Long before smartphones, playlists and food delivery apps, Cape Town had its own soundtrack.
It floated across the beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton on hot summer afternoons, carried by charismatic beach traders whose quick wit was every bit as famous as the ice creams they sold.
“A lolly to make you jolly!”
For generations of Capetonians, those six words were enough to send children sprinting barefoot across the sand while parents searched for loose change and holidaymakers smiled in anticipation. It wasn’t just a sales pitch. It was theatre. It was poetry. It was part of growing up in Cape Town.
But behind every familiar chant was a remarkable person, a family, a story and a community that helped shape the spirit of the Mother City.
Now, a new book is ensuring those stories are never forgotten.
Co-authored by former beach trader and community advocate Paul Jacobson and Vinetia Cedras, daughter of the legendary Vincent “Vinna” Cedras, A Lolly to Make You Jolly – In Memory of Our Forgotten People is a heartfelt celebration of Cape Town’s beach traders and, above all, the vibrant Cape Coloured community that transformed a simple day at the beach into an unforgettable experience for generations of South Africans.
Rich with humour, heart and history, the book shines a light on the people behind one of Cape Town’s most recognisable traditions. It honours their resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, colourful personalities and unwavering pride, while preserving a unique chapter of the city’s cultural heritage before it fades from living memory.
For Jacobson, the book is a labour of love inspired by decades spent among people he proudly calls family.
“I traded on the beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton for twelve years, but I have spent more than thirty years among this incredible community,” says Jacobson. “People often remember the lolly, the jokes and the laughter, but they don’t always remember the extraordinary people behind them. This book is about changing that. It is about celebrating a community that has contributed so much to Cape Town’s identity and making sure their stories are remembered with the pride they deserve.”
Long before the term “entrepreneur” became fashionable, beach traders were building successful businesses through determination, hard work and an extraordinary gift for connecting with people.
Every day they carried heavy cooler boxes through deep sand under the summer sun. They knew their regular customers by name. They entertained children with playful rhymes, greeted visitors with infectious smiles and somehow managed to make every holiday feel just a little more special.
For many families, they weren’t simply vendors.
They became part of the holiday.
The familiar faces who appeared every December.
The storytellers.
The comedians.
The unofficial ambassadors of Cape Town’s beaches.
The book captures these memories through the lives of unforgettable characters whose humour, kindness and resilience have become woven into the city’s history. Readers discover the origins of the famous beach chants, meet larger-than-life personalities, learn about Zenobia, one of the few women to establish herself in the traditionally male world of beach trading, and uncover the remarkable story of Vinna, affectionately remembered by many as the father of Cape Town’s beach traders.
Yet beneath the laughter lies something even more meaningful.
The book is a celebration of a community whose contribution to Cape Town has often gone unrecognised.
For generations, the Cape Coloured community has enriched the city’s culture with its humour, creativity, resilience, entrepreneurship and deep sense of family. Through the stories of the beach traders, A Lolly to Make You Jolly pays tribute to that legacy with warmth, authenticity and enormous affection.
For co-author Vinetia Cedras, the project is both deeply personal and profoundly important.
“To many people, my father was simply Vinna, the beach trader everyone knew and loved,” says Cedras. “To us, he was our father, our mentor and someone who believed in helping others succeed. Writing this book has allowed us to celebrate not only his life but also the remarkable community he was so proud to be part of. These stories belong to all of us. They are part of our shared Cape Town heritage.”
Rather than dwelling on what has been lost, the authors hope the book reminds South Africans of everything that continues to make the Cape Coloured community so special — its warmth, generosity, resilience, humour and remarkable ability to find joy even during difficult times.
“This book isn’t about looking backwards with sadness,” Jacobson explains. “It’s about looking back with gratitude and pride. The beach traders taught us that dignity comes through hard work, that laughter can brighten anyone’s day and that every person has a story worth telling. If readers finish this book feeling proud of our community and our heritage, then we’ve achieved exactly what we set out to do.”
Beautifully illustrated with photographs, memories and poetry, the book captures a way of life that has delighted generations while reminding readers that history is not only found in museums or monuments.
Sometimes it walks barefoot across the sand carrying a cooler box.
As South Africans celebrate Heritage Month, A Lolly to Make You Jolly – In Memory of Our Forgotten Peopleinvites readers to rediscover one of Cape Town’s most cherished traditions and to celebrate the remarkable people whose voices, laughter and entrepreneurial spirit became part of the soundtrack of every summer.
Because every Capetonian remembers buying the lolly.
Now it is time to remember — and celebrate — the people who made us smile.
A Lolly to Make You Jolly – In Memory of Our Forgotten People by Paul Jacobson and Vinetia Cedras is available now. More than simply a book, it is a heartfelt celebration of the Cape Coloured community, a tribute to Cape Town’s legendary beach traders and a lasting reminder that some of our greatest heritage lives not in buildings or monuments, but in the everyday people whose stories deserve to be told and treasured.
