Community-Based Soweto Day Tour

If you are looking at a tour that makes a difference in the community of people living in Soweto, then this community-based Soweto day tour is a must. This tour is not commercialised. Our aim on this day tour is to take you into the non-touristy areas to get a real feel for the soul of this township.

• “Non Commercialised tour option”-We have decided to do away with the commercial side of Soweto which include Mandela’s House  and Vilakazi Street. These areas are popular with tourists and although very factual and informative from a historical perspective, they may not necessarily give you a true insight into the current reality of a modern Soweto.
• Small groups-we keep our tours to a minimum. This allows for a more interactive and unique travel experience.
• Community guide-We have partnered up with a gem of a guy called Lebo. He was born and bred in Soweto. He currently looks after the Oppenheimer Tower and Credo Mutwa Cultural village situated in the heart of this fascinating township. Lebo is charismatic and whacked out!! But that is what we love about him. He will give you his perspective of what life is really like in Soweto and the challenges its population face.
• Supporting the Kliptown community-we will spend some time in the oldest suburb in Soweto known as Kliptown. This area is now one of the poorer areas of Soweto. By booking a tour with us, you will be helping in the uplifting of the community centre and people they look after.

The first part of this community-based Soweto day tour experience will involve a 1.5-hour tour of the Apartheid Museum. This is the only real ‘commercial’ side of the day tour. We have decided to include this in our basic itinerary as it gives you an overall history of Apartheid and how Soweto fits into the bigger political struggle for freedom in South Africa.

We then take you through to meet Lebo at the Oppenheimer Tower which is situated in the centre of Soweto. There are 47 steps to climb to the top. ( the stairs are not so bad to get up we promise you). From the top you will get a 360-degree, full HD panoramic view of Soweto. Lebo will explain all the key attraction that can be seen from this vantage point.

The next part of the tour will see us taking a tour of the cultural village with Lebo. This is a fascinating part of the day tour as you will be taken on a journey into the other side of Soweto’s soul. Lebo will touch on the culture and traditions of the South African tribal people. You will get to see how the people of South Africa live.

Some of the huts illustrate the various roles each one plays. There is a birthing hut. The elders hut. The witch doctors hut. The Fathers hut. Lebo will explain each unit to you. The village was created by an African Sharman who has made some spectacular worldly predictions. One of them is a painting from 1978 portraying the Twin Bombings in New York. Believe it. Or believe it not. All in all, a very interesting attraction to see.

The last part of the tour will see us taking a walk through the community know as Kliptown. This is the oldest ‘suburb’ in Soweto. We start at the community centre run by a really chilled out guy called Bob. And get this…he is a Rastafarian. With a name Bob. Crazy world. But what a humble guy. He used to be a street kid. Abandoned by his parents and left to fend for himself when he was only 8.

He was taken in by an elderly lady and since then has dedicated his life to the development of the Kliptown community. He loves children and offers street children meals every day. He has some super philosophies and wisdom on life that will leave you with a different kind of perspective. (without the influence of weed of course LOL) he will also take you on a 2km walk around the streets of Kliptown where you will get to see the various township art, how electricity is used illegally, how people live and the problems the community face with regards to sanitation and water. It is perfectly safe.