Siya Daweti, Khayelitsha
34.0374° S, 18.6769° E lies dormant Cape Town’s best kept secret, a jewel unbeknown to the world. A vibrant community on the outskirts of Cape Town covered by mountains from every direction.
Similar to gold, this township was forged under harsh conditions and yet the end product has the potential of becoming a thing of beauty. Though this township is still undergoing a refining process, one can foresee the township’s forthcoming majesty.
For the longest time Khayelitsha has taken a lot of bashing from the mainstream media which seemed to be highly infatuated with its shortcomings and exerting less attention on the positives that exist in this township which somehow derailed development and heightened resentment because of the negative outlook the dominant narrative exudes.
This negative outlook has been inherited by both the media and the people from the architects of such spaces during the time of apartheid. The thought process behind the design of these spaces was such that nothing positive would ever emanate from them.
Against the odds, Khayelitsha has managed to grow and find a positive image of self, amid the negative narrative.
Khayelitsha has mastered the art of swimming against the tide hence the gradual improvement even though no one expected it.
Today the Khayelitsha township tour has been a revolutionary economic driver for this township. Many disputed the notion of placing Khayelitsha as a potent role-player in township tourism because of the township’s history and notorious criminal activities.
It seems like it’s the historicity of this place that has led to this revolutionary change in trajectory, for it gave birth to a mindset that seeks to improve, develop, innovate and change perspective. The fast-changing global view of tourism and open-mindedness has led people to move away from what the dominant mainstream media purports.
People from across the globe want to go and experience places, immerse themselves in the communities and be one with the people.
Khayelitsha has benefited immensely from this sudden change in interests and this is evident in the number of new emerging businesses that seem to be solely dependent on the tourism industry to survive.
As an indication of the potency of the tourism industry in growing and developing small businesses, 18gangster Museum has attracted more than 7 000 visitors from different countries in a relatively short period, making it Khayelitsha’s top attraction.
The museum has now ventured into offering township tours which stimulate a lot of interest from around the globe.
This innovative museum is built in a shipping container, tackling one of the most intriguing subjects of modern times – gangsterism.
It aims to educate young people about the implications of joining gangs and provide them with an alternative route. They seek to inculcate a culture of being responsible for the development of the township among the youth.
This museum survives because of the visitors from abroad who visit the museum or partake in one of the tours the museum offers. It seems like the rest of the world is not hell-bent on perpetuating the negativity of the townships, but rather want to learn how people have been able to survive, produce creative ideas and change their situations.
Today Khayelitsha is home to one-of-a-kind museum, a monumental hill top, coffee shops, boutique shops, craft markets, guest houses and night clubs, to mention just a few, making it a leader in township tourism.
To preserve this potent economic driver people from Khayelitsha must work together to improve the condition of the township. A focus on safety and world-class service needs to be common features, so that Khayelitsha won’t be that place in the periphery that people visit out of pity.