South Africa: South Africa is a country of extremes - and the same goes for the Irish living here.
Miles away from the nativised missionaries and bedraggled aid workers are a newer and more monied branch of the diaspora. It was they who had the honour of hosting Tánaiste Mary Harney for St Patrick's Day.
Seated with her in a restored historical auditorium in Cape Town's financial district were a cluster of budding property tycoons.
Then there was the man who invited them there: Frank Gormley, who owned not just the building they were sitting in but most of the block.
"Nelson Mandela's office on the corner is the only one we don't own," the Cork man noted casually.
So fast is Mr Gormley's business empire growing that an advertising hoarding had to be hastily amended before yesterday's event - to update the net worth of his chief company from €2 billion to €2.6 billion.
He has friends in high places in the South African government. Several ministers along with Archbishop Desmond Tutu are among the 600 guests at tonight's St Patrick's ball in the city.
Mr Gormley is not without political links at home.
Ms Harney, who has been coming on holidays to Cape Town for almost a decade, noted that Mr Gormley's brother-in-law, John Dunne, had been one of the people responsible for getting her elected for the first time to the Dáil. While she also knew Mr Gormley "a long number of years", she stressed her mission yesterday was not to encourage people to buy apartments in South Africa or anywhere else, "except to say global markets is where our business is at".
Pointedly, she also told the audience of 80 investors - some of whom had been flown over from Ireland especially for the event - that people who had done well financially should try to give something back, and "everyone here has done well".
The Eurocape group, of which Mr Gormley owns 45 per cent, has taken the hint and will launch the St Patrick's Trust at tonight's ball. With an initial fund of up to €1 million, it will provide start up capital to entrepreneurs in predominantly black townships.
Mr Gormley added he was planning to host Cape Town's first St Patrick's Day parade next year.
In the meantime, guests had to make to do with Ragus and Brian Kennedy who played at the Waterfront amphitheatre as the sun set over Table Mountain - a world away from the other half of the Irish community in South Africa.