flag down here in the most beautiful city in the country!