I don't understand the aversion to San Francisco - it's actually one of my favourite places in the US.

I can see why people would say Cape Town is similar to San Francisco. They're both cities that lie on the ocean and are surrounded by mountainous scenery. They both have great dining opportunities and a great buzz...

That's not to say that if you dislike San Francisco you'll automatically dislike Cape Town, obviously... I wouldn't spend too much time at the V&A Waterfront - I find it quite fake. There are plenty of other nice places to spend time, especially around De Waterkant.