Cape Town - African cultural tours with a twist
We recently had John and Pam in our offices and they’ve developed some unique Cape Town day tours for us ranging from cooking workshops through to wine and chocolate tours and even Table Mountain walking tours. What’s particularly good is that a number of these tours are what is called in the trade ‘scheduled tours’. I appreciate that this summons up images of coach tours but in practice it is rarely more than six people in a minibus. What ‘scheduled’ really means is that we are committing to run these tours, on specific days, with only two people. Given that the vast majority of our clients are couples and families, this is much more cost effective for you than having a private guide and vehicle.
I am particularly excited about the development of some really interesting township experiences where you can meet the local people of Cape Town. People don’t want to have a goldfish bowl experience being bussed into a township for a ‘tour’ and bussed out again. We have offered a non-touristy African Heritage tour for a number of years but more and more people are opting to extend this to a full day tour where they can chat to the locals, have lunch at an African restaurant, (serving a mix of African and Western dishes), and an afternoon drink at a local shebeen (or tavern).
Another option which used to only be possible for groups is to visit the township for dinner and jazz. We now offer this as a scheduled tour on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This is a great evening experiencing a completely different side of Cape Town life. You usually enjoy a short orientation of the townships before heading to a local township restaurant where you meet local people and experience local township cuisine. What’s clear is that the local people are as interested in finding out about you, and where you come from, as you are about them. Later on there is story telling and local jazz bands playing and after some drinks, everyone becomes more relaxed and it’s not uncommon to find yourself dancing the evening out.
On Sunday mornings we show you a complete different slice of life as we visit several different church services in the townships surrounding Cape Town. You’ll witness the important role these churches play in the local community’s lives and hear the beautiful gospel choirs.
During the summer months of November to February we offer a tour on Saturday afternoon which (hopefully) enlightens our visitors about the Xhosa culture and specifically its initiation rites. Even under the tremendous influence of urbanization, the Xhosa people of the townships of Cape Town hold their customs dearly. You’re introduced to Xhosa folklore by an English speaking Xhosa guide. You witness the performance of ‘Igongqo’ (ancestor rituals) and ‘Umcimbi’ and you’ll meet a traditional healer. There’s also plenty of opportunity to interact with the local people and learn more about their culture in a relaxed and informal way.
Finally we are particularly keen to drum up interest in the African cooking course which is held every Saturday morning. This is a way to learn more about African food and also to support a small cookery school by using their facilities on a Saturday morning. You travel to the township of Langa to enjoy a morning cooking workshop at a cookery school that gives the local residents the skills needed to get jobs in the kitchens of the top hotels in Cape Town. The morning begins with a welcome drink and a talk on African cuisine. You then go into a hands-on cooking lesson where you learn to cook dishes like pap (similar to polenta), chakalaka and samp. Afterwards you sample the dishes that you’ve helped to prepare along with a few other dishes that have been prepared in the restaurant. Great fun!
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