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From ancestors to Ayurveda
Soul Journeys
Dutch Reformed Church in Brandvlei, Northern Cape.
© Chris Marais
Did you know?
St George's Anglican cathedral in Cape Town celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2008.
Spiritualism in South Africa is as diverse as the 'Rainbow Nation' itself, informing the beliefs, values and spiritual paths of her people.
African shamans - known as sangomas - are common across many cultures and act as mediums for the African ancestors, guiding the choices of thousands of people and forging psychological and emotional clarity in those who face dilemmas and difficulties in their daily lives.
Visit a sangoma to experience the power of African spiritualism. Traditionally clad, he or she will throw bones to gain insight into your future and you can marvel at their collections of 'muthi', used to concoct potions and medicines.
Almost 80% of South Africa's population follows the Christian faith. Other major religious groups are the Hindus, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists.
For Muslims, one of the most important ancestral places is the Ring of Islam in Cape Town, surrounded by a protective ring of kramats, the burial sites of holy men or Auliyah. The circle starts at Signal Hill, goes on to Oudekraal, through Constantia to the kramat of Sheikh Yusuf at Faure on the Cape Flats. The tomb of Tuan Matarah on Robben Island, where political activists were jailed, completes the ring.
Christians and Jews, meanwhile, have numerous poignant historic and religious sites to visit, most prominently in the cities of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Synagogues and churches of every denomination are abundant, speaking of the early Dutch, English and European settlers. The Holocaust is starkly remembered at the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, the first and only Holocaust centre established in Africa, while the Eastern Cape offers some of the most elegant examples of Anglican and Methodist church architecture in the country. The Dutch Reformed Churches of small towns in the Karoo - especially those built during the Victorian era - are the gold standard of fine church architecture.
Durban is where fragrant Hindu temples abound, the most significant of which is the Durban Hindu Temple in Somtseu road, built in 1901 and a beautiful example of early North Indian architecture.
Peace and inspiration is also found in meditation and massage, and there is plenty of that too in spiritual South Africa!
Travel tips & Planning info
How to get here
Sangomas are popularly found at cultural villages, which are easily accessible by road, while churches, mosques and temples are mostly city- or town-based.