2012 saw the launch of a new informal township tourism collaboration. Sowetoo (pronounced ‘So, We, Too’) is the new catch-all brand for 7 enterprising travel and tourism operators from Africa’s biggest township, working together to promote Soweto's tourism attractions. more

Soweto Bicycle Tours, a home-grown initiative of Soweto Backpackers, will take you on a ground-level visit to this most famous of South African townships, former home of Nelson Mandela. And there are walking tours, tuk-tuks or cars available if you’re not much of a bike fan. more

Calabash Tours will expose you to the real Port Elizabeth. You’ll see the historic city itself, the townships and the memorials. You’ll meet real people and experience the convivial atmosphere of shebeens in the evening. Port Elizabeth’s struggle against apartheid has left it with a fascinating past and present. more

The story of South Africa from the diamond rush days is written in the streets of Galeshewe township, Kimberley. Dating back to 1871, this township was established when miners of every colour and creed made their way here to find work and perhaps make their fortune with a shining stone. more

A day-long heritage tour of Soweto taking in all the anti-Apartheid Struggle sites will possibly leave you a little shaken. But don’t stop there in your search for Soweto – try the after-dark venues. The vast city next to Johannesburg has a vibrance and spirit that never rests. more

Hout Bay is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most beautiful seaside assets, a traditional playground for the rich and the retired. Now there’s a new, exciting group of people living there, staking their claim to a piece of paradise. They’re the residents of the Mandela Park in Imizamo Yethu. more

The Rastafarian Township Tour takes you on a journey into the spiritual lifestyle of South Africa's largest Rasta community, a proudly eco-friendly group whose nature rehabilitation efforts have beautified their location and contributed to the reintroduction of indigenous flora and fauna to the area. Share in their history and pride. more

Durban’s oldest township, Kwa Mashu, was created during the apartheid era to accommodate the mass resettlement of Africans from the Indian township of Cato Manor in 1958. It is the largest of 3 townships in the area, and home to well over 500 000 people. It also has a robust arts scene. more

There’s a lively spirit in the Amandelboom community of Williston village in the Upper Karoo, where you still find the legends of the River Snake, old corbelled houses, swathes of windmills across the horizon, sunsets you want to bottle, miniature-horse farms and beautiful hand-crafted tombstones of long-dead settlers. more

A morning spent in the Port Elizabeth townships and settlements of Zwide, KwaZakhele and Ramaphosa puts you in the midst of a bustling street market, where sidewalk barbers, wire artists and hooting taxis hold sway. And rest assured – your touring company is an expert crew with a social conscience. more

The Alexandra Township of Rhythm route is a mere stone’s throw from swanky Sandton, a trail on which you can down a hearty plate of African cuisine, slake your thirst with traditional home-brewed beer, gyrate to kwaito with a shebeen queen, and visit an early home of former President Nelson Mandela. more

Langa, the birthplace of the late South African queen of pop, Brenda Fassie, is also the Cape Town township where you can learn to cook the food of the people, see social transformation in progress, learn of the past and share the visions of the future with a resilient community. more

Whether you want to meet South Africans in their homes, a taste of the Xhosa culture, photograph the most willing subjects in the world (South African kids) or buy crafts as mementos of your trip, Khayelitsha township in Cape Town is the perfect place. more

Lingelihle - in the Eastern Cape town of Cradock – is a friendly, vibrant community with deep roots in the anti-apartheid struggle. The memories of the slain activists called the 'Cradock' Four are still kept alive. These days, though, a feeling of peace pervades the once-troubled streets of this township. more