FROM LEFT: Signal Hill,
Cape Town, South
Africa; taking photos in
Daisetsuzan National
Park, JapanA great way to support local
people is to choose a tour with a
local guide or group — one that
gives back to communities, as well
as showing you the sights. A great
example of this is Juma Art Tours,
a Cape Town-based social
enterprise that connects tourists
with vulnerable locals in
Khayelitsha through art, cycling
and gardening programmes.
Another recommendation is
4Roomed eKasi Culture, also in
Khayelitsha. Founded by
MasterChef South Africa finalist
Abigail Mbalo, it’s a restaurant
styled on the traditional houses
of South Africa’s oldest townships.
Abigail encourages young black
woman to stay in their
hometowns, and to use their
culinary creativity to entice
visitors to dine locally and share
cultural experiences. The
restaurant serves classic township
dishes with a fine dining twist.Q // I’m planning a
trip to South Africa in
2021, and keen to
support local
communities. What
do you recommend?
If you’re planning to head out
on safari, choose a game reserve
that has social initiatives in place.
Not-for-profit Lepogo Lodges
in Limpopo, for example, runs a
carbon-offsetting programme,
while Samara Private Game
Reserve in the Great Karoo
partners with organisations
on research, conservation and
community projects.
You can also choose to stay
somewhere managed by a local
community, such as Bulungula
Lodge on the Wild Coast. It’s
owned and managed by the local
Xhosa community and is entirely
solar-powered. A great resource
for finding community-led
accommodation and activities
is non-profit organisation Fair
Trade Tourism. jumaarttours.co.za
facebook.com/4RoomedeKasi
lepogolodges.com samara.co.za
bulungula.com fairtrade.travel
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