With the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg in 2002, the time was ripe to develop a specialist Afrikatourism route on sustainable development in Cape Town. The purpose of this route is to provide a different Cape Town experience for the visitor by showing them how the people of Cape Town are putting the concept of sustainable development into practice. In order to provide the full story, examples of all types of approaches to sustainable development are included on the route. This means that projects started by communities, by the City, by non-government organisations and by small and large businesses are included. The main requirement for projects to be included on the route was that they demonstrate at least one social/people aspect and one environmental/nature aspect of sustainable development.
 
The following principles were used to identify projects that should be included on the route:

• ‘Green Principles’ such as the conservation of resources; innovative environmental technologies (e.g. clean technology, pollution control); the management of biodiversity; and the conservation of nature, wildlife or unique ecosystems; and

• ‘Brown Principles’ such as the rehabilitation of degraded environments; social development; skills development and education; community health and welfare; and cultural heritage.

The projects were then finally selected by factors such as geographic location, the variety of projects demonstrating different facets of sustainable development, interest value and the mix of project owners. The result is a 'basket' of projects making up the Cape Care Route. A number of projects from this basket were then selected to be showcased at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. More projects are continuously being added to the route which is evolving and growing over time. The route spreads out over the whole Cape Town area, including projects on the Cape Peninsula and projects on the Cape Flats where most of the townships are located.

In a nutshell, a visitor to the Cape Care Route will learn how communities are building their own houses, growing food for themselves and their families and developing skills to turn waste materials into contemporary arts and crafts. Projects that are aimed at rehabilitating degraded natural systems, as well as those that demonstrate how ecological systems are being protected, can also be visited. The route also includes upmarket tourist facilities to observe how they are reducing their consumption of resources and working with poorer communities in their areas. An important focus of the route is on projects that show how partnerships between business, government and communities are helping to protect the rich natural resources of Cape Town and provide healthier and cleaner living environments in poor communities. Above all, the route demonstrates the link between people and the environment, and the range of projects that are included will challenge visitors to view the relationship between humankind and the surrounding environment differently.

The Cape Care Route is in the same area as the Sonke Cape Route, which covers some of the townships in and around Cape Town.