Telling their own story: Khayelitsha's tourism pioneers
In Cape Town's largest township, two residents turned local knowledge into a business that welcomes visitors on its own terms.
Khayelitsha is Cape Town's largest township. In 2015, residents Buntu Matole and Ayanda Cuba founded ABCD Concepts, a tourism initiative aimed at tackling unemployment, poverty and crime. Their first year brought just three guests. According to News24 in April 2025, it now brings more than 1,000 visitors a year, 98% of them international, and it became the first township-based experience host on Airbnb in South Africa.
The experiences, based at Lookout Hill, steer visitors toward local businesses and include cycling tours and cooking with local families. Matole explains the idea: “We saw an opportunity to teach people about Khayelitsha.”
Township tourism is a sensitive subject. The best versions are led by residents, pay local people fairly and avoid turning poverty into a spectacle. If you go, book with a resident-led host, ask before photographing anyone, and spend your money in the neighbourhood.
Prices, dates, permits and rules change — approximate, verify before you travel. Researched from public sources; field verification pending.
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