13 February 2020

New students to benefit from magical education at Cape Town’s oldest and only magical arts organisation

Submitted by: Fazielah Williams
New students to benefit from magical education at Cape Town’s oldest and only magical arts organisation

Magic is good for you … just ask the more than 36 young learners who began their spellbinding studies at the College of Magic, Cape Town’s only magical arts organisation, in Claremont on Saturday 1 February 2020. 

The College of Magic, celebrating its 40th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults this year, welcomed aspirant magicians from all over the Mother City, including the charming Landa Mzola (10) from Macassar and Emilie van den Hoogen (10)  from Somerset West. 

The girls and their fellow students were welcomed to the College’s mysterious Victorian manor in Claremont with a warm magical introduction from director and founder David Gore before embarking on a whirlwind tour of the building. Home to Africa’s largest magic museum, South Africa’s only brick and mortar Magic Shop, an amazing Magic Lab and a multipurpose Imagination Centre, the century-old manor is a wondrous hive of activity every Saturday morning when the College’s 170 students attend their weekly lessons. 

These young ladies of magic are incredibly excited to start their magical studies: “We are both cardistry fans and cannot wait to learn all of the secrets of the trade at the College of Magic this year!”, says the enthusiastic duo. 

Local education expert, Dr Jean Baxen, found in her study on the benefits of learning the art of  magic that “Teachers, parents and children reported that one of the immediate benefits of involvement in magic is the sense of well-being and the development of a positive self-image.” 

This has certainly been the case for several of the College of Magic’s more well-known graduates, which include comedians Riaad Moosa, Stuart Taylor and Conrad Koch, actor Francis Chouler and film director Jenna Cato Bass, as well as South African Magic Champion and SA’s Got Talent finalist Olwethu Dyantyi. 

Gore agrees: "Over forty years, we've seen first-hand the positive changes that learning the art of magic has had on thousands of students and it is wonderfully apparent in the success of our famous graduates. The improvement of the youngsters’ confidence levels and social skills as they progress through our six year diploma programme is amazing to see and we cannot wait to share this with our 2020 students.” 

In addition to their weekly magical lessons, the new magical learners will also be able to participate in a variety of the magical allied arts, including juggling. A study at the University of Regensburg in Germany has found that learning to juggle may cause certain areas of your brain to grow

“Simply put, studying magic and its allied arts is good for your children… register them for our courses today!” concludes Gore. 

Discover the impossible with the College of Magic:

There are still a few limited spots available for the College’s entry-level Course One, suitable for learners aged 10 to 13 years old.  Course One runs at the College of Magic, 215 Imam Haron Road (previously Lansdowne Road) in Claremont each Saturday for six months until Saturday 6 June  2020 with classes at 09h00 and at 12h00. Fees are R3 200 and include all course equipment and notes, as well as participation in any or all of the allied arts on offer. Please call +27 (0) 21 683 5480 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to secure your booking. 

For more information about the College of Magic, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com.

Published in Science and Education