Thursday, 22 December 2022

LANGA 4 SURE

Langa rising. An inspiring visit to SA’s oldest township.

June 1, 2019

This is the original version of a story I wrote on LANGA that ran in the June 2019 issue of Khuluma inflight magazine

Take the N2

The N2 out of Cape Town takes you places. To tourist hotspots like Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Ceres to name a few, synonymous with wine farms, whale watching and cherry picking. That same highway also leads to Langa, South Africa’s oldest township, less heralded but holding its own with historical gravitas, a unique identity and a vibrant culture. Langa is a crucial part of the Mother City’s DNA. Welcome to it.

What is a township?

In the original South African apartheid context, townships refer to underdeveloped and racially segregated areas, reserved for ‘non-whites’. As things stand today, only a small minority of township inhabitants hold down contractual jobs with annual incomes hovering around the R30,000 mark (about US$2100) and the unemployment rate continues to rise. In spite of decades of dispossession, indignity and daily challenges though, there are many parts of it Langa that are in the throes of rejuvenation and as an outsider, witnessing the transformation and the upbeat atmosphere first-hand is an absolute revelation.

iKhaya le Langa, 2 minutes from the Bhunga Avenue turn off

The Langa Quarter

It all begins 100 metres from Exit 12 on the N2, at a bright orange wall (above) that announces you’ve arrived in the Langa Quarter. One of the most exciting projects to take root in the suburb, the Langa Quarter constitutes a small slice of the township – 13 streets to be precise- that has been quietly evolving over the past ten years and has recently been proactively zoned for hospitality and tourism. Anyone visiting the Quarter is immediately struck by the visible difference, the result of a ‘cleaner, greener, safer’ campaign. The Quarter community realised long ago that the only way to promote tourism to the sector and attract and secure ongoing partnerships and investment was if the area looked good and felt secure. In a remarkably short space of time, the zone has become a place of sustainable enterprise and is hailed as yet another valued asset in the Western Cape’s travel and tourism offering.

Tony Elvin

Who is behind the Langa Quarter?

The driving force behind the thriving precinct is Tony Elvin (pictured above), a British businessman of Jamaican descent with a passion for empowering young people and injecting hope into previously disenfranchised communities. An optimist and serial change maker, he began working on the Quarter project in 2010 and launched it in December 2017. His track record is solid, having pursued social enterprise projects (SEP’s) around the world for two decades. The most well-known of these was Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation through which he established a string of eateries in London, Amsterdam, Melbourne and Cornwall to up skill aspirant chefs and generate employment for graduates. Although this is what initially brought him to South Africa, it’s not what has kept him here. His defining moment presented itself in 2009 while he was mentoring a group of young men at his ‘swanky offices’, as he puts it, in Heritage Square. They introduced him to Langa and the rest, as they say, is history. “I did my research,” he explained, ”got to know the area, understand its history, culture and its people. That took me five years and once I had a handle on it, I moved from my gated estate in Hout Bay into Langa and I haven’t looked back.”

iKhaya le Langa, the heart of the Langa Quarter

Ikhaya Le Langa, the nucleus of the Langa Quarter

iKhaya Le Langa (above), meaning the ‘house of the sun’ in isiXhosa, is the nucleus of the Quarter, located on the corner of Ndabeni and Rubusana streets. It has successfully cemented itself as a multifunctional business incubator, providing the lifeline between the precinct, the travel industry and residents. Housed within the building, a repurposed primary school, are offices, an Airbnb booking desk, the Sun Diner, a gallery and a retail space selling locally produced craft. iKhaya Le Langa operates an Inter-community Tourism Agency branded ‘Visit Langa’ that promotes dignified exchanges between locals and tourists and ‘that does tourism in a township’ as opposed to ‘township tourism’, often viewed by locals as a derogatory term likened to ‘poverty tourism.’ The centre also provides educational and entrepreneurial workshops, hospitality industry training, art classes for children and adults, and the Ambassador Skills Development programme geared towards the unemployed of all ages who are given a chance to learn job readiness and get a leg up on the work ladder.

L-R Asekho Mjojeli, Linam Sibinda & Vusumzi Ndlazi

The Langa Quarter Ambassadors

Local entrepreneur Asekho Mjojeli (above, far left) has been with iKhaya le Langa since 2013 and is the face of Young, Gifted and Black (YG&B) the coffee shop that operates daily from a bright lumo green container, the go-to spot for locals. The talented 26 year old makes a mean cappuccino and is training others to do the same as he spreads the gospel of the good brew.

Artist, tour guide and mentor

Tozamile Mpanu (above, in his art studio at iKhaya Le Langa), 35, joined the iKhaya Le Langa fold in 2017, attracted by the buzz and keen to throw his weight behind the tourism side of things. An African art specialist and the centre’s artist-in-residence, he is one of the iKhaya’s accredited tour guides who regularly conducts walkabouts and more recently, cycle tours through the Quarter and other interesting parts of the township. Clearly passionate about the place, he relishes sharing his knowledge of the many buildings, prominent streets and memorials that preserve the townships incredible backstory.

Harlem Avenue – steeped in history

Harlem Avenue (above) is one of the most interesting thoroughfares in the Quarter and is where the pilot program began in 2009. At one end is a row of small houses- some marked with commemorative plaques- that once belonged to South African icons who made their mark in politics, music, medicine, professional sport and academia. There are 28 heroes honoured here, like the Struggle activist Chris Hani, musician Victor Ntoni, cricketer Thami Tsolekile, and Hamilton Naki, lab assistant to the late Chris Barnard, the cardiac surgeon who performed the world’s first heart transplant. Farther down are the ruins of the Special Quarters, ridiculously undersized rooms once built to house migrant workers, and as you continue along there’s a jazz club and shebeen (informal bar) called Fanie’s Place, and Mzansi, a popular restaurant for tourists. Washington Street, one of the main arteries that runs through Langa, leads past a number of significant places.

Memorials and mouments

Like Guga Sthebe (above), marked by a bright yellow exterior, is another crucial resource centre with a focus on Arts & Culture. On the same route, dotted along the pavements, are colourful mosaic plinths, each with a different theme and a written explanation related to township history.

Reminders of the Struggle

At the Washington Circle, opposite the taxi rank, is the cylindrically shaped memorial (above) that was installed in 2010 in honour of those who lost their lives in the violent anti-Pass Law protests that took place in 1960, the same day as the brutal Sharpeville Massacre in Johannesburg. It’s a sobering reminder of the suffering that the majority of South Africans endured before Nelson Mandela came to power.

Homestays and Airbnb

Surrounding ikhaya le Langa 18 homes that make up the 40 bed Langa Quarter Homestay Hotel (LQHH) cluster, run by female hosts who rent out their houses to tourists and curate immersive experiences that make a refreshing change from cookie-cutter type tours. Personal stories are shared in an intimate setting and unpack the backstories to life during the Apartheid era, township heritage and introduce aspects of family culture and traditional cuisine. All of this fits tightly into the global traveller trend towards ‘going and doing’, whereby tourists increasingly opt for conscious, sustainable travel experiences that provide deeper meaning.

Brian Chesky and the Airbnb endorsement

In 2017, nine Langa Quarter Homestay Hotel entrepreneurs were also introduced to Airbnb, a huge boost on many levels, and a vote of confidence in the Langa Quarter and the quest to make individuals financially independent. Brian Chesky, the co-Founder and CEO of Airbnb, flew in to personally endorse the group and welcome them to the booking platform.

Everyone benefits through local Enterprise

Other residents also reap the rewards of the staycations by partnering with LQHH to supply services such as laundry, food and beauty treatments such as hair braiding and manicures. Elvin himself leads an Airbnb Experience that includes performances by locals that includes a traditional meal at one of the Langa Quarter restaurants, and a service at one of the area’s oldest churches. Although it’s mostly internationals booking tours and spending quality time in the Quarter, Tony is bullish about the long term prospects and believes it’s only a matter of time before Mother City slickers follow suit and spend more time in the area.

Tozamile at the mural he painted on Bitterhout Street that won him the 2019 ULTRA street art and graffiti competition

Events in Langa

Many are already drawn to Langa through different events such as Open Streets, Rocktober at Maragana Park and Black Cellar Club’s BLACC Fest X, the premium wine and spirits festival that took place for the first time in 2018 and pulled a savvy crowd of connoisseurs from Langa and surrounds. ULTRA – Uplifting Langa Through Reachable Art – is an annual street art and graffiti competition that attracts dozens of artists who emblazon seventeen panels along the 134 metre vibracrete wall that runs down Bitterhout Street, one of the roads that border iKhaya Le Langa. This year the winning piece was done by Tozamile (pictured above), a pulsating rendition of life in Langa.

Abdullah Tan holds a plate of amagwinya (vetkoek) at Ayanda Spaza shop

Langa deserves attention and no visit to the Mother City is complete without it. Take the Bhunga Avenue off-ramp and see for yourself. The suburb of the sun is waiting.

For info about walking and cycle tours that start at iKhaya Le Langa, Airbnb bookings and more, visit www.ikhayalelanga.co.za / bookings@visitlanga.co.za.

For assistance in curating your Cape Town trip, contact alessia@luxecapetown.africa

COME TO LANGA FOR A TOUR - AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE

19 Sep 2018| South Africa

Should you take a Township Tour in Cape Town?

Our Langa Township Tour in Cape Town explored a side of the city few visitors see. But is slum tourism an indulgence for tourists or does it serve a greater purpose?

At only 1.5 kilometres square, Langa is one of the smallest townships in the city. Ten years ago it was home to 50,000 people, but like many townships, it has grown rapidly as job opportunities in the city draw workers and families from the surrounding countryside. There are now about 80,000 people in Langa and the township is struggling to cope.

In recent years, entrepreneurial souls – knowing wealthy westerners are engaged by their poverty – have introduced tours to townships such as Langa. While there a many great things to do in Cape Town, we were drawn to exploring this other side to the city, but were unsure if it was the right thing to do.

Should we be inspecting other people’s poverty and misfortune? Are we helping this township or making their situation worse?

Booking your trip via the links on this page (or on our book page) will earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support – Paul & Mark.

END OF APARTHEID AND NEW RIGHTS FOR BLACK CITIZENS

We park outside a shop on the edge of Langa, just off junction 12 of the N2. Being the only white people, our guide spots us quickly and rushes up to welcome us warmly. His name is Nathi and he is keen to begin this Langa Township Tour; to show us his town, his friends and his family.

Walking down a narrow dusty alleyway, we enter a small shack and are introduced to Shadrack, or ‘Shooter’ to his friends. But he also goes by the name MacGyver, thanks to his ingenuity in building every inch of his wooden and sheet metal home which we are sitting in now. The shack is small but homely and pristinely clean. There are pictures all over the walls, not only of his family but also the people who have visited him over the years. An empty bottle of Johnny Walker Gold Label stands on a shelf. His face, of an indeterminate age, is lit up by a broken blender he has converted into a lamp, as he regales us with the story of his life and his township.

Shooter was a police officer during apartheid, a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. This institutionalised racial segregation legalised state oppression of black and coloured peoples by a white minority. As a black officer, he was not permitted to arrest white criminals, and was subordinate to white officers, even of lower rank. He was not only distrusted by white colleagues, but also by black citizens, for whom the police were the physical embodiment of an oppressive government and its unjust laws. He left the force, in 1993 just as the apartheid era laws were coming to an end.

We ask him what has changed most in the township in his lifetime. He doesn’t describe houses going up, or infrastructure being built. He doesn’t talk about development or integration. Instead, he basks in his rights. “Twenty-five years ago, I got my legal rights. The right to go where I want, when I want. The right not to be stopped for no reason. The right not to be arrested for forgetting ID papers. I became a free man. This is what has changed the most, and it is everything”.

He explains, that as democracy came to black citizens in South Africa, the government ceased to be his enemy. It got out of the way of him building his own future. And the police force became the police service. It went from using force to subjugate the townships to providing a service to support their citizens in their quest for a better life.

THE WORKERS OF CAPE TOWN BUILD THEIR LIVES

And building better lives is exactly what the people of Langa are doing. Every morning they get up and head into the city to be restaurant servers, office and factory workers, drivers and builders. They head into the suburbs to be gardeners, cooks and cleaners. Cape Town is built and run on the back of the people of Langa and townships like it.

Yet many also earn their living in the township itself. Two women, with the street as their office, are brewing beer in large plastic barrels in a cramped, smoky alley between self-built tin sheds. Their brew is bubbling away. It is only 1.5 to 2% alcohol, but if you drink enough, Nathi explains with a grin, it works just the same. Round the corner, a small factory with two kilns produces hand-painted ceramics that are shipped to European and American Universities.

Three women, clad completely in black, stand in a pile of broken charred wood and building offcuts. Their faces, illuminated by light brown fire resistant paint, loom out of the darkness. They are selling firewood and sheep’s heads. Sheep’s heads are a delicacy here and served to the older generation as a sign of respect. Cheeks, eye sockets, and tongue are the choicest parts. But sheep are few and demand is high, so they ship the heads in from New Zealand.

Next on our Langa Township Tour, we cross a car washing business. They can clean a couple of hundred cars in a day, and in three days can make more than workers heading into town. It’s a profitable business. Nathi says he has tried to explain to them the value of saving, of putting money aside each week, for a rainy day. But his words of advice do not always find a receptive ear.

He is saving though. He has a girlfriend and in order to get married, he must present a dowry to his future wife’s family. Eight to twelve cows is customary. But just like sheep, there are few cows in the city, so money has taken its place. A cow is 5,000 Rand, so marriage costs about 50,000 Rand (US $3,500). A significant outlay on a low daily wage.

But some have made a success of their freedoms, worked hard and saved. Nathi takes us up to the ‘Beverley Hills’ of Langa. Locals that have made it and want to remain in Langa’s tight community of friends and family live here. Houses made of concrete, with running water and electricity. This is where locals dreams have come true.

EXTREME POVERTY & GOVERNMENT HELP

But for everyone that lives in Beverley Hills there are hundreds living in poverty. We round another bend on our Langa Township Tour and are faced with 6 shipping containers. Sunk into the dirt in a small plot of unclaimed land. Each shipping container houses two families, often up to 12 people. Conditions are cramped and dark. There is barely room for each person to sleep. In winter they are cold and in summer baking. The stuffy air often forces people out of their homes and onto the street.

A woman is outside, perched on a low small stool, washing clothes in a bucket. Another is making her way to the toilet block a couple of hundred metres away, where 100 people share 5 toilets. But while these shipping containers are incredibly basic they are still home. Inside they are spotlessly clean. The ubiquitous satellite dish, bolted onto the shipping container, provides entertainment for the family and the outside is decorated with cool modern graffiti.

Shooter’s shack is also on unclaimed land, down a dark narrow alleyway, surrounded by more than a hundred other tightly packed buildings of wood and scrap metal. With three tiny rooms, his is the largest in the area. But he too has no running water and has to share his neighbour’s electricity.

Shooter, and many others were forced to move to their temporary self-built homes when the government decided to upgrade their government accommodation. But that temporary move was in 2007. Eleven years later Shooter, and many like him, are still waiting to return.

I ask him how much longer he will have to wait. He shrugs. I ask him if he finds it frustrating. “Yes, of course”, he replies, “but Rome was not built in a day. I have my rights, I am a free man. I can be patient and in the meantime I will build my own life.”

But as a tourist on a Langa Township Tour, it’s not the intangible improvement in rights that strikes you. It is the destitute poverty and squalor that lingers in parts of the township. There is obvious pride in Langa, yet hundreds live in temporary shacks and shipping containers with no running water and few facilities. It feels less like the government has got out of the way to allow people to build their lives, and more like it has abandoned them to their own devices. Exploring parts of Langa, it appears Rome is not getting built at all.

SLUM TOURISM & POVERTY PORN

Wandering the streets on our Langa Township Tour with Nathi, there is one awkward moment. A drunken man walks up to us, slurring words in his local Xhosa language. It’s unclear what he is saying, but it looks like he wants money. Nathi tells us to ignore him, but the drunk man is persistent.

It’s at this point that we first appreciate what tourism means to Langa, and to Nathi. He’s very quick to intervene, stepping between us and the drunk man, to ensure we don’t feel intimidated. He gets the help of 3 local women, who appearing from nowhere, whisk our drunk friend away.

Nathi explains that Langa’s tight-knit community can exert powerful peer pressure. Drugs and violence are not common here. But drinking alcohol is legal and more socially acceptable. In a township with not much else to do, drinking cheap beer is a favourite social past time.

But the encounter with the drunk man forces us to ask ourselves: should we be on a township tour in Cape Town in the first place? Are we welcome or are we simply indulging our curiosity? Are we making things better or worse? But Nathi thinks tourists help. For years people in Langa associated the white man with police and oppression. Tourism has changed that. They see a different white man. One that engages with them, is curious to discover about their lives in a peaceful and polite manner. And one that leaves a tip.

THE VALUE OF A LANGA TOWNSHIP TOUR IN CAPE TOWN

As a tourist, taking a township tour in Cape Town, it is hard to see how much the rights of the people here have changed from 25 years ago. But walking around the houses and through the slums of sheet metal, past the library, the police station, the arts centre and the shipping containers, it is easy to see the good and the bad. People trying to make their lives better and communities trying to build a better future. But while no doubt things are improving, you are still struck by the poverty and squalor of much of the living conditions.

As a tourist, if you spend 5 days in Cape Town and just sip cocktails on the front at Camps Bay, eat in the restaurants of the V&A harbour and taste wine in the vineyards of Constantia then you have barely seen Cape Town at all. For many of the workers who have built this amazing city, live in areas that you never venture and in conditions you never see.

A township tour in Cape Town opened our eyes to how the vast majority of its citizens actually live; taught us to think more deeply how politics can affect people’s lives; and hopefully helped build better trust between the black and white communities of this city.

BOOK YOUR LANGA TOUR

This half-day Langa Township Tour includes District 6, Langa and Gugulethu. Pick up can be arranged from the city centre or Atlantic seaboard hotels including Camps Bay. The tour lasts 3 hours.

HOW TO HELP

If you are interested in helping some of the poorest people in the world live better lives, we highly recommend you explore GiveWell. GiveWell assesses which charities are the most effective at improving people’s lives for every US$ (£ or EUR) donated. Travelling the world regularly inspires us to help those that are less well off than ourselves and we donate to GiveWell recommended charities every year.

WHERE NEXT?

As one of our favourite places to visit for winter sun, great hiking and incredible wildlife opportunities, we’ve been to South Africa several times. Here’s some more reading you might find useful.

ALL SOUTH AFRICA GUIDES

Wednesday, 21 December 2022

YOU HAVE TO VISIT LANGA IN CAPE TOWN!

Visiting a Township in South Africa: My experience in Langa Township in Cape Town

Townships in South Africa have always been a point of curiosity for me. Not only have I wanted to visit South Africa for more than a decade, but since studying a degree in International Development, I have developed an interest in understanding how and why such disparity exists around the world. This, coupled with a lifelong fascination of people, heritage and traditions from different cultures – and particularly African nations – meant that visiting a township was something I really wanted to do during my time in South Africa. Cape Town is beautiful, but if you stick to the affluent city centre, you’ll never know the real South Africa.

But, this being said – visiting a township in South Africa is still a somewhat unusual activity to do on holiday in Cape Town.

Visiting a township in Cape Town

Is it poverty tourism?

visiting Langa township — A hugely insightful walking tour around Langa

To a degree it is, I think it is. I even rung my mum the evening before to tell her about my first week in Cape Town, and when I mentioned visiting a township, she was a little horrified and asked why I’d want to walk around and gawp at people. She thought it was a little voyeuristic and somewhat insensitive.

It stung a little but I quickly pointed out that that wasn’t my personal aim in visiting a township in Cape Town. My interest lay in understanding and opening my eyes to a bit of the real South Africa. Cape Town is incredible, but don’t get me wrong, it’s very European – I wanted to experience the ‘beating heart’ of a South African township. Something felt wrong if I just stayed in the wealthy enclaves and tourist areas of Cape Town, without taking the time to get to know local people and seeing daily life for a majority of South Africans.

I didn’t plan on ‘gawping’ at people in the township, but simply making myself more aware of the situation in Cape Town and South Africa.

Not only was our visit to Langa township eye-opening, and for the most part, actually really inspiring. All of our preconceived ideas replaced with a feeling of hope and positivity.

visiting a township in cape town — Street art in Langa

Who took us around the township?

Our guide, a local girl called Zuzeka showed us that there are several socioeconomic classes even within a township – not everyone lives in a shack. In fact, there was a middle class, and an upper class – an area she joked was the Beverly Hills. But she wasn’t far wrong, the houses in the township here were far larger and people drove cars.

She said that even as residents in the Langa township do acquire more wealth over time, they choose to stay in the township rather than move out. This is the reason as to why there are classes and many different housing types.

Overall, visiting a township in Cape Town was something really worth doing, and we are both really pleased we did. It don’t feel it was a bad kind of poverty tourism. It has since enabled me to share what I learned, both through this blog post and by word-of-mouth, and that there is a lot hope and optimism in lessening the crazy disparity of wealth in South Africa.

If you are keen to visit a township whilst in South Africa, I highly recommend the locally run company we went with, called Siviwe Tours. I thought I’d also put a detailed guide to our visit below. You can also book a township and Robben Island Combination tour ticket here too, which is a great way to see both key sites in Cape Town.

Townships: Background information

What exactly is a township?

A township is an informal settlement and a type of racially divided suburb within South Africa’s big cities, such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria.

How did townships in South Africa come about?

During apartheid and following the signing of the Group Areas Act of 1950, non-whites were forcibly removed from the centre of Cape Town. They were moved to specific residential areas which had each been assigned to different ethnic groups.

However, Pass Laws forced men to leave their families at home and to go back to the cities to work. This led to men living in hostels in townships on the outskirts, and working in places such as factories, mines and other similar manual industries. They were homed in large dormitories with shared living facilities. But when the Pass Laws were repealed, the wives and children were permitted to join the men, creating very cramped living conditions. This led to shacks popping up where suddenly the dormitories could no longer house the sheer number of people. As more and more people arrived, it quickly evolved into a township.

Where is Langa township?

Langa township is just a 15 minute drive from the CBD, located on the N2 heading out of Cape Town. Take exit 12 and you arrive right in Langa.

Why visit Langa township over the others?

Langa is considered one of safest of the Cape Town townships. It is also one of the most manageable to visit in terms of size (just 1.5km square) whereas two of the other main townships, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, are huge and take a lot longer to explore. The name ‘Langa’ derives from the name Langalibalele, a famous chief who was kept in prison on Robben Island for protesting against the government. There’s a street named after him within the township.

How many people live in Langa township, and where do they come from?

Around 70,000 people live peacefully in the township, most of whom belong to the Xhosa tribe. Yet our guide said that currently there are other African nationalities living there too, such as Somalians, Zimbabweans, Nigerians and Congolese.

When was Langa township established?

Langa township was established in 1923, making it the oldest in Cape Town. As mentioned, originally it was just men living here in dormitory style hostels and with black policeman patrolling. The men came from all over the country, but would tend to go home during Christmas and Easter for several weeks at a time. This led to many babies being born in September (!)

From Langa, the men travelled into Cape Town by train for their manual labour jobs in the city. When the women and children arrived to Langa in the late 1950s, whilst it led to cramped conditions and poorer sanitation, it did lead to health clinics and schools being built, which also led to more jobs within the township.

Langa Township today

What about the different classes of housing in Langa?

As mentioned, Langa is home to several different socio-economic classes. The lower classes still live in shacks and shared spaces. The rent for these is free, as well as water. The only thing they have to pay for is electricity.

The lower middle class live in small brick and mortar homes, but due to overpopulation in the township, many share the space with other families. Many of this class live in government-built homes, most of which were constructed en mass in 1994 following the end of apartheid. People queued up for these homes, and the wait was (and still can be) as long as 10 years for one of these houses. Those who live in these do pay the government some rent.

The middle class live in small homes, with fewer families sharing the spaces. Again, the residents of these types of hoard pay rent to the government.

The upper class live in bigger houses and are employed in professional roles such as accounting or in medical jobs, but choose to stay in Langa to give back and support the community which supported them.

langa township cape town — Unfortunately, there are families living in these crates – they’re on a waiting list for government housing but who knows how long for..

township in south africa — These blocks are some low class government housing the has been built in the last decade or so

streets of langa township — These are some middle class properties within the township

What about education and healthcare in Langa township?

At the time of visiting, there were 5 primary schools and 5 high schools, all of which are government schools and therefore no fees are paid.

The local clinic in Langa township provided several services including family planning and for those with TB and HIV. Some reisdents in the township had access to private healthcare through medical insurance.

What do people do for work in Langa township?

Unfortunately, the unemployment rate is quite high at 30%. Many residents have set up their own businesses but many rely on the government for jobs. These are 6 month contracts and people switch over, so whilst it doesn’t positively change the employment rate, it does give an income to more people throughout a year. Other jobs include call centre work, working as a domestic (like a maid) or in retail or restaurants. All these roles require travelling outside the township and into the suburbs or the city.

a store in Langa township — A small food store in Langa township

Does the government support the people living in Langa township?

We learnt that there is some degree of state support in the form of handsouts. The over 60s and disabled receive 1600 Rand a year, and each child under 18 receives 380 Rand a year.

Our Experience at Langa

What did we do during our Langa township tour?

Our guide showed us all the various types of housing, as well as local businesses. Inside food produce stores, she took the time to point out different food stuffs and the prices, and also how they would be prepared into various typical dishes.

We also sat down in a small shabeen (like a little pub). It was 10am, but pitch black inside. The locals gave us a taste of the locally brewed beer – known as ‘umqombothi’ in isiXhosa, which is served in a giant bucket and passed around the room, one-by-one!

Unfortunately, as there is not a huge amount of things to do in the township, drinking cheap homemade beer is a favourite social activity. The community is a tight one however, and drugs and violence is reasonably uncommon, as social peer pressure stops this from occurring.

sharing a beer in Langa township — Sharing a beer with some locals

We also stopped at a local woman’s home who had started her own business up – cooking and preparing Roosterkoeks. These are small bread rolls filled with cheese or eggs and a complete South African staple. Whilst we were trying them, some policeman turned up at her window to buy their lunch, so they’re definitely popular in Langa township!

trying local food in cape town — Roosterkoeks

What else did we learn?

We also learnt a few words in the local language, isiXhosa – mostly greeting terms so we could interact with the locals we went by. Our guide grew up in Langa – and if you’re interested to know, her English was perfect and she is off to teacher college soon.

We also spent a good amount of time in one shack in particular – that of a local legend called Shooter. His real name is Shadrack and the walls of his shack are covered floor to ceiling in photos of tourists who’ve dropped in and had the pleasure of meeting him. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, we were informed he was resting at a family member’s place outside of the township as had sadly been diagnosed with lung cancer. We do hope he gets better soon.

Shooter’s shack was really cool and very homey. He was clearly a genius with hands, and in true inventor style, had built lamps out of smoothie makers and skylights with kitchen trays. It was completely clean and immaculate, and had two bedrooms, a living area and a terrace-style area for people-watching. His shack didn’t have running water and he shares his neighbour’s electricity.

How long was the tour and how much did it cost?

So there we have it. My insightful and valuable morning visiting Langa township in cape Town. As I said, we visited with Siviwe Tours which is a locally-owned business, providing valuable opportunities and employment to locals in the township.

The whole tour took approximately two hours. It was easy to locate Langa from the directions given, and we parked our car up safely on the main street. No issues at all. The cost of the township tour was R350 per person if you do not require a pick-up, and R550 if you do.

Did we feel safe in the township?

We found the local people in Langa township to be very welcoming and receptive to our presence. We didn’t bring our cameras, but we felt completely safe.

Regarding the idea of poverty tourism, whilst it’s insightful and interesting for tourists to understand the real South Africa – it’s also helpful for the local residents. They’ve typically associated white people with police and forms of oppression, but white people visiting a township out of their own choice shows that they’re keen to engage with them peacefully, as well as learn about and respect their lives.

I really hope you found this useful! Let me know in the comment section below if you have any questions on visiting a township in South Africa, or specifically Langa in Cape Town.

I’ve written several other guides to Cape Town, including visiting Robben Island which you may find interesting, as well as a guide to planning a Cape Town itinerary.

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Disclaimer: This visit to Langa Township in Cape Town was entirely paid for by myself, and there was no involvement from the tourism board. This is an independent guide.

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Visiting a Township in South Africa: My Guide to Langa Township Cape Town - Stoked to Travel Published by Stoked to Travel - A Travel and Lifestyle Blog

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Creativity in Cape Town: the Art Scene of Langa

AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

Guga S’thebe Arts & Cultural Centre in Langa has space for people to come and experiment with their art. It also hosts occasional exhibitions of local artists' work | © Alessandro Iovino / Culture Trip

Josephine Platt

Commissioning Editor14 May 2020

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Just east of Table Mountain in Cape Town sits one of South Africa’s oldest townships. Langa came into existence in 1919, and its history is rooted in anti-apartheid activism and artistic expression. Photographer Alessandro Iovino visited with his camera to capture what he calls its “sunny disposition and vibrant energy”.

16 on Lerotholi art gallery aims to promote South African artists and bring tourists to Langa | © Alessandro Iovino / Culture Trip

Langa is a place that’s centred on community, where art serves a purpose. Its name means “sun” in Xhosa – one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe – which is fitting. However, it is actually after Langalibalele, a 19th-century king of the AmaHlubi, a Bantu tribe in what is modern-day KwaZulu-Natal.

Over the years, Langa has bred plenty of artistic talent, including Brenda Fassie, the Queen of African Pop (who sadly died in 2004). Meanwhile, galleries such as 16 on Lerotholi have popped up to serve as hubs for young, local artists in the same way Guga S’thebe has been the community’s cultural focal point for three decades.

Guga S’thebe is where communities can come together and enjoy art, design and performance | © Alessandro Iovino / Culture Trip

The streets are lined with art and murals, and you’ll be greeted by saxophones and keyboards from jazz artists such as Mandisi Dyantyis. “A palpable creative spirit flows through the avenues of Langa,” says Iovino. As do the smells of the local cuisine. “The smells of succulent rump steak and buttermilk chicken burgers circulate, alongside dishes such ulusu, or tripe, and umngqusho, or samp, for those with adventurous palettes.’’

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel – and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Epic Trips, Mini Trips and Sailing Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travellers and friends who want to explore the world together.

Epic Trips are deeply immersive 8 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and enough down time to really relax and soak it all in. Our Mini Trips are small and mighty - they squeeze all the excitement and authenticity of our longer Epic Trips into a manageable 3-5 day window. Our Sailing Trips invite you to spend a week experiencing the best of the sea and land in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

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Tourism enterprise Langa Quarter officially launched in Cape Town

3 Jan 2018

Flying under the radar in the Langa township in Cape Town since 2010, tourism enterprise The Langa Quarter has officially been launched recently. Spearheaded by Tony Elvin - who have, together with the local community, transformed the township into a hub of enterprise and social development projects - The Langa Quarter SEP (Social Enterprise Precinct) project forms part of the Ikhaya Le Langa NPC non-profit organisation.

The Langa Quarter team. (Image Supplied)

Proactively zoned for tourism, the Langa Quarter consists of a nucleus of 207 homes. These have been transformed into restaurants, galleries, bars (shebeens), craft stores and The Langa Quarter Homestay Hotel, a 40-bed cluster of Homestay accommodation in the residents’ homes, nine of which are listed on Airbnb.

Traditional foods, Apartheid Pass Museum, historical re-enactments, local art, entertainment and walking tours are all on offer. Ikhaya Le Langa’s new Social Enterprise tourism outlet, the Inter-Community Tourism Agency, is an honorary sustainable tourism member of FEDHASA, the national trade association for the hospitality industry. The agency will present its signature Past, Present, Future Tour which includes the exclusive Apartheid Pass Museum re-enactments.

VIPs and media guests who attended the event were treated to a tour of the Quarter, including the Homestay Hotel, Black Plaques, street art as well as a stop-over at a few of the restaurants on offer. The Sun Diner based at the Quarter’s Ikhaya Le Langa hub put on a great spread for the evening with the debut of the ‘Wonder Menu’. Scheduled to fully open in February 2018, the Sun Diner will cater for breakfast and lunch and is targeted at Capetonians passing in and out of the city as well as early-arriving tourists and those stuck in N2 traffic jams.

The Sun Diner's Wonder Menu was created to address the need for an affordable catering solution for the community. It will soon be providing free meals to the army of unemployed local volunteers engaged in making the Langa Quarter ‘cleaner, greener and safer’.

Addressing the guests, a beaming Elvin commented: “We are thrilled to be showcasing this amazing project to Cape Town, South Africa and the world. The people of Langa are doing real, meaningful activities in making the Langa Quarter ‘cleaner, greener and safer’, and promoting tourism to this area. Our community is a shining example of Ubuntu and our people are inspiring and motivating us all.”