A once-blank wall in Cape Town’s city centre has found its wild side. A larger-than-life leopard, surrounded by bold florals, striking patterns and vibrant colour, has taken over a wall in Vredenburg Lane, which connects Long Street through to the Company’s Garden, via a new tiled pedestrian archway throughfare.
The artwork brings together two South African creatives: illustrator and street artist, Karabo Poppy and graphic designer and tattoo artist, Raoul Goetze, owner of Palm Black Tattoo.
The mural marks another chapter in Blok’s ongoing commitment to transforming as well as shaping everyday urban spaces into places that invite connection, creativity and community.
But the story behind the leopard began long before the first brushstroke.
Karabo and Raoul first met in 2017 when Raoul first tattooed Karabo. What started as a tattoo appointment grew into a friendship, with the two artists talking about collaborating for years without quite knowing what form it would take.
Working across different mediums, Karabo as an illustrator and muralist and Raoul as a tattoo artist, the pair eventually recognised a shared creative language: bold graphic imagery, animals, flowers and influences drawn from South African visual culture.
The leopard became their meeting point.
A classic motif in traditional tattooing, the leopard provided the perfect canvas for two distinct creative identities. Split down the middle, each side of the leopard carries the signature style of its creator, while a shared colour palette and floral elements bring the composition together.
“We wanted people to see one leopard first, then take another second and find the two of us in it,” explains Raoul. “Each half needed its own character, and the whole thing needed to work together. That felt like a pretty honest reflection of the friendship behind it.”
Look a little closer and the differences begin to emerge. South African flora intertwines with poppies, a playful nod to Karabo’s name, while the artists’ contrasting interpretations reveal themselves through linework, shape and detail.
It took the two artists just over a week to transform the blank canvas into a celebration of friendship, individuality and the creative possibilities that emerge when different perspectives come together.
Bringing art and life to the West City
For Blok, the collaboration forms part of their broader vision for the lane and surrounds, a long-term project aiming to bring new visitors, activity and a stronger sense of place to the historic city centre.
The mural follows the recent unveiling of Between Two Suns, a permanent public artwork and pedestrian thoroughfare, a stone’s throw away from the Tale of Two Cities mural.
“Raoul and I have been friends for close on eight years. What started as a few tattoo appointments has turned into a close friendship – underpinned by our love of the outdoors, adventure, art and dogs. When Raoul told me about his project with Karabo, another artist I massively admire, I knew Blok could help in many ways, outside of having access to many walls!” says Troy Squires, Head of Marketing at Blok.
“What I loved about Karabo and Raoul’s story was the genuine human connection behind the collaboration. They’ve built their creative lives in different worlds yet found something meaningful to create together. That’s very much what we’re trying to encourage in the spaces we shape, bringing different people, ideas and experiences together, and making the neighbourhoods we develop in, more welcoming, walkable and interesting for everyone – residents and visitors alike.”
For Raoul and Karabo, their years-long friendship has finally found a shared canvas.
For everyone passing through, it’s an invitation to discover more.