The city is passionate about music. Mainstream house is very popular, but there are also strong followings for drum'n'bass, trance, hip-hop, dub and Latin grooves, as well as kwaito , the dance style of young black Jo'burg. Much more laid-back than European club sounds, kwaito can be described as slowed-down, bass-heavy house fused with township pop. Sexy and jubilant, it makes for a positive and uproarious party. Though kwaito is still predominately a black scene, coloured and white youth are gradually getting into it.

Many dance clubs have a short lifespan - and many of the best regular parties hop from venue to venue. We've listed some of the more enduring clubs, but watch the press for up-to-the-minute information. The daily newspapers the Cape Argus and Cape Times run weekly club columns on Thursdays and Fridays respectively, and the monthly listings magazine Cape Review is also useful. Backpacker hostels are often the most up-to-date sources of party information - keep your ears open, as often the best parties get little promotion. Cover charges vary from R20 to over R100 for big events with international DJs. It's worth remembering that all drugs are illegal in South Africa, and aggressive police raids on clubs are by no means unknown.

Cape Town is well populated with bars , ranging from the hip to the eccentric to the seedy. Most liquor licences stipulate that the last round is served at 2am, but this is far from strictly followed. Expect a cover charge if live music is featured. Traditional pubs are not a big feature: where they do exist, they're generally either cod-Irish franchises or depressing empty dives.