Winner of the Lilizela Award for Best Culture Guide in 2019, Bulelani Futshane, stepped into the world of tourism to support his passion of giving back to the community.
Futshane was raised in the townships of Cape Town, and in 2010 partnered with a high-school friend to establish Township Roots, an outreach programme providing extramural activities for children attending school in the townships of Nyanga and Phillipi.
To help support the programme, Futshane started working as a tourist guide for a Scandinavian tour operator that had invested in Township Roots. Since then he has moved on to running his own unique tours of Cape Town’s nightlife, townships and culture under his new venture, Wozani Afro.
The township tours are where Futshane sees potential, to integrate social impact with tourism and develop and support the local communities. “The community understands the value of exposing their children to the world,” he said.
Addressing controversy on the topic of township tourism, Futshane said: “I am not in the business of selling poverty, but rather showcasing the resilience of our people.” He said, having grown up in these communities, he approached them in a different way. “We know to approach the community leaders, and get them involved,” he said, emphasising the importance of the community taking ownership of the various projects and initiatives.
Wozani Afro’s township tours include a home visit with children who belong to the Township Roots programme, and interacting with the children is often the highlight of the guests’ experience.
An important aspect for Futshane is for guests to feel integrated into the communities they are visiting, rather than feeling that they are intruding.
He is inspired by the vibe in Johannesburg’s Maboneng area and detailed the tours that meander through the student neighbourhoods of Woodstock and Observatory – areas he describes as having a bohemian energy. “Those streets at night are what South Africa should look like,” describing the diverse groups of young people sharing in art and culture.
The tour includes a visit to a local Ethiopian restaurant and at the end of the night tourists rarely want to go home. “They ask me to stay and have a drink with them, saying they don’t want the tour to end. I guess it is good though; it means they are enjoying themselves!”
Reviews for Wozani Afro tours on Airbnb speak to Futshane’s success, with patrons rating the experience an average of 4.75 out of five stars and several commenting on their knowledgeable and helpful guide, Bulelani Futshane.
