Township Tour in Cape Town - Cape Care Route

Scratch beneath the surface and get to see a different side of South Africa on this one-day tour exploring Cape Town’s townships. On this inspirational and informative trip, you’ll see craft workshops, a women’s housing project and an environmental centre.

South Africa’s past certainly isn’t one seen through rose-tinted glasses. But it takes a lot to keep good people down for long, and here in the Cape Town townships, local communities are really thriving. Faizal – the man behind this tour – established his business in 2003 when he realised that most tourism in the area wasn’t benefiting the local people – the Capetonians on the Cape Flats. Faizal and his team now give tourists the chance to get to the heart of these communities. And through his efforts, he’s stacked up six awards, so it’s fair to say he knows what he’s doing.

Out of adversity, great things grow - and these Cape Town townships are a glowing example of that. This one-day tour will give you a real insight into how local people have turned their lives around for the better. You’ll meet one man who uses his artistic skills to create intricate flowers out of old tin cans – and is now able to support himself through his business. There’s a women’s housing project which was started by a group of women who saved any money they could because they wanted to go to trade school. And there’s an environmental project where people learn about growing-your-own, and caring for the environment. As Citizen Smith would say, it’s all about ‘power to the people’.

This one’s for people who like to delve a little deeper than the surface of things and see how a place really ticks. It’s a very educational trip so could be great for a family with children who aren’t solely focused on computer games. Other than that, what’s most important is you’re willing to step off the tourist trail and engage with local people and their way of life. It’s inspiring, an eye-opener, and informative, and certainly makes food for thought.