Khayelitsha is South Africa’s fastest growing township, and is one of Cape Town’s leading tourist destinations.

The impression from the outside is pretty grim – many shacks line the outskirts and give no indication of the vibrant culture within. But the government has implemented many housing projects and every day more and more families are moving into permanent houses.

It is incredible to experience the entrepreneurial energy and community spirit amongst township dwellers.

First Impressions
The streets are well laid, from the air one can see a township that was carefully planned, for a purpose.
New housing is springing up replacing the corrugated iron shacks due to government housing subsidies. In some areas of the township, shacks still dominate the landscape with people living in squalid conditions.
The area that comprises Khayelitsha is mostly flat surrounded by a few sand dunes due to it’s proximity to the sea. A common belief exists amongst the residents that Khayelitsha was designed in such a way by Apartheid planners to easily be able to quell political unrest in the township. This stems from the township only having three exit points.

A new home, a world away
To the uninitiated, Khayelitsha may seem a world removed from Cape Town. At 35 kilometres, it is indeed for the 1000s that commute everyday to and from the township to their schools and places of employment getting transported to a different world. The township got its name from the previous government and translated into English means: “New Home”.

Bursting at the seams?
With a population estimated at over 400.000, and counting, Khayelitsha is indeed growing- fast. The township, just over 20 years old has grown considerably from those dusty beginnings in the early 1980s when families where settled here.

The Middle of Nowhere
They were moved to a bare patch of land, consisting of dunes which were a nightmare when the notorious Cape Southeaster blew in the summer months, resembling a desert storm.

Stay Over
Township tourism has taken off over the years. Go into Khayelitsha on any particular day and you might come across a tourist bus taking groups of tourist through the township, a contrast to the rest of Cape Town.
Some tourist though are more adventurous and choose to stay for an evening at one of the several “B&Bs” that have sprung up around the township with homeowners usually setting aside one room in their homes to accommodate guests.

New developments
At the opening of Khayelitsha’s new court building South Africa president, Thabo Mbeki, said government had adopted programmes that would ensure maximum, visible, enduring and sustainable outcomes that benefit people in the poorest areas of South Africa, Khayelitsha being one such area.
A new sports field behind the courthouse has been constructed adding to the number of sports facilities in the township. The new sports field is yet to be officially opened but should be ready for the summer holidays.

One swimming pool, a damn hot day
Imagine a hot summers day, now contemplate going to the single public swimming pool for all of Khayelitsha’s almost 400 000 residents. Not one home in this area has a private pool, considered a luxury.

Improvements in Schools, Business and Shopping centres
Khayelitsha has seen several improvements over the last ten years, in great part due to the government with new schools being built and shopping centres going up. This year a tourist information centre was opened at “Look Out Point”, a hill atop which you can see the whole of the township and surrounding areas like Mitchell’s Plain.