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Budget Gains: Best Cheap Gyms in Cape Town

If you love pumping iron just as I do and happen to be in Cape Town, you don’t have to train in expensive gyms. After all, there are 173 fitness centers within a 5-mile radius of the city, and there are definitely cheap ones among those! 

So if you’re always on a tight budget like me, I found several gyms that will not burn a hole in your pocket!

Zone Fitness

Media From: zonefitness_sa

Website: https://zonefitness.co.za/

Price Range: R299 to R450

Operating Hours: 

  • Monday to Thursday: 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Friday: 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Saturday to Sunday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Zone Fitness is a haven for beginners and fitness pros alike. It boasts four training programs: Boot Camp, Fight Night, Cardio Insanity, and Super Circuit, giving you ample choices to achieve your desired body.

This gym has a multitude of treadmills, step machines, cross trainers, bicycles, and rowing machines, and it gave me enough space to complete my workout. All their branches also have free access to saunas, allowing me to relax my muscles after intense training.

As for its rates, a day pass will cost you R150. Hence, take their longer membership offer to lessen the expense. Taking their 24-month membership priced at R299 grants you two-year access to a Zone Fitness branch of your choice.

Tips: 
Plan your workout on weekdays. Given Zone Fitness only operates until 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, consider allotting your rest days on the weekend.

Get their Superclub membership priced at R350 so you can work out on any of their branches.

Planet Fitness

planet-fitness

Website: https://www.planetfitness.co.za/

Price Range: R699 to R1,400

Operating Hours:

  • Monday to Thursday: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Friday: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Saturday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Quality is something Planet Fitness is known for. Despite having rows of cardio and strength equipment, the gym has cheap membership fees. 

I purchased the plan R699, which allowed me to work out at any of their branches in Cape Town. This helped me not to miss a single workout session even if my preferred Planet Fitness branch was closed. Also, your membership comes with a free cross-training class and a 10% discount at all Puma stores!

Within the facility, you can also get a makeover at their beauty salon or get a refreshing drink in their juice bar. These amenities are perfect after a tiring weight session or joining any of their fitness classes, such as yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling, and more. 

Tips: 
Don’t worry about their parking fee! If you are a member, you can get parking rebates!

Become a member and enjoy refreshing drinks for half their original price.

Complete 24 workout sessions in under eight weeks to receive a free TOG bag and sweat towel.

Virgin Active

Media From: virginactivesa

Website: https://www.virginactive.co.za/

Price Range: R350 to R3,750

Operating Hours:

  • Monday to Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Weekends: Closed

While not the cheapest gym on the list, Virgin Active still offers budget-friendly rates. The gym is complete in terms of machines and free weights, and for a daily pass of R350, you can join any of their classes like boxing, cycling, Pilates, yoga, Grid, and dance classes.

Signing up for a 12-month classic membership is another way to save money. As a classic-level member, you’ll have unrestricted access to all Virgin Active amenities and, of course, their equipment in all of their 27 branches in Cape Town.

Yes, R3,750 might hurt your wallet a little, but staying active for the entirety of that 12-month membership will give you gains. Milestones set by Virgin Active like visiting the gym twice a week shall earn you benefits from partners like Kauai or Nü, Biogen, and The Sneaker Shack.

Tip: Sign up or choose the Green Point and Tableview branches as your go-to Virgin Active gyms. These have all-day exclusive free parking, so you don’t have to worry about parking fees.

MyGym

Media From: mygymcapetown

Website: https://www.mygymsa.com/

Location: 79 Roeland St, District Six

Price Range: R200 to R650

Operating Hours: 

  • Monday to Friday: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If you are into weightlifting like me, MyGym is the perfect place to train. It’s spacious and has lots of machines. The equipment is mostly in good condition, letting you train hard without any risk of machine malfunction.

What makes it slightly better than other fitness centers on this list is it doesn’t force you to avail of their 12-month membership. This means you can cancel your membership each month or continue to renew it.

Also, their cardio section isn’t affected by common power cuts in Cape Town. All equipment in this area of the gym is not electricity dependent, so you can work out even if the power is out!

Tip: Avoid the sea of MyGym members by setting your training hours before 5:30 p.m.

RBSI Gym

Media From: renaissancegym

Website: https://www.renaissancebsi.co.za/rbsi-gym/

Location: 183 Bree St, CBD

Price Range: R150 to R625

Operating Hours:

  • Monday to Thursday: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Friday: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Saturday: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Sunday: Closed

RBSI stands for Renaissance Body Science Institute, which means if you want to use state-of-the-art gym equipment, this is the place to get a workout. With equipment from trusted brands like Technogym in a 700-meter gym space, you know you’ll get a good pump by the end of your training.

What makes it one of the most affordable gym centers in Cape Town is its flexibility in terms of membership. Like MyGym, RBSI does not force you into a 12-month contract. Instead, you can choose to have a day pass, nine sessions, 13 sessions, or a whole month to train.

And because it has a wide space, there’s no congestion even during peak hours. Oh, you can also train while appreciating the Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. It’s like training in nature!

Tip: Towels are available upon request at the RSBI front desk! They’re perfect if you want to use the shower or sauna!

Roarks Gym

Media From: roarkgyms

Website: https://roarkgyms.co.za/

Location: 1st Floor Buying Services Building, 47 De Villiers Street, Zonnebloem

Pricing: R150 to R1190

Operating Hours: 

  • Monday to Friday: 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
  • Sunday: Closed

At Roarks Gym, you can pop into any of their classes and start your grind for as low as R150. You can also sign up for 12-month unlimited classes for only R990 and make the most out of your membership.

What I like about this gym is its separation of men’s and women’s fitness classes. This means each class focuses only on a specific gender’s form, optimizing the intensity of the workout.

Don’t worry about rubbing elbows with your fellow trainees. The gym is very spacious, and its machines and equipment can accommodate up to 20 people in a single session. Also, you might get the chance to work out with their adorable golden retriever, Assistant Coach Jackson!

Tip: Each 60-minute class is filled with high-intensity training programs, so bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

Velocity Gym

Media From: velocity_gym_

Location: Chapmans Peak Dr, Scott Estate

Price Range: R200 to R13,650

Operating Hours:

  • Monday to Friday: 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Saturday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Last on this list is Velocity Gym at Hout Bay, considering its day pass is only R200. Just to clarify, the max 12-month membership fee of R13,650 is for couples wanting to stay fit together. So if you’re a solo gym goer, choose either their weekly package (R525) or a monthly membership (R800).

What makes Velocity great and affordable is its variety of fitness classes. They offer indoor cycling, Pilates, power vinyasa, yoga HIIT, boxing, Bike & Body, among others. For a day pass, you can attend one or two of the classes and even hit the gym if you still have the strength for it!

Also, the gym is equipped with tanning machines that help relax your body after a workout, though you will have to pay extra. 

Moreover, this is the only gym on this list that has free access to ice baths apart from saunas, and these can be used alternately. The alternating application of hot and cold is great for recovery—and it will not cost you extra!

Tips: Avoid the free weights section by lifting at an earlier time. It gets fairly congested, especially during peak hours. Recover faster! Use one of Velocity’s tanning machines for only R100 per 10-minute session.
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