Before and during Apartheid (1948 to 1990), townships (literal meaning: extensions to the main towns and cities) were built on the outskirts of all South African cities to accommodate the growing black working class moving from the countryside to the cities to take part in the growing urban economy and industry.

But they were seen by the government as temporary migrant visitors from the countryside (and citizens of the artificially created “homeland” states) so proper provision for housing and social services was never made. We still live with the legacy of a massive housing shortage as a result.

Until the end of Apartheid, interactions between races were rare, regulated, and often strained, and it was rare for any white visitors to be in the townships, besides law enforecement officials (enemy #1 of the people), especially by the 1980’s, when both public protest and state repression reached a peak, the townships were burning, and people were dying.

Against this backdrop, one of the most striking things today is the tangible sense of hope (that things will continue to get better in post-apartheid South Africa), and of pride and dignity, that one feels when visiting a township.

Equally striking is the welcome visitors get, and the gratitude they are shown, not for bringing or giving anything, but merely for showing an interest in ordinary people’s lives. Residents welcome visitors into their communities to learn about their lives, their struggles, their progress since the dawn of democracy in 1994, and their hopes for the future. It’s not pretty, but at the same time it’s not an experience of sheer sadness, and it must never be an experience of voyeurism.

Explore our tumultuous political history, meet the people, and learn about their culture and customs. See how diverse the townships are, with their middle and upper class areas, impoverished informal settlements (slums), bustling areas of formal and informal business, and entertainment venues.

Township tours should be lead by qualified guides who have grown up in the township and can tell their own stories about township life, which I cannot do myself. Instead, I support and work with township guides who came from a disadvantaged background and have worked hard to establish themselves as entrepreneurs in tourism.

It is obviously paramount that township tours are conducted in a safe, ethical, responsible way, and that visitors are not merely voyeurs looking out of a window, but can enjoy an interactive experience.

A Philanthropic Cultural Tour by Uthando
Visiting 3 different community based organizations which this non-profit supports. Uthando is a globally acclaimed role model in Responsible Tourism and continues to win many awards. They support over 30 community-based organizations across a broad spectrum of sectors, mostly based in the townships of Cape Town, and link them to tourism by taking travellers to visit them, to learn about what they do and meet the people running them and / or benefitting from the important work they do in their communities. A portion of the payment goes to the projects visited, and no pressure is placed on clients to make any further donations – the tour is not a “begging bowl route”.

Timing: Monday to Saturday, Pick up at 08:30 from City bowl hotels, to be confirmed the day before, getting back at about 1 pm.

Price: R970 (South African Rand) per person (up to 31 December 2017).

http://www.uthandosa.org/philanthropic-cultural-tours

If you prefer, we can have a “step-on guide” join us in my vehicle.
Usually when we do this, the focus is on a walking tour in Langa, but we have the vehicle at our disposal to get from one part of the township to another, which makes it nice and flexible, so we can tailor the tour to your interests. If done in the afternoon, we could finish off with a visit to the Happy Feet youth dance project.

Timing: Flexible, either morning or afternoon.

Price: R1 000 (South African Rand) for up to 4 guests, R1 500 for 5 to 7 (up to 30 September 2017), as an additional payment to the guide.

Time-wise this would most conveniently be incorporated into a Full day City tour booked with me.