KHAYELITSHA: MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
In South Africa, the term township usually refer to the often underdeveloped segregated urban areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of apartheid, were reserved for non-whites, namely Indians, Africans and Coloureds. Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities. – Wikipedia.com
Until now, many black and coloured people still live in townships. Khayelitsha, as the closest township to Cape Town, had a population of about 390,000 people in 2011 (I didn´t find recent numbers). But enough facts. I want to share my personal experience from my private day tour in the township. This is based more on my own feelings and perceptions than on raw facts.
My guide Julia, 32 years old, looked like she was 10 years younger. From the beginning, I was surprised to learn that she has two almost adult kids - a girl of 15 and a boy of 12. I would never guessed it, but during the day, I learned that to have children at a young age is a reality for most Africans. Every young person I met and had the opportunity to speak with in Khayelitsha (people around 30 are young from my perspective) had one or two kids.
What a difference between this and western society, right? It made me realise that I still have a distorted view of the world based on my own society.
Even if I was feeling a little bit strange just before and didn´t know what to expect from a one-on-one tour, after the first few minutes, all my doubts were gone. Julia was not only a great guide, very educated, smart and knowledgeable about about her hometown, but she was also a young girl, just like me - very friendly and open-minded with a similar attitude towards life.
I also noticed later that day that we had similar opinions about many things we discussed. It was interesting to discover that about someone from a contrasting background who grew up in such different conditions. Julia asked me to stay with her after the “official” tour, as she wanted to show me the nightlife in Khayelitsha. From that moment, I felt more like I was having great day with a friend.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND ATMOSPHERE
When I was driving to Khayelitsha by Uber, passing the rural part of the township, where people still lives in shacks, I felt a bit strange. Western people from houses or city flats could hardly imagine living like this. My first thought was whether they would find it rude that a stranger like me was sneaking around their homes. Later that day, I realised that wasn´t the case. The people usually appreciated guests like me, since they didn´t want to keep the stigma of Khayelitsha as a very dangerous place.
It was good that I started my tour in the more developed part of the township, just to get used to being around and seeing that locals didn´t perceive me as a problem. In this area, you couldn´t even tell that it was a poor township. There were schools, a hospital, shops and a looooot of hairdressers everywhere (almost in every second shack). There were also brais (typical African barbecue) where you could buy delicious food on every corner! From noon until late at night, Khayelitsha smelled like tasty grilled meat to me. And the one I had for lunch was amazing.
BRICK HOUSES IN KHAYELITSHA
About half the population in the township lived in brick houses, which were built by the government. Julia also lived in one of them, which she invited me into. The houses were nice and tidy, but also very small. It´s normal for a whole family to live in 3 tiny rooms, which in Julia´s case, included 7 people. It can be even more, however, since people are used to having more children than in western society.
In my home, everyone is used to closing the door and having their own space. People in the township, on the other hand, have no private space. Some households build extra rooms, but many of them have no money to do it. It seems to be a dream for lot of Khayelitshans. These close living conditions mean that families spend more time bonding with each other, but also with their neighbours, since they tend to go outside more.
FRIENDLY PEOPLE AND AFRICAN BEER
But brick houses are not a reality for everyone in Khayelitsha. Apparently, about 50% of people still lives in shacks, which are not very livable at all. Julia also took me to one of the less developed parts of the township. In her mother´s opinion, it´s dangerous, but I felt quite safe there, and all of the people I met seemed very nice.
They were super friendly, open and welcoming. I was the centre of attention, but in a positive way. Everyone was saying hello, smiling and making small talk with us. We went to one of the shacks where they prepare typical African beer. It was basically a small room with men sitting around and drinking this ceremonial drink from a shared tin bucket. They were laughing while selling me a full 3 litre bucket for a few of Rand to share just with Julia and her friend. It was impossible for us to finish. 😊
I never found myself in a dangerous situation in the township. To be honest, I probably felt safer than on Long Street in Cape Town, which is full of robbers trying to steal from tourists.
But that doesn´t mean the township is a peaceful place with no crime, of course. The biggest threat comes from gangs and young locals, especially men, are often convinced to become gang members. It appears to them like a gang can offer protection and safety, but once they became a part of it, they soon discover the opposite to be true. They have to deal with strict rules, for example, such as being forced to do specific crimes at particular ages to prove their membership (including rape or murder).
Thanks to some initiatives in the township, things are getting slightly better. I have visited one of them, called the Gangster Museum. It was a very special experience. We were locked in a room, built like a real prison cell, with two ex-prisoners who shared their personal stories. They were open to answering all our questions and sharing raw facts about life in prison. This museum was primarily built to educate boys and show them how their life could look like with and without gang membership. I think they are doing great job.
NIGHTLIFE FULL OF DANCERS
I finished my tour by tasting the nightlife in Khayelitsha. In the middle of a dancing mass, I felt an amazing African energy and temperament. It also looked like almost everyone was a professional dancer. I couldn´t have finished my day better!
This tour was the most powerful and authentic experience I had had in South Africa. If you want to visit the township yourself, here is more information about the tour:
https://www.facebook.com/khayelitsha.township.tours/
