Can you manage to understand what Kobus says in the video? Kobus is a local entrepreneur who works in Camps Bay. Find out exactly what he says and send the correct subtitles in a private message to us. When you are the first one to figure out, you will win R50 discount for you and your friend for the Cultural Overnight Township Tour of coming weekend!

The Cultural Overnight Township Tours is a great way to experience the true life of the residents of Gugulethu. Interact and play with the locals. Visit a local church and create traditional bracelets. Learn how to make pap, socialise around the braai and end this amazing tour at Mzoli’s!

Make sure to send the subtitles before Wednesday the 8th of May. The winner will be announced on Wednesday the 8th of May after 4 p.m.
The prize is not exchangeable for money.

The group consisted of eight people and the guide called Mvuyisi. Everyone met each other at the Cape Town train station, where we made our way towards Gugulethu, which means “our pride”. After half an hour train ride we arrived at the township and walked to Mama Noks’ house, who was going to welcome us as part of her family for one day.. Minutes after we had arrived the kids started jumping on us and wanted to play with us. It was amazing to see how much those kids loved it that we were there.

After we finished playing with the kids, we bought some drinks at a local store. Then Mama Noks started cooking and explained to some of the girls how to make pap, while the boys were outside at the braai. When dinner was ready, we all enjoyed a true African meal which was very tasty. In the evening we had some more drinks and chatted with each other until we went to bed.

We all woke up early in the morning to enjoy a very nice breakfast and to start the beading workshop. Instead of creating bracelets yourself, there was also the possibility to buy accessories from Mama Noks’ daughter.

At ten o’clock, we all went to the church to attend a service. It was so beautiful to see how committed these people were; everybody was singing and dancing. They appreciated the fact that we visited their church and wanted us to introduce ourselves, so we would feel more involved.

After the service we went on a walking tour through Gugulethu. The area where Mama Noks lives still is quite a wealthy part of Gugulethu. During the walking tour we saw some poorer parts, which a real eye-opener for everyone. The people live there in a small shack with their entire family.

We walked around Gugulethu for a while until we arrived at Mzoli’s, which a very popular place to braai. We continued walking back to Mama Noks’ house where we collected our stuff and said goodbye to the kids, Mama Noks’, Papa Noks and Mvuyisi. Afterwards, we got picked up by a minivan and drove back to Cape Town.

It was an amazing experience and a wonderful weekend. By spending the night there and having to buy drinks or arts and crafts at local stores or market stands, you will truly benefit towards the residents of Gugulethu. Besides this the image of the townships changes because in general everyone thinks that being in a township is dangerous, while it is not more dangerous than any other place. The residents are very friendly and would do no harm.This excursion is a great way to truly experience what life is like in a township and to change your perception.

Even though our group consisted solely of students it is also possible to do this excursion as a couple or family. For more information please contact one of our travel specialists.

The Cape Flats is an expansive, low-lying, flat area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. To many people in Cape Town, the area is known simply as ‘The Flats’. Described by some as ‘apartheid’s dumping ground’, from the 1950s the area became home to people the apartheid government designated as non-White. Race-based legislation such as the Group Areas Act and pass laws either forced non-white people out of more central urban areas designated for white people and into government-built townships in the Flats, or made living in the area illegal, forcing many people designated as ‘Black and Coloured’ into informal settlements elsewhere in the Flats. The Flats have since then been home to much of the population of Greater Cape Town.

This is where our office outing started and where we, after being welcomed with coffee, tea and traditional koesisters, visited some of the memorial sites and learned more about the history of the Cape Flats. After that it was time to learn more about the local culture and that is when we went to visit the Dance for All initiative. the inspiring non profit Dance for All initiative. Dance for All’s Mission is to provide children in historically disadvantaged communities with the opportunity for enjoyment, empowerment and promotion of self esteem through the medium of dance, as well as training professional dancers and developing a unique, indigenous dance company.At the ‘Dance for All’ studios, situated in the heart of Athlone, our team joined a masterclass ‘Dancing with the Staff’ . This was a fun filled and inspiring way of spending the morning together. After this our local guide took us to a local home to enjoy a real Cape Flats treat; a gatsby! This is where we could relax and learn more about local life before we headed up to the West Coast for the second part of our office outing.Would you also like to learn more about the Cape Flats? Experience the living history of South Africa? That is possible!

Have a look at this Koesister Route excursion and contact one of our travel specialists for more information.

Need a break? 10% off for all Overland Tours

Time always flies and therefore we would like to remind you how important it is to take a step back and take some time for yourself and your loved ones.

Escape to the most wonderful places in southern Africa. Let these places inspire you and enjoy the real Africa by joining one of our overland tours and have a once in a lifetime experience. Have a look at our tours and maybe in a few weeks’ time you will look right into a lion’s eye, swim with the dolphins, explore the history of mankind or just watch the colourful rainbow over the thundering Victoria Falls and relax at this natural wonder.

If you need a break, we will support you with a 10% discount on all our offered Overland Tours departing until the end of 2012.

#CCC2 Gugulethu Night & Day – Feel the vibe

After #CCC1 on the 14th of July ran very successfully, our team started in the middle of September with the planning of the upcoming event #CCC2. The plan was to stay overnight in a Township. Read what happened…

The tour started at the Central train station with a group of 31 people who caught the train to Helderveld station next to Gugulethu. From here we had a short walk to Mama Noks, who has been organising the homestays in Gugulethu for a few years. We all felt really welcome at Mama Noks and the kids from the neighbourhood came to meet the visitors and play with them. All the Mamas who were hosting us were warm-hearted and considered the visitors as a part of their family. We also experienced how it feels to live in a township. While waiting for the braai over the campfire, we moved with our guides to a shebeen nearby. This was just amazing – we came in touch with the locals and talked to them, played pool or just had a beer and listened to the music. For most of us it was a really unique experience to see the real life of township people. The rest of the night we spent at Mama Noks’s house, had a braai and enjoyed the evening while listening to the music next to the crackling campfire. Last but not least, each of us who went home with their Mamas to the homestays, felt the deep relationships in the families and had a good time with their hosts.

“Only the early bird catches the worm “; and after breakfast with the families we all met at Mama Noks to start the workshop. The idea was to create a bracelet with wire and coloured beads, as explained by Mama Noks. Most of the group did it really well and now they have a souvenir to remember the tour. The next part of the trip was the Khanyisa Church. That´s an important institution in the life of the community in Gugulethu and that’s why you felt the spirit inside. They sang wonderful songs with gorgeous voices and danced to the rhythm of the music. Just fantastic. Finally we started the walking tour with our guides through Gugulethu by visiting Amy Biehl Memorial, Gugulethu Seven Memorial, hostels, shacks, etc.. During the walk we got in touch with the locals and in the shacks we were invited by a friendly man to visit his house and see how he and his family lived. We also had a short break in a local shebeen in the shacks to socialize with the people, play with the kids and hang around. We ended up at Mzoli´s, met the Mamas again and had a braai and felt the vibrant life of Gugulethu again.

During this trip we learned a lot about the life and the culture in the township, saw poverty and living on the breadline, but at the same time there is a lust of life, warm-hearted people and solidarity which we had never seen before.

To say it in summary from one of our participants – “a real life experience in one day”

Share Africa Travel is proudly presenting the first fair-trade certified tour !!!

The FTTSA label is the first initiative that certifies accommodation, tours and other tourism services in South Africa according to the internationally recognized criteria of Fair Trade. Now we are proudly presenting our first tour by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa. This certification ensures that important criteria like fair wages, working conditions, fair purchasing, fair operations, equitable distribution of benefits, respect for human rights, culture and the environment are strictly adhered to. We know about our responsibility and now you can see that those aren’t only words….

We want to show you our certified tour and hope you’ll think the same way like we do. Then this self-drive tour will become a wonderful and unique experience for you. This 8 day tour shows you the beauty of Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the east of South Africa. You will stay in Johannesburg, experience Soweto, the biggest township in South Africa, and get inspired by the open-hearted people. Dip into a wide range of brilliant arts & crafts and get an unforgettable authentic cultural adventure while you stop at the villages and chat with the locals in the Limpopo Province. Take the chance to explore Kruger National Park and have a mind-blowing time there.

Would you like to receive our newsletter in your inbox too? Please complete the newsletter sign up form on our homepage to be certain that you won’t miss it!

Today, the 7th of November, we’re celebrating World Responsible Tourism Day. A universal movement that’s growing like quick-fire.

In 2002, 280 representatives from all sectors of tourism from 20 countries attended the Cape Town Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations, preceding the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. A declaration on responsible tourism was agreed.

This is the defining day in the year that travel companies, destinations, organizations, employees and suppliers come together across the world in a remarkable expression of a new way of thinking. A unique phenomenon with the potential to help change the way that the industry delivers in the future.

WTM

We, Share Africa Travel, are celebrating this with a 10% discount off our fair-trade tour for the next 7 days. (untill the 14th) Below this text you will find some information about the tour. World Responsible Tourism Day is also for us an important date. We think travel and responsibility belong together. Just like South Africa and having a braai, it’s inseparable. This is a big issue to fight against poverty, disparity and unfairness. The effect is that everybody comes to know each other better and that creates a win-win situation.

Fair-trade Tour

On this tour we´ll show you what responsible tourism implies. But that’s not all – the beauty of Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the east of South Africa will also be showcased. You can feel the vibrant life of Johannesburg and Soweto. Move along the road to the land of the Venda and Shangaan people near Louis Trichardt and get real authentic cultural experiences you´ll never forget. The final stop is the Kruger National Park. Enjoy wildlife and nature at their purest or watch the breathtaking sunset in the bush. All these magnificent things together with the responsible and fair-trade background like fair wages, benefit the local areas and their inhabitants through respect for human rights, culture and the environment.

A week ago the 2nd event of Cape Town, Culture & Club took place. This time it was something totally different. It wasn’t only about meeting the locals in the township, but also actually about copying the habits and behavior. The students ate like they did, played like they did, tried to talk like they did and especially slept like they did! There was namely arranged an overnight at different families at home, which gives a whole other perspective about the life of all those people.

#CCC2

Saturday the 27th of October we went with a group of 29 students and 2 guides per train to Gugulethu. After arriving we were received with open arms by the sweet Mama Noks and her family. Also all of the children of the neighborhood were curious about all those new strange people. After a lot of cuddles and chatting we entered a shebeen. For a foreigner this is an amazing experience. There was a lot of socialising, contact, music, playing pool and a lot of drinking. Everybody was very excited about it and blended in very well with the people of “Gugs”.

Meanwhile the campfire and the braai were lit at the house of Mama Noks. There was a really cozy atmosphere whereby everybody got to know each other. While enjoying the food on our plates, there was a lot of dancing, playing and chatting. There always comes an end on those beautiful nights. Everybody went with their Mama to the home-stays and was in for the experience of an overnight in the township Gugulethu.

Very exciting of course!! The families took care of you, made sure you felt at home, and made you feel like part of their family. This is something totally different than we are used to, that’s why it was such a fantastic experience.

The next morning everybody enjoyed a real African breakfast at his/her homestay. There was a lot of difference between the food – from pudding to fried eggs with toast. Not totally new, but different though.

Next up was the beading workshop. Everybody could bead in the sun at Mama Noks’s table outside. After this creative morning we all walked to the Khanyisa Church. This is the church where Mama Noks and many other Mamas always worship. This was also a whole new experience. Full of happiness, clapping and singing it was a really nice church service. You could see on the faces of the people that they were really wrapped up. That was a beautiful thing. Probably more than half of the students were singing in full voice together with the locals. There isn’t a better way to bond.

After everybody had sung their song we left a little earlier to start with the walking tour. Our guides Mvuyisi, Thulani and Shai were ready to show us the beautiful spots of Gugulethu. We saw Amy Biehl Memorial, Gugulethu Seven Memorial, hostels, shacks, etc. During the tour we made contact with several locals who told us their stories. What we noticed is that the people are incredibly happy and wanted to tell about their lives with a lot of pride. Also many children were curious about the big group of students and wanted to play really badly. At the tourist office the guides showed us some history about Gugulethu. This was a very interesting twist in the tour.

At the end of the informative walking tour we arrived at Mzoli’s. After the partying, drinking and eating of the delicious meat, we drove to Cape Town again at the end of the afternoon.

During this trip we learned a lot about the life and the culture in the township, saw poverty and living on the breadline, but at the same time there is a lust of life, warm-hearted people and solidarity which we had never seen before.

After this weekend everybody could say; “I was a local for one day and one night.”

Gugulethu Night&Day

Feel the vibe!!

Have you also arrived in Cape Town and been surprised about how western the city looks and feels? Do you want to escape from big city life for one day & night?
Then join us on a tour to Gugulethu and discover a more rural African way of life. You will get the chance to interact with locals, to learn from them and hear their stories.

That Saturday afternoon you will travel to Gugulethu by train. At this point you can meet the locals and Mama Noks herself. There will be a delicious braai while enjoying a crackling campfire. At the end of the evening we will have a good night’s sleep in the homestays.

The next morning we have to get up early after breakfast for a visit to the local church, what you should have experienced once. This isn’t an ordinary service, but the most swinging hour of the morning. After that a workshop will take place. One of the locals will teach you how to make real African bracelets. There is also a walking tour prepared, which will show you the most stunning places of the township.

In the afternoon it’s time for Mzoli’s, this is a place that you can tear the meat of the bone with your bare hands, party till you drop and rises in the rhythm of the residents of Gugulethu. It is a crowd, locals, tourists, businessmen, who know how to party and aren’t ashamed to make some nice moves on the dance floor. A place where all cultures come together to enjoy life.

Detailed information

Start: 27th October 2012, 16:30 at the main entrance of train station Cape Town.
End: 28th October 2012, around 17:00 at train station Cape Town.

Price: R395 per person

Included

• An amazing and impressive weekend!!!
• Train ticket from CT to Gugulethu
• Transport back to CT by bus
• Two guides for both days
• Homestay @ Mama Noks + Traditional braai (1^st day) + breakfast (2^nd day)
• Church visit
• Workshop
• Walking tour
• Reservation @ Mzoli’s
• Goody Bag with information about the activities

Excluded

• Drinks at traditional braai
• Personal expenses
• Food and drinks @ Mzoli’s

We will keep the right to cancel the event in case the minimum number of students doesn`t reach 15 people by the 20th of October 2012
Call or send us a message via email or Facebook for further information and to enter the event.

Email: share@abangafrica.com

Phone: 021 426 1330

The 2012 theme for World Tourism Day is ‘Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development’. As the most widely celebrated global day for tourism, it represents a unique opportunity to highlight the steps taken so far by the international tourism community to power sustainable development. Something close to our hearts at Share Africa Travel.

The theme is also an opportunity to ensure international tourism continues to play a role in tackling the major energy challenges of our time, being addressed by the 2012 United Nations International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

Clean energy solutions in tourism are bringing the sector’s carbon emissions down, protecting local environments and communities, carrying modern energy services to the world’s poor, cutting costs for businesses and creating jobs and economic opportunities. But more must be done. With one billion international tourists expected to travel in a single year in 2012, now is the time to commit to a more sustainable tourism sector and a sustainable future for all.

In celebration of this day we run a competition on our Facebook website. Have quick look and SHARE with us how you contribute towards sustainable energy on your holiday. A fantastic Share African Hamper including an African t-shirt, an African bracelet and a donation towards Trees for Tourism is up for grabs! ENTER NOW.

Long Street

The Share Africa Travel team looks forward to planning your holiday through Southern Africa from our new office!

The first Share Africa Travel students event, Cape Town Culture and Club (CCC#1), took place on July 14th, 2012. Students from eight nations (South Africa, Germany, France, Netherlands, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola and Nigeria) met in front of the Share Africa Travel office to depart for a great day in Khayelitsha. The tour first led us to the Ikwama Marimba Band at the Craftmarket in Harare, where the marimba players welcomed us by singing “Welcome to Cape Town” accompanied with the sound of the Marimba. We were taught how the instruments work and how to play. Have a look at the video

we took and feel the vibe of the marimba band yourself. After quick stop for some shopping at the craft market the tour continued to the Old Age House. There we received another very warm welcome from the elderly ladies that were singing beautiful Xhosa songs (see video).

At the Old Age House we did a fun and interactive workshop where the elderly ladies taught us how to wash clothes by hand.  We have all figured out how difficult and exhausting it is to hand-wash clothes. Lunchtime was at Ace’s Restaurant the best place to eat in Khayelitsha. Loads of tasty meat was grilled and served to everybody. At Mandela Park about 20 players from the Goal Hunters Football Club, supported by the Bafanakids initiative, met the students to play some football and learn more about how football makes a difference in the lives of these kids. At the end of the day a group of singing people crossed our way as we followed. The tour guides Thulani and Mvuyisi explained that this singing crowd was welcoming their returning child. This is part of celeb a traditional Xhosa ritual “Ulwaluko” – the transition from boyhood to manhood, where the child gets circumcised and lives in isolation for several weeks, usually in the bush or on mountains. On this day mothers and young girls where having a huge celebration on the street to celebrate his return.

This day in Khayelitsha brought new experience and friends, eventually we returned back to the city where they had time to refresh and get ready for the clubbing part of CCC#1, which took place at the nightclub The Loop. The night was a perfect closure for an awesome day and we at Share Africa Travel are ready for the next time when we call for CCC #2! If you want to be up to date and be the first to know about our next events, please sign up for the newsletter, follow us on twitter and like us on Facebook!