As South Africans are about to enter into the busy and travel-filled spring season, it seems right to look at some of the best township destinations Mzansi has to offer so you can have more options if a getaway trip is in your plans. Township tourism has become more well-rounded and technology has enabled these destinations to become even more accessible to travellers.
For those looking to explore South Africa more, here are the top township tourism destinations in South Africa, based on historical and biodiversity related bragging rights, as well as cultural and lifestyle showcases:
The street has a unique place in history books, not only locally but internationally, as it is the only street in the world to have been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners – in Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, whose former houses are now museums.
The street is usually a hive of activity with vibrant eateries, including Sakhumzi and Makhelwani restaurants, as well Restaurant Vilakazi. This is the kind of vibe every South African should experience at least once in their lifetime.
Considering how important braais are in the collective South African culture, this list would not be complete without the big cheese of local buy-and-braai restaurants, which are popularly known as ‘shisanyamas’.
This restaurant in the vibrant township of Ivory Park, which is next to Tembisa in the City of Ekurhuleni, is more than just that. It’s also a landmark and an urban cultural hotspot, attracting international and domestic visitors curious to know what the buzz is about. It also offers some of the best braai and pap around.
Another popular shisanyama on the national scale is Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi, Durban. The meaty restaurant is more of a host for high-end fashion and luxury cars, along with expensive bottles of drinks.
The venue is more of a social icon than an eatery, a definite landmark in the prominent township of Umlazi, which is the fourth largest township in South Africa, after Soweto, Tembisa and Katlehong – making it the country’s biggest township outside of Gauteng. Umlazi is the only township in the country that has its own registration plate, which is NUZ.
