Since its establishment in 1652 as the Dutch East Indian Company refreshment station, Cape Town as always attracted travelers, sailors, settlers and traders. As a local Capetonian, participating on a AWOL Township cycling tour, it became apparent that I am part of this ever changing  Urban dynamic and cultural diversity.

Zwai, our local Xhosa guide from the community at the BEN bike shop briefed us on the community. The bike shop in Masipumulele is one of a handful of sustainable development initiatives in the community. The Sosabenza Youth Centre includes  a computer education facility, a carpentry, a tailor, a furniture reupholsterer and a vegetable garden where members of the community and their children come to learn the different trades.

From there we jumped on our bikes and headed into Masiphumelele. School holidays and kids were running the streets in their masses and loved jumping onto the bicycles. I think at any given point there were at least 3 kids trying get a bicycle ride. It really added to the vibe.

Next up was the library. It had so much character and the people using it seemed genuinely grateful for these amazing facilities they had been donated. I could not help but comment on how much cleaner and friendlier it seemed than our local libraries in the suburbs.

We then got to learn about all sorts of different township traditions as we rode past the community centre on our way to visit the Sangoma (Traditional Healer). She was kind enough to let us into her home where she answered our questions about her spiritual trade and then entertained us with traditional Xhosa song and dance which is always beautiful to experience first-hand.

Last stop was lunch at Nongolozi’s, the local African Butchery restaurant. It was amazing to see the respect that the children had for us, as ‘elders’, in the way that they waited outside until we had finished eating and then only once we were done they came in to play again. Satisfied, we headed back to the bike shop to start our journey back to town.

Nothing made the diversity of Cape Town so obvious to me as the day we went on this tour. Townships are next to wealthy suburbs and prisons are across the road from golf courses. South Africans live alongside Somalians, Zimbabweans, Nigerians and even Chinese. And everyone is friendly and respectful and works alongside each other to build their community as best as they can. We can learn a lot. And the AWOL Bicycle Township Tour is a good way to start.

Written by Jon Shaban