The 19 best birthday freebies in Cape Town

Whether you’re a local or tourist, a trip up the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is always a treat. For locals it’s not cheap – R420 per adult for a morning departure – but luckily once a year you’ll enjoy it mahala [for free].

On any date in the calendar month of your birthday you can bring your proof of ID and claim a free return ticket to the top. You can make use of the free birthday ticket on any day in that calendar month, even if it is before your actual birthday.

Bad news? This birthday deal is for South Africans only. Remember too that children must ride with an adult when claiming their birthday tickets, and the free ticket is only valid for the person celebrating the birthday. You’ll find all the fine print over here.

Locals also score at the Two Oceans Aquarium in the V&A Waterfront, with free entry in your birthday month. Again, sorry tourists, this one’s available to South Africans only.

The birthday celebrant can collect their free ticket from the Aquarium’s ticket office. Proof of identification is required, and the offer is available to those aged four and older. Tickets cannot be collected in advance and should be used on the day you collect them.

Hungry afterwards? The Two Oceans Aquarium is just a few steps from the Time Out Market Cape Town, where can treat yourself to a birthday bao, celebratory sushi or your choice of plates from 12 of the city’s top chefs.

Finished with the fishes? Take a two-wheeled tour of the Sea Point Promenade with UpCycles, who’ll give you an hour’s free session on their easy-to-ride bicycles on the day of your birthday. You have to arrive on your actual birthday and bring proof of identification.

Few Cape Town experiences land quite as powerfully as a visit to Robben Island: this is not just a sightseeing trip, but a living archive of South Africa’s struggle history. The experience begins with a ferry ride across Table Bay, followed by a guided tour around the island and time at the prison precinct, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars. While the tours usually cost R400 (for South Africans), on the day of your birthday South African citizens can claim a free birthday ticket from the ticket sales office at the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island in the V&A Waterfront. You’ll need to take along a valid SA ID. Daily tours run at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm (weather permitting), and because you can’t book in advance, it’s worth arriving early at the Gateway to secure your seat.

With its new location overlooking Granger Bay, the Cape Wheel dishes up unforgettable views of the Waterfront, city centre and Table Mountain.

Fill out the simple form online and on your birthday you’ll be sent a voucher for a free ride that can be used anytime within the next 30 days. Simply print out the voucher and bring it – along with proof of ID – to the ticket booth at the Cape Wheel.

If you forget to sign up in advance? No problem… on your actual birthday you can simply pitch up with proof of ID to claim your free ride.

This al fresco big-screen experience has become hugely popular across Cape Town, with movies through the week at selected venues in the city and across the Cape winelands.

During the Galileo summer season – November to April – you’ll be able to claim the Galileo Birthday Special during your birthday week, which starts on a Monday and ends on a Sunday. During your Birthday Week, simply arrive at the door with a proof of ID/birth and receive a free entry, a backrest, and a blanket.

Even if a show is sold out Galileo will always make provision to honour the birthday person. However, anyone accompanying the birthday person should pre-book tickets to avoid disappointment. No sales will be allowed at the door if a show is sold out. Also remember that the Birthday Special does not apply to Special Screenings such as Halloween, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Valentine’s Day and Easter.

The wind in your hair. The sun on your face. The city’s sights unfurling ahead of you. There are many reasons to love the open-top bus tours offered by City Sightseeing.

Join the City Sightseeing Young Explorers Club and children (aged 4-17 years receive a free one-day classic bus ticket for their birthday. What’s more, the birthday child may bring along one friend for free on the day of their tour (the friend must also be aged 4–17). At least one adult (with a full-price ticket) must accompany the children.

To receive your free tickets, simply register two weeks before the birthday to receive tickets by email, which will be valid for four weeks (one week before, and three weeks after) the day of their birthday.

For a birthday that feels like a game show, Total Ninja’s free one-hour session birthday offer is a real crowd-pleaser. This popular Observatory venue is all about obstacle-course action: climbing, balancing, jumping, and discovering muscles you didn’t know you had. You’ll get 60 minutes of Total Ninja for free on your birthday (it must be on the actual day) by showing valid ID. 

Here’s one that will make you jump for joy! Rush is a popular indoor trampoline and adventure park in Claremont, offering a free one-hour jump session on your birthday. It’s high-energy, family-friendly chaos – and yes, adults are very much included in the fun.

To claim your freebie, you need to register with the Rush loyalty programme and bring ID with you when you come for your birthday session. If you’re not yet a member, you can sign up for a loyalty card on your birthday and still get the freebie. Nice. 

What’s not included are the compulsory Rush socks (R50), so bring your own if you already own a pair. Capacity can fill up fast on weekends, so it’s worth booking your slot in advance. Joining the loyalty programme also gives you upgrades on slushies and coffee, and 15% cashback on regular bookings. And, if you want to keep the party going, don't forget that Rush offers dedicated party spaces and good-value package deals for you to bring plenty of friends!

The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) is one of the cultural highlights of the continent, home to both permanent and temporary exhibitions celebrating contemporary creativity from Africa and its diaspora. And the fact it’s housed in one of the most striking architectural creations in the city only adds to the appeal. 

On any day during your birthday month, African residents can show their ID or passport to enjoy a free ticket to the museum. Remember that Zeitz MOCAA is open Tuesday – Sunday.

Forgot to go in your birthday month? African citizens (show your passport or South African ID) can access Zeitz MOCAA for free every Wednesday from 10am-1pm. Under-18s enjoy free access every day of the week.

Roll up for the V&A Waterfront’s wonderfully oddball amphibious tour: one minute you’re driving past harbour-side sights on land, the next you’re splashing into the waters of the harbour for a fresh angle on a working port. The Waterfront Duck offers a free ride during the week of your birthday (Monday to Sunday). To claim it, you need to book at the kiosk and bring along your ID for verification.

28 floors up. A 35-metre high tower. A free-fall speed of nearly 100 km/h. 4Gs of force on your body. If the numbers don’t scare you off the SKY-HI Ride atop the Hotel Sky in downtown Cape Town, then step right up to claim your free birthday ticket for the only ride of its kind in Africa.

You’ll need to book online using this link to claim your free ticket, but happily, it’s valid for any day within the month of your birthday.

For those not ready for the rough and tumble of Total Ninja, Freedom Adventure Park offers a birthday deal that’s a great bargain for younger children. With locations in Tokai and Canal Walk, Freedom Adventure Park is an all-in-one indoor activity hub for kids aged 1–12. Designed to get children moving, it packs in a 50m hi-line ropes course, climbing walls, dodgeball, a foam pit, slides, a toddler zone, and customised play pods. Entry is free for adults every day, and children can enjoy a free one-hour session on the day of their birthday! Valid ID is required, and you must buy grip socks to participate. 

OK, so this isn’t exactly ‘free’, but it’s a worthwhile birthday saving. Sorbet’s loyalty programme gives up to 50 per cent off a birthday treatment, with a Rand value (from R200 – R1000) capped according to your status level in the loyalty program. The discount is valid from the start of your birthday month until the end of that month. So if your idea of a birthday spoil involves a proper facial, massage, or manicure, this is a simple way to justify the expense. You’ll first need to join Sorbet’s loyalty programme before booking and redeeming your birthday offer during your birthday month. The discount is available only once per birthday month, applies to the treatment only (no additional items on checkout), and cannot be combined with other offers.

Hungry after all that action? The Spur has long been one of South Africa’s best-loved family restaurants. It’s the kind of place where kids are genuinely welcome, the menu is reliably crowd-pleasing (and well-priced) and birthdays come with a little extra sparkle. And if you add your child to the Spur Family Club app, you can unlock a solid birthday perk: a free Kids’ meal plus a Chico the Clown ice cream on their birthday. It’s an easy win for parents and a big deal for little ones who won’t soon forget the ‘birthday treat’.

OK, now here’s one for the adults! We love the vineyards of Durbanville – check out our Ultimate Durbanville Winelands guide over here – and one of the best ways to explore them is on the Durbanville Wine Safari. Now here’s the good news! The Durbanville Wine Safari offers a free ticket – and a complimentary glass of wine or Cap Classique on arrival – that must be redeemed within one week of your birthday. The free ticket only applies to the actual birthday guest, who must be accompanied by at least one paying guest. Book online via Activitar.

Add a bit of adrenaline to the birthday celebrations with a visit to Cool Runnings in Tygervalley. This is Africa's first downhill tobogganing track, where you’ll ride wheeled bobsleds down a steel half-pipe that speeds you through 17 corners, S-bends, and a tunnel! Fortunately, an automatic pulley system pulls riders up to the top, so there’s no walking! Cool Runnings offers a variety of tickets, packages, and day passes, but you’ll also enjoy a free ride on your birthday when you present a valid SA ID. 

Time Out Tip: The track gets busy on weekends, so go earlier in the day for shorter queues.

South Africa may be most famous for its wine, but did you know there’s a centuries-old brewing tradition here too? The story of beer in the Cape is well told at the Newlands Brewery, a 20-minute drive from the city centre in the suburb of Newlands.

This is the oldest operating brewery in South Africa – going since 1820 – and guided tours (Tuesday – Saturday) take guests through the brewing process, the on-site commercial brewery and microbrewery, and end with a beer tasting and two complimentary drinks in the charming bar.

In the week of your birthday you’ll enjoy a free ticket for the tour. You only have to show proof of ID, but pre-booking is advised and the tour is not open to those under the age of 18. The tour is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible.

There’s a little admin involved, but if movies are your thing, then it’s worth the effort to claim your free movie ticket with Ster-Kinekor Theatres. First, you’ll need to apply (for free) to join the SK Club here and then buy a ticket for at least one movie with your loyalty number.

Once you've done that you’ll be able to sign in online – or visit your nearest Ster-Kinekor box office – to redeem a free 2D or 3D birthday movie ticket.

Note that the ticket is only valid for movies a week after their release and for seven days from your birthday.