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This study investigates the socio-economic impact of the Cape Town Carnival (CTC) as perceived by residents of the Green Point suburb of Cape Town. In most cases, successful carnival events are underpinned by community support thus it is crucial to examine residents’ perceptions towards such events. The CTC is an annual cultural event which celebrates the transformative power of creativity as well as African identity. In this study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 318 Green Point residents within a two weeks period after the 2016 CTC event (12 – 26th March). The respondents were surveyed using a spatially-based stratified random sampling method. The investigation explored the perceptions of the residents, in relation to the carnival event, as well as highlighting the positive and negative aspects of their experience. The research primarily adopted quantitative research approach by using a questionnaire with mostly closed-ended questions. The data were analysed using SPSS version 24 software and the findings were visually presented by the use of frequency tables. Key findings of the study highlighted that residents generally perceived the socio-economic impacts of the CTC event positively. However, few residents perceive the event negatively and suggested ways of ensuring that it continues flawlessly. The study recommends more community involvement in the planning of the event. Furthermore, due to the change of perceptions over time, it is recommended that longitudinal and comparative studies be conducted in order to assess the perceptions and to compare the impacts of hosting the CTC event in the Green Point area.

Carnival events have become a significant factor in tourism development initiatives of most destinations. The economic and socio-cultural developments experienced by host communities of tourism attractions and resorts have led to the emergence of carnival events as useful destination products. However, an understanding of residents’ perceptions of event impacts on the area where they reside is necessary in order to gain local support for the event and tourism in general. Effects of carnival events at the personal level are increasingly being explored in tourism research. This is an exciting line of research since carnival events are being increasingly used to implement a wide range of public sector policies aimed at enhancing tourism offerings. The aim of this study is to examine residents’ perceptions of the impact of a carnival in Cape Town in order to establish the overall value of the event. The study explores the perceptions of Green Point suburb residents on the Cape Town Carnival event highlighting the positive and negative aspects of their experience with the event. This study will add to the understudied event in Cape Town and advance academic discourse on carnival events. The findings show that residents are in support of the event being hosted in their area. However recommendations to the identified problems such as limited parking and traffic congestion, drunk behaviors and littering associated to the event are proposed.