Stories and photos by Elsa Dixon
Johannesburg, World’s Greenest City
I recently experienced a slice of Johannesburg through the eyes of Lorraine Keenen, Director of the Hero Holidays Volunteer Program. Her program accepts volunteers to assist in different community upliftment projects. She met me at the Signature Lux Onomo Hotel opposite Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton. We then picked up two American friends to visit the Apartheid Museum, have lunch at Lebo’s Backpackers, and have a tuk-tuk tour through Soweto.
The drive to the Apartheid Museum brought a few surprises. Vendors casually set up shop on street corners or sell their wares through car windows at traffic lights. Traders pointed to tanned animal hides and skins strung on a long line, the striped patterns brightening the winter morning. We were really in Africa.
At another traffic light, two groups of young men were executing short bursts of synchronized acrobatic movements on boxes as the lights turned red. They timed the acts perfectly, allowing enough time to gather coins from appreciative drivers. According to the Johannesburg Tourism Board, Johannesburg is considered the world’s greenest town or urban forest. There are over 10 million trees in the city and gardens, 600 parks, suburbs, and open spaces. We drove through a leafy suburb, admiring the art on the tall walls surrounding the homes.
Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum is high on the list of what to see and do in Johannesburg. Standing proudly at the entrance are the seven pillars of the Constitution. They represent democracy, reconciliation, responsibility, equality, diversity, respect, and freedom. Mandela was well known for his words of wisdom. The museum displays his quotes throughout the buildings. His saying, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” struck a chord with me as a teacher.
To give visitors an experience of apartheid, the entry tickets display Whites on one side and Non-Whites on the flip side, matching the two entrances. Visitors then enter through separate doors.
On the way to the exhibits, one passes holographs of people facing ahead, symbolically walking away from apartheid towards a brighter future.
The Permanent Exhibition chronicles the discovery of gold in 1886, the rise and fall of apartheid, Mandela’s leadership, and the reconciliation process. Visitors can reflect on his expressions and choose a color-assigned stick to place next to a favorite quote. The Temporary Exhibit celebrates the life of Nelson Rolihlala Mandela. On exiting the museum, one leaves with a sense of wonder at the relatively smooth transition to democracy in 1994. The fact that the National Anthem, once a revolutionary song in the language of the oppressed, includes refrains in English and Afrikaans, is a tribute to the process of reconciliation in the New South Africa.
Interesting Fact: July is Nelson Mandela Month, celebrating the life and legacy of the former president.
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers
It was time to explore Soweto, an acronym for South Western Townships. Soweto consists of 32 townships constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s to provide housing and services for Black Africans. It covers an area of about 26 square miles and has over two million people. The homes range from makeshift shacks to extravagant mansions. Soweto was the center of the anti-apartheid movement. Today, it is incorporated into the city of Johannesburg and is a popular tourist attraction.
Lorraine was excited to show us Soweto ‘behind the scenes.’ As a tour operator, she heartily supports Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers. She is also the sponsor of their outdoor library, WOZA FUNDA. Lorraine arranged with Lebo’s for our lunch and a tuk-tuk tour through Soweto.
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers was one of the first entrepreneurs to turn a family home into a hostel. As a pioneer in the tourism business, he expanded the enterprise by employing locals to offer a range of experiences, including traditional cookery classes, fireside story-telling evenings, and much more. His projects centered around community upliftment. The accommodation expanded over the years and now offers a variety of dorms and guesthouse-style stays with various nooks, corners, and a private garden with sun loungers.
Lebo’s Outdoor Restaurant
In front of the Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers is Lebo’s Outdoor restaurant, and beyond that, a big green grass area for children to play. Lebo’s team and the local community rehabilitated this area, once a rubbish dumping site. It was a lovely sunny day, so we enjoyed a refreshing cocktail at the Coco bar before being invited to lunch.
We were excited to taste traditional South African food, potjiekos, slow-cooked ‘stew’ in a cast iron pot over a fire. The food is stacked in layers and not stirred. As is customary in African culture, there is a handwashing ritual before the meal. The hot, soapy water felt good, and the aromas emanating from the pots were scintillating. We were ready for lunch.
I sighed contentedly as the cook lifted each lid of the different pots. We had a choice of vegan, beef, or chicken stew, accompanied by vegetables and traditional pap (maize.) The food was excellent, classic South African comfort food.
Tuk-Tuk Ride
Lorraine introduced us to the two Lebo’s Backpackers guides, Lerato and Ufundo who were going to take us around on the tuk-tuks. The tuk-tuk, a small three-wheeler, has become a popular mode of transport to give visitors a more intimate tourism experience. There is also the option of a bicycle tour for the more energetic. What makes Lebo’s tours heart-warming is that the enthusiastic local guides love to share stories of their community.
Leboland
We clambered in and set off to see the camping site, Leboland, situated against a koppie (small hill.) The Backpackers reclaimed this dumping land and turned it into a camping site. Leboland has all the necessary amenities, including a shared kitchen, ablutions, braai stands, and more. We had a beautiful view of Orlando, a suburb in Soweto from here.
The guides took us through one of the poorest areas in Soweto, Mzimhlophe, where families moved into homes built for black male miners during the early gold mining rush. We had to hold tight as the tuk-tuks swerved to avoid potholes on the road. As far as we went, people waved and gave us big smiles. We drove past informal shops on the sidewalks, in private homes, and backyards.
Hero Holidays Volunteer Program
Lorraine proudly pointed out Tshadi’s Day Care Centre, one of two of Hero Holidays’ school projects in Soweto. The volunteers stay at Lebo’s and therefore have opportunities to connect with local communities and experience diverse cultures. We stopped at the Umbuyisa School of Art and Culture, where we met a few volunteers from Ireland who came to assist with projects during the school holidays. We joined them while they taught the young Sowetans a ball game on a nearby field.
Orlando Towers
We chug-chugged further and stopped at a lookout point from where we could see the two 333 feet tall landmark Orlando Towers, built on what was originally the site of a coal-fired power station. Today, adventurers can experience the world’s first-ever bungee jump between twin cooling towers.
Vilakazi Street, Home of Two Nobel Peace Prize Winners
Vilakazi Street in Orlando West is famous as the only street in the world where two Nobel Prize for Peace winners resided. The Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the award in 1984, and Nelson Mandela in 1993.
Our first stop was at Mandela’s old house, now Mandela’s House Museum. He resided here after being released from prison, after 27 years of incarceration on Robben Island. Unfortunately, we could not enter Mandela’s former home, and the bars of the security fence obscured a view of the house.
High walls surround the former home of deceased Archbishop Tutu, best known for his opposition to apartheid in South Africa. I remember him as a man with a huge smile and a sense of humor. In 1995, after the abolition of apartheid, he acted as head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, investigating allegations of human rights abuses during the apartheid era. Through this process, people on both sides of the aisle could reach out, make peace, and be comforted.
Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial
It was a sad day for South Africa when at least 23 people died during a violent student uprising in Soweto on 16 June 1976. Police killed thirteen-year-old Hector Peterson, who became a symbol for the tragic events of that day. 16 June is now National Youth Day, commemorating what happened. We visited the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial on the corner of Moema and Vilakazi Streets. The memorial features a waterfall, representing the blood spilled and the tears shed on that historic day. The water spills out under visitors’ feet, symbolizing how the event is ‘water under the bridge’ for the new South Africa.
Soweto Today
There is a vibrant atmosphere in Soweto today. Colorful stalls with African-styled clothing, wooden carvings, and other souvenirs entice customers on the sidewalks. It is not every day that one sees Zulu impi’s in a street! As we headed back to Lebo’s, they broke into a dance routine. It was such fun! The entertainment reminded me of the youngsters who sang ‘Welcome to Soweto,’ as I arrived by car on another occasion.
Nelson Mandela Square
It seemed fitting to end the day by visiting Nelson Mandela Square in the heart of Sandton, opposite the Signature Lux hotel where I was staying. People flock to the square to see the iconic twenty-foot-high bronze statue of Mandela. Like the locals and other visitors, I also enjoy high-end shopping and the great restaurants in this center. In 2018, a meter-high replica of the statue appeared next to the original, allowing the visually impaired to feel and ‘see’ Mandela. His widow, Graça Machel, unveiled the statue.
Aura Restaurant at Signature Lux Hotel
We dropped my guests back at their hotel, and I clocked in at the Signature Lux. The acting manager, Itumeleng, warmly welcomed me. The hotel, conveniently located near the Gautrain, Sandton Center, and of course, Nelson Mandela Square, is well-equipped, safety conscious, and has underground parking. Guests can enjoy breakfast, dinner, snacks, and light meals at the Aura, a restaurant adjacent to the hotel. I could not resist ordering the lamb chops and fries. I was certainly surprised to receive a generous portion of four chops. I fell asleep thinking of our experiences, traveling through Soweto’s side streets at eye level with the local people, and learning about Lorraine’s praiseworthy humanitarian projects.
Apartheid Museum
Telephone: +27(11) 309 4700
Email: info@apartheidmuseum.org
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 09:00 – 17:00 and public holidays
Address: Cnr Northern Parkway & Gold Reef Roads, Ormonde, Johannesburg, South Africa
Signature Lux Hotel will transform to new lifestyle Onomo Hotel September 2023
141 West Street, Sandton, Johannesburg
Disclosure: The visit to the Apartheid Museum, the Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers potjiekos lunch, Tuk-Tuk Tour, and one-night accommodation at Signature Lux Hotel were complimentary. All opinions are my own.
