“Welcome to My Beautiful Country”: Wine Intern From the USA Falls in Love With Cape Town

• An American wine harvest intern shared a video of his time working at a vineyard in Cape Town that had South Africans torn between pride and frustration
• The gentleman shared stunning views of the city, painting a picture of Cape Town that many locals feel they can no longer afford to enjoy
• South Africans in the comments were divided, with some welcoming him warmly and others pointing out that the influx of foreigners is driving up costs

An American content creator @bennettvl shared a video on 10 February 2026 of his time as a harvest intern at a Cape Town vineyard that quickly sparked a bigger conversation than he probably expected. The clip showed him taking in aerial views of the city from the plane, working among the grape vines in the mornings and soaking up everything Cape Town had to offer — from its beaches and mountain views to dolphins in the water and the city lights at night. He was clearly smitten with the place.

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Why Cape Town is attracting more foreigners?

Cape Town has become one of the most popular destinations for international visitors and relocators in recent years. The combination of stunning natural scenery, a vibrant food and wine scene and a relatively affordable lifestyle compared to cities in Europe and North America has made it particularly attractive to people coming from abroad.

For someone earning in US dollars, Cape Town offers incredible value. The exchange rate alone makes day-to-day living, accommodation and experiences far more accessible than they would be back home. That is a reality that many South Africans in the comments were painfully aware of.

The flip side, as several commenters pointed out, is that the growing number of foreigners moving into or spending extended time in Cape Town has had a knock-on effect on the cost of living for locals. Rental prices and property costs in the city have risen steadily, and many residents who were born and raised in Cape Town have found themselves priced out of their own neighbourhoods.

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Watch the TikTok video below:

SA vents about people moving to Cape Town

People gathered in the comments section, sharing the experiences they had moving in and out of Cape Town on TikToker @bennettvl's clip:

@Dexter Fundire said:

"But when we try to move there, it's a different story."

@DT_Media pointed out:

"The crazy thing is, as South Africans, we can never just go to another country and be happy. But everyone can come to this country and be happy 🤣"

@Felicia Brown shared:

"I was born and bred in Cape Town. Last year, I moved to KZN for a better work opportunity. The cost of living in Cape Town compared to here is unbearable. It's no longer sustainable for locals. It's kind of sad."

@Bubbles🍾 welcomed:

"Welcome to my beautiful country. Now take a stroll and come to Pretoria and Johannesburg and fully enjoy our country."

@Angela🩷🇿🇦 said:

"Can't even afford to buy a flight ticket to another province in my own country to visit for a week, let alone move there, but enjoy 🥰"

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@itslaylaArnold🦋 warned:

"With more tourists coming to South Africa, the prices are increasing rapidly."

@Edi added:

"So nice, wish it was so easy for us to travel without paying so much for visas 😏"

@bronwynvschalkwyk wrote:

"And this is why locals are slowly being driven out of our home. We can't afford to buy or sometimes even rent in the city."

@theinquisitiveyou said:

"Shame, Cape Town is losing its identity."

More on Cape Town and people experiencing it

• Briefly News reported on a Joburg woman who showed every rand she spent on a Cape Town holiday.
• Cape Town activated its heatwave plan as temperatures were set to soar beyond 35 degrees that week, and the measures the city put in place were worth knowing about.
• A British tourist reeled in a huge shark off the Cape Town coast and what he said when he saw the size of it amazed many.

Source: Briefly News