Township Tours in Cape Town

Any visitor to South Africa should visit a township to understand how the majority of South Africans live and the importance of the New South Africa to them.

The trend of township tours is establishing itself not only in South Africa, but in developing nations across the world. Initially, tourists may be concerned that taking a township tour in South Africa, or indeed a favela tour in Brazil or slum tour in India, is a money-making scheme allowing middle-class tourists to look at poverty from the tinted windows of an air-conditioned minibus. Township residents will soon set any visitor straight on that misconception. Not only are they proud that foreign visitors are interested in learning about their lives, but it also provides them with the opportunity to earn a living.
A Typical Township Tour in Cape Town

There are now scores of tour operators and individuals offering township tours in Cape Town. The majority of tours tend to follow more or less the same formula and will take visitors to the townships of Langa, Khayelitsha and Guguletu.

Langa is Cape Town's oldest informal settlement and was established in 1901 when inhabitants from a farm called Uitvlugt were resettled in the belief they posed a threat to health as the city had just recovered from a bout of the bubonic plague. 'Langa' means 'sun' and the township's residents played an important role in the struggle against apartheid.

Khayelitsha, which means 'Our New Home' in isiXhosa, has a mixture of formal and informal housing and is the largest single township in South Africa. Home to approximately 1.5million people, Khayelitsha covers an area of 47 square kilometres.

Guguletu, affectionately known as 'Gugs', was established in the 1950s to house migrant workers from the Eastern Cape. Men were housed in cramped hostels, but when their families joined them, they were forced to build shacks as no additional accommodation was provided. Guguletu thus became an informal settlement. Nowadays, some of the poorest families live in the hostels. Rooms typically have at least three beds, with one family taking each bed.
Amy Biehl

Guguletu is also home to the Amy Biehl Memorial and provides a constant reminder about a tragedy of the apartheid, as well as inspiration to move forward. Amy Biehl was a Canadian exchange student studying at the University of Cape Town in 1993. She had friends in Guguletu and visited them often, despite being unwelcome in the 'blacks-only' zone. A mob of more than 100 residents descended on her in the township one day, beating her up then stabbing her to death. Following the heartbreak of losing Amy, her parents went on to forgive the two boys ultimately responsible for killing her and adopted them. Amy's legacy lives on through The Amy Biehl Foundation set up in her honour.

Which Township Tour?

As well as visiting the three notable townships, different tour operators offer various additional items to the itinerary. Most tours will include a combination of walking and driving tours of the three townships and a visit to a shebeen (a township tavern). The drivers/tour guides typically have a wealth of knowledge, factual and anecdotal, that they will share with the group en route. Grassroute tours also include a visit to the District Six Museum and a stop with a witch doctor. Springbok Atlas offer a half day cultural tour, which also includes a visit to the Bo Kaap, home to the city's Muslim community. Taking the blue route of the hop-on hop-off city sightseeing bus offers the opportunity to take the Imizamo Yethu township experience at stop 22. Uniformed community guides walk visitors around the township themselves and all funds apparently go back into the community. Other noteworthy township tours are run by Camissa, Inkululeko tours and Babi's tours.

With the increasing commercialisation of township tours, it can be a concern that more money goes to tour operators and less to the township communities themselves. The Grassroute tour employs a township resident called Archie, who does the walking tour around Langa. Those who categorically want to make sure that at least the majority of their money goes into the townships need to do their homework. Talking to any local resident of Cape Town will help, as they may have friends or family who would be willing to do a tour around their township. It's worth remembering, however, that the more informal tours may not be as safe as the more established tour operators who have more back-up should anything go wrong.

There are a number of projects in the townships that take international volunteers. In particular, there are a number of crèches that volunteers are sent to in Masiphumelele (known as 'Masi'), meaning 'We will succeed'. Volunteering will give visitors a greater insight into township life far greater than can be gleaned from a tour.

Township tours, whether run by tour operators or individuals, tend to cost 300 to 400 Rand for a 3-4 hour tour. The Imizamo Yethu tour along the hop-on hop-off bus route costs 50 Rand for 40 minutes.
Township Accommodation

Another emerging trend comes in the form of township bed and breakfasts. Staying overnight in a township is increasingly seen as an extension of the whole township experience. Vicky's B&B in Khayelitsha is the most established B&B in a Cape Town township. Vicky was the first to spot the gap in the market for tourist accommodation in townships and has now extended her brand to a self-sustaining sewing centre across the road. Ma Neo's B&B in Langa also comes highly recommended, as well as Kopanong B&B in Khayelitsha and Liziwe's Guest House in Gugulethu. In addition to providing accommodation for the night, the guest house owners tend to give much more to visitors who stay. They may invite them to help prepare the meal, watch their traditional cooking methods or take them to local music and dancing events.
Johannesburg Township Tourism in Soweto

Staying the night in townships in Cape Town is less established than in Soweto, south-west of Johannesburg. There are dozens of guest houses in Soweto and a number of decent bars and restaurants have emerged in response to the increased interest from tourists. The more advanced township tourism in Soweto is undoubtedly due to landmarks of historical significance, including Nelson Mandela's house, which is now a museum.

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Cape Town Sightseeing Tours