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Pull up a pew! It’s time to experience praise and worship township-style, as your local guides in Langa,
Cape Town, or Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, take you into the very heart of the community: the church. This
tour throws you right into the deep end of township life – and surprise, surprise – the water’s warm!
Across the world, churches have always been an integral part of the life of poorer communities, serving a role
that goes well beyond the purely spiritual. In the local townships, this truth has played out in a unique and
profoundly South African way. After 1960, when the Apartheid regime banned political gatherings, it was from
the pulpits that the oppressed voiced their rage, and it fell to the church leaders to rally the community
under the banner of the one institution that the ruling party could not conceivably ban.
Today, the churches continue to play an indispensable and variegated role in the cultural and social life of township communities.
As a result of the broad range of needs to which they answer, services are somewhat different from those
you might be used to. Casual, charismatic, and peppered with jubilant interjections from the congregation,
they are as much a platform for community debate and discussion as they are occasions of worship. The
welcoming attitude of the churchgoers and the rousing gospel music of the choirs are sure to lift the
dourest of spirits, and will leave you with a whole new understanding of what it means to rejoice!
Under no circumstances should you assume that this tour is just for Christians. It’s for anyone who has a
desire to understand the African community at its most fundamental level and experience firsthand the
warmth of its people. Of course, it’s also for any fan of Gospel – whether you prefer the music or the
teachings of the Good Book.
Before the service, a guided township walk allows us to further explore the vibrant life of the township.
We will visit various places of interest such as local shops, a community centre, and private homes To
round off our visit, Mama Shumi (on the Kayamandi Gospel tour only), the mother of a local priest,
welcomes us into her home for a cup of tea or a glass of homemade ginger beer, and tells us stories
about the spiritual life of the township, now and in the difficult years gone by.
This tour brings you right to the heart and soul of South Africa, and into the lives of the ordinary people that
earn Cape Town the moniker ‘The Friendly City.’
GOSPEL TOUR – Sunday Morning Half Day Tour
Includes guided walk & visits with accredited tour guide and local guide, refreshments in local homes
or in local restaurant, transfers return City Bowl.
Optional extra: Typical buffet lunch at local Roots African Restaurant
| Duration |
Half a day |
| Date of tour |
Sunday 2 March 2008 (not available on any other day) |
| Departure |
09h00 |
| Arrival back |
13h30 |
| Including |
Return transport, accredited guide from pick-up to drop-off, guided township walk & visits, homemade ginger
beer/snack in local home or local restaurant. Meal at Roots African Restaurant optional extra. |
| Rate per person |
EURO 45 |
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