The ultimate battle of the teenage wands, the 2018 Western Cape Junior Magicians, will transform Cape Town's Bergvliet High into an epic magical battleground on Saturday 8 September 2018!

Proudly presented by the College of Magic, the Mother City’s only magical arts organisation, the Championships will see nine of the province's top teen wizards go wand to wand in the dexterous art of Close-Up magic and stunning illusions of Stage magic for the Junior Magician titles and top honours.

Dazzling preparations have been underway at the College of Magic’s mysterious Victorian manor base in Claremont as the excited teenage competitors, Grant Best, Anele Dyasi, Liam Hewitson, Emma Hutchison, Luvo Mrolota, Siphesihle Ndayi, Sahil Samlal, Duncan Shelver and Dion Wabanie, hailing from Khayelitsha to Goodwood, work hard on their unbelievable acts to impress spectators and judges.

Celebrating its 38th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults in 2018, the College of Magic, a non-profit organisation and the only one of its kind in the world, is delighted to once again host the Western Cape Junior Magician Championships:

“To host a fantastical spectacle of this prestige year after year is a great honour. The Championships not only gives our young contestants the opportunity to put their performance prowess to the test against their peers but also allows us to share the wonder of magic with a greater audience. We look forward to welcoming everyone to THE magical battle of the year! “, says Yolandi van Jaarsveldt, CEO of the College of Magic.

See the magical action up close:

The public is invited to witness the wondrous combination of showmanship and competition the likes of which they’ve never seen before at the 2018 Western Cape Junior Magician Championships this September!Tickets for the Championships at Bergvliet High School on Saturday 8 September 2018 are available from R 100 with special discounts for group bookings. The Close-Up magic contest will be held at 4pm while the Stage magic contest will follow at 7pm. Book  your tickets TODAY at Quicket or by calling +27(0)21 683 5480.

For more information about the College of Magic and the Championships, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Ten young magicians vie for provincial champion titles and top honours

The ultimate provincial magical teen battle of the year, the 2017 Western Cape Junior Magician Championships, returns to Cape Town’s Bergvliet High School on Saturday 23 September 2017.

Hosted annually by the College of Magic, Cape Town’s only magical arts organisation, the Championships will see ten of the province’s most promising young wizards go wand to wand in two thrilling contests for the Western Cape Junior Magician title and the opportunity to attend international magical events.

It is every teenage wunderkind for his or herself as they prepare to wow a judging panel of entertainment veterans and the audience with their competing acts in the dexterous art of Close-Up magic and stunning illusions of Stage magic.

While the judges deliberate about winners for the Close-Up and Stage magic events at 4pm and 7pm, audience members can enjoy the not-to-be-missed Street Magic Contest. The contest sees mischievous buskers perform their marvellous coin magic, card tricks and balloon modeling up close for fans who can then vote, via ballot paper, for their 2017 Street Magic Champion.

Celebrating its 37th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults in 2017, the College of Magic, a non-profit organisation and the only one of its kind in the world, has proudly hosted the Championships for more than three decades:

“It is an incredible honour to host the Championships, one of the most highly anticipated magical events of the year, once again. A family- friendly event of this nature not only prepares our contestants for competing in the professional magical world but it also gives magic fanatics a taste of astonishing entertainment they won’t soon forget!”, says David Gore, director of the College of Magic.

Be a spectator at the ultimate teenage magical battle of the year:

An entertaining afternoon/evening of magical showmanship awaits spectators at the Western Cape Junior Magician Championships at Bergvliet High School on Saturday 23 September 2017! Tickets for the Championships start from R100 and are available at www.collegeofmagic.com/tickets. Book yours TODAY!

For more information about the Championships and the College of Magic, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27(0)21 683 5480.

College’s largest intake of youngsters enjoy their first day of magic school

A wand handover ceremony, a whirlwind mansion tour and the recital of the mysterious Magician’s Code amazed more than sixty of Cape Town’s aspiring magicians as they began their magical education at the College of Magic in Claremont on Saturday 28 January, 2017.

The Mother City’s brightest young wizards-to-be, from ages 10 to 16, and hailing from Gugulethu to Grassy Park, Hout Bay and more, have the proud distinction of being the College’s largest new student intake in its nearly 40 year history. 

Forget Hogwarts’ hat sorting ceremony - at the College of Magic, Cape Town’s only magical arts organisation, the wizarding newbies are sorted into Course One and  the Magic and Showmanship Course where they will be taught the basics of magic, presentation skills, patter, and how to entertain an audience. 

Course One runs for 15 weeks while the Magic and Showmanship Course is 30 weeks long. Lessons are held on Saturdays during the school term. 

The first day of lessons included a look behind the wizard’s curtain as the students were led on a tour of the College of Magic’s mysterious Victorian manor. In addition to providing host classrooms for more than 200 students each Saturday, the century old building is home to Africa’s largest magical museum, the continent’s premier magic shop and the wondrous Imagination Centre where the College’s popular festivals and events are held. 

One of this year’s impressive recruits is ten-year-old Kiara Davids, a former marching band enthusiast, from Grassy Park. The multi-talented prodigy is thrilled to be learning magic: 

“I think magic is incredible and I can’t wait to come back to the College every week to learn something cool!” 

Hout Bay’s Samuel Peters (12) has loved magic since the age of 2 and has been watching magic tricks on YouTube because he’s been too young to join the College of Magic before. Now that he is of age and a College student, he is eager to fulfill his magical dreams: 

“I’ve learnt some pretty mind blowing tricks on my first day at the College and I can’t wait to learn more so that I can be as amazing as world-famous magician Dynamo, my magical role model”, says the youngster. 

In addition to teaching magic effects, the College offers a variety of the allied arts (juggling, mime and clowning, puppetry). A rising juggling star is Anathi Fodo(10), from Gugulethu who, on his first day, was already impressing fellow students and teachers with his gravity-defying clubs routine: 

“Juggling is one of the better known allied arts and I want to be the best in it. I’m looking forward to improving my balancing skills over the next few months!” said the dexterous youth. 

Much like the amazing world of Harry Potter, performing magic is passed down through generations of a family like Hout Bay’s mother and daughter magical duo Leonie Mollentze, a College of Magic alumnus, and Heidi van Wyk. 

Heidi (10), who attends Kronendal Primary and is a budding synchronised swimming star, is following in her mom’s trained magician footsteps this year: “My mom does amazing children’s magic like balloon modelling and vanishing effects, but I really want to learn all of the dazzling card magic tricks, as well as ventriloquism. I can’t wait to get started!” 

The mischievous foursome and their new classmates had just enough time during their first lesson to choose a magic wand and learn their first wand effect of the year - how to make the wand float - before reciting the all-important Magician’s Code. The code, amongst other things, is a promise to never reveal the secrets of magic to “muggles”! 

The College of Magic, which has been teaching the theatrical performing art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults since 1980, is pleased with the first day’s new student turnout: 

“We’ve been amazed at the high rate of registration this year and the number of learners who are eager to learn the art of performing magic. I can promise our new students that they are in for the most amazing experience of their lives!” says David Gore, the director of the College of Magic.

Registration for the second intake of Course One for the year will open in July 2017. For more information about the College of Magic, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call 27(0)21 683 5480.