Exploring The Townships In South Africa

POSTED ON JULY 12, 2017

Every time we travel, we make sure we visit the places where locals live. South Africa was not the exception. We chose to visit a few townships including Gugulethu, Imazamu Yethu, Soweto, among others. Townships are the areas where the Black and colored people who were removed from their homes ended up.

 

The townships were drastically different than the cities they surrounded. Most homes were extremely simple, essentially a box of tin roofing and plywood with old rubber tires on the roof to insulate against lightning strikes. Roads buzzed with taxi vans taking the township’s inhabitants to the big city where most of them worked.

The people we spoke with there mentioned that things had not changed much for them since apartheid ended. Their education was still lacking, although we encountered various foreign volunteer teachers attempting to better the problem. Their health care had improved in a way. Cape Town has one of the best government-funded hospitals in the world, and one resident we spoke to mentioned that their healthcare was completely free. However, it came with the inherent faults of free healthcare including extremely long lines and wait times to get treatment.

Being there allowed us to experience what life and living conditions are really like for people in the townships. It was fun talking to locals and getting a different kind of insight. Don’t be quick to judge or afraid to visit the townships! Make sure you visit during the day so you don’t get lost!

 

By the way, townships are great places to try authentic South African dishes. Locals will point you in the right direction if you just ask!