Fact Sheets & Video - Cape Town

Joining a tour into a township in South Africa can be one of the most illuminating and life affirming experiences you'll ever have.

Cape Flats are the area around Cape Town that the townships are located in. The Cape Flats are literally the flat expanse of land that stretches east of Table Mountain, outside of Cape Town. It is where most of the black communities were relocated under the oppressive system of Apartheid.

Apartheid was the system of racial segregation implemented in South Africa by the National Party from 1948 to 1990. It was based on the notion that people of colour should not be allowed to live in the upmarket areas of town i.e. close to town and their places of work.

Thus, people from widely divergent backgrounds and experiences, were uprooted from their communities and thrown together in the wasteland that has become known as the Cape Flats. The system of apartheid was finally dismantled between 1990 and 1993 and culminated in the South African democratic elections of 1994 - a free election where millions queued to vote over a 3 day period. Tours into Townships are becoming more and more popular as tourists strive to see the real Africa without rose coloured glasses. Around Cape Town, the Cape Flats are certainly attracting more attention and many companies offer half/ full day tours to the Flats. It is still advisable for people to visit townships in groups. Not only to get a better understanding and respect for the history of the areas, but still being aware that some of these people are terribly poor and where there is poverty, crime is often present.

Vicky's B&B

Conceived to offer visitors an authentic taste of South African Township Life, Vicky's B&B offers the adventurous traveller a unique experience.

Set in the heart of Site C in Khayelitsha, the sprawling home of Cape Town's Black working class, this is a bed & breakfast establishment with a difference. Constructed of corrugated iron and simple building materials like most of its Neighbours, this B&B accommodates a maximum of six guests at a time in three bright, cheerfully decorated rooms with a strong African Flavour.

Meals at this unpretentious B&B focus on traditional Xhosa dishes and, to provide Guests with a complete taste of vibrant township life. Vicky also offers guided tours that take in local craft centers, shebeens (traditional neighbourhood taverns) and other places of interest.

Fifteen minutes from Cape Town International Airport & 20 Minutes from the Beautiful city of Cape Town, with its magnificent beaches and world-class tourist Attractions, Vicky's B&B is a haven of warm African hospitality in a busting environment that few visitors to the city ever experience.

The Eziko Cooking School

The Eziko Cooking School is a catering and cooking school built from retired seafreight containers, and was established in 1996 to provides basic cooking and catering skills to unemployed young people.

All cooking courses are accredited and on completion enable the students to enter the job market. The school currently has an 80% successful placement rate, with many of the students finding jobs in top 5 star hotels such as the Table Bay Hotel in the Cape Town Waterfront. In addition to the School, the complex also features a restaurant, built from 12 retired shipping containers. Tourists often stop here for traditional fare.

Tours

Established in 1946, Springbok Atlas is one of Southern Africa's largest tour operators. They operate out of five branches in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Windhoek.

The company runs tours throughout southern and East Africa: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.

This company actually employs people from the townships to conduct their tours, so that the people in the township can directly benefit from tourist dollars.

Further Information:

Springbok Atlas - Offer a half day Cultural Tour from $60 a person. Includes transport & guide

Valid to 30/11/07. Prices correct at 26/5/07. Prices include taxes, subject to fluctuation. Conditions apply.

Air Mauritius fly return to Cape Town from $2100 ex Melbourne, $2120 ex Sydney. Call Air Mauritius on 1300 658 572. Prices correct at 17/4/07. Prices include taxes, subject to fluctuation. Conditions apply.