Soweto who?

If you are unfamiliar with Soweto, which I was before visiting, let me provide some insight. Soweto is an integral part of South Africa’s rich history because of its connection to Nelson Mandela.

Soweto, which is named from a shortened version of South Western Townships is also the location of the early house of Nelson Mandela and the Regina Mundi Catholic Church. Being able to be immersed in this type of history in person, brought some insight. So if you are ever in Soweto check out the locations that I will describe in this post.

One residence of Nelson Mandela

Our tour guide brought us to one of the houses where Nelson Mandela (Madiba) lived after he was released from prison. We weren’t able to go in as it is not a “museum”, however, you can still see the outside and some of the dedicated areas for Winnie and Nelson.

Sanctuary Mandela

We toured Sanctuary Mandela, which was an early house of Nelson Mandela before being converted. The pillars outside were set to describe what Mr. Mandela stood for and if you look through them at the right angle the words also show as a shadow on the ground. 

The Sanctuary has plenty of artifacts such as certificates, and photographs, and is also a place where someone can grab a bite to eat. This was not on our original itinerary, but I’m glad we made this ad-hoc stop for about 20 minutes.

Soweto towers

Driving around areas that are not considered the business district or where tourists hang out, brings a different and educational experience. Yes, just like in the US there are good and not-so-good spots. You will see some rubles and goats eating trash while driving around the area. 

An intriguing landmark we saw was two tall power stations that were converted into bungy jumping known as Soweto Towers. These two towers are brightly decorated and visitors can ride the elevator shaft to the top and “jump” down. This was nice to see, but not my vibe. I’m happy to observe from afar. The video below will give you an idea of what it is like.

Regina Mundi Catholic Church

As we continued, the next stop was the Regina Mundi Catholic Church, which is the largest Catholic Cathedral in the Southern Hemisphere. Here you can see one of the few Black Madonnas and it was also the venue for illegal meetings in the “old” South Africa. The church was beautiful, but just not my cup of tea. Our guide even showed where some of the bullets were still in the ceilings and walls from where some were trying to harm those inside as soon as the meetings were over. Upon exiting the church you can purchase a few items as souvenirs at a good price.

1947 restaurant

It was about that time, that we needed some lunch. 1947 is the restaurant we dined at. 1947 is popular amongst the locals and you can see people outside taking photoshoots (some are African celebrities). I enjoyed the view because the restaurant is up on more of a hill. You can also see the Soweto Towers from this location. The restaurant can be pretty busy, but here is an option for you to try on your travels. 

The Mandela Museum

Growing up in the US, I always heard about Nelson Mandela, but I never really dove into his story to really understand the essence of what he was fighting for or what he had to endure. Maybe because I was still young at the time and it wasn’t a priority for me. After coming to South Africa, I gained a better understanding of how things were in this country and why South Africans loved this man so much.

The Mandela House was turned into a museum. The house is not very big, so only one or two groups can go in at once. We had another guide explaining the history and showing off rooms and artifacts during the tour. What really captured my attention was how one man and his family could live in such a small space and still accomplish so much.

I didn’t realize that Nelson Mandela was 6 feet tall. It seemed in TV or film that he was much shorter in stature. The replica bed that was in the room was like a small twin-size bed. It was hard enough sleeping in a twin bed as a younger adult; I can only imagine what it was like as a grown man.

Here I also learned more about Winnie Mandela. Honestly, the only thing I knew of Mrs. Mandela was that she was married to Nelson Mandela. I did not understand or have knowledge of everything she did in her lifetime to support the cause. I still don’t know everything, however, it’s more than what I went in with. Traveling will give you an education without you having to go look for it. 

apartheid museum

If you don’t do anything else in the Johannesburg area, you should visit the Apartheid Museum. Not because you like reliving the pain of the South Africans from that time, but to gain a better understanding of what it was like for people of color in that country and what Nelson Mandela was fighting for. You won’t find many pictures of the actual inside because they ask that photos and videos not be taken. There is a lot so be prepared to have good walking shoes and don’t go hungry.

There is an area outside of the museum that is more open for pictures. I could tell the similarities between segregation and how it used to be in the US and how it was in South Africa such as using separate entrances for Blankes and NIE-Blankes. Towards the end, there is a 20-minute video that keeps looping for visitors to understand more of the history of South Africa.

go for yourself

I’ve never been a big history buff but I did enjoy the education behind seeing these places in Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. I won’t lie, a lot of it was emotional but that’s just history. We understand it so it doesn’t repeat itself.

If you are not into doing a lot of research online or reading books, then take a trip. Now you won’t learn everything in one visit, but being there and having a good tour guide to tell you about each area will provide a good baseline for you.

key takeaways

• At the Mandela Museum and the Catholic Church, there will be vendors selling items outside. Prices are good, but you are not obligated to buy anything.
• Many of the locals call Nelson Mandela, “Madiba”.
• You can make reservations for lodging and reservations at Sanctuary Mandela.
• You can visit the Soweto Towers and go bungy jumping.
• The Aparthied Mesuem takes 2-3 hours to go through depending on if you have a guide or if you read everything. Photos and Video are not permitted in most of the tour.
• Check out 1947 as a good restaurant choice with a good view.

The post Revealing JoBurgs Hidden Wonders: An Adventure to Memorable Experiences first appeared on Angela P. Banks.

About 18 hours later we were able to see the country for ourselves. I’m not sure I knew what to expect but this would not be our typical Caribbean/Beach vibe vacation. Check out how we got here.

I didn’t book this trip entirely on my own as we used a tourism company called The Real South Africa. Because of their Youtube videos regarding their and other guests’ experiences, we decided to book with them. So check out their website for more information.

The first day and a half we needed time to adjust to the time difference and jet lag in general. We stayed at the Davinci Hotel which had a lot of restaurants and shops in the vicinity since it’s connected to the Legacy Mall. The hotel suite we stayed in was spacious, comfortable, and modern. The only thing they don’t supply regularly is washcloths (which must be a US thing because I had the same issue when traveling to Europe and Asia. 

Getting settled

From DC to Johannesburg, there is a 7-hour difference (until Daylight Savings switches). The jet lag was serious so the day we arrived we didn’t do much except find a restaurant that was located on the mall side. The mall has everything including ATMs. So if you need South African RAND then you can use the various ATMs located throughout the mall. Of course, there is a fee to pay, but if you stay in this location, everything you need is here.

We found a restaurant that had more authentic South African food (instead of the same type of food you see in the states). The meal was amazing and the price for two people including two entrees and two drinks came to about $30-40 USD. If you ever stay at the Davinci, go to the 3rd floor and the restaurant is to the right of the elevator, called Hombaze. There are some dishes they serve that you eat traditionally with your hands and they provide a basin with water and lemon.

Due to the previous travel day and jetlag, we went to bed early, but around 11 pm we woke up and got room service since all the restaurants were closed.

The food ordered at that time of night was good but took about an hour to receive, After we started eating we did notice that the room did not supply certain items like paper towels or liquid soap. The kitchen was stocked to cook with utensils, pots, pans, etc but we only had the napkins that came with the delivered food.

Nelson Mandela Sqaure

The next day, we ventured out to Nelson Mandela Square. This area has plenty of restaurants and shops around and has a nice courtyard to take pictures. We selected The Butcher Shop & Grill as it had outdoor seating and we could people watch. The Guatrain is around the corner so many people use that mode of transportation to get to the vicinity. This area has Woolworths which allows all types of shopping like grocery, clothing, furniture, etc.

During the meal, I took a few pictures from where I was sitting, and then after lunch, we took a few pictures in front of the massive Nelson Mandela statue. There were patrons with shopping carts walking through the square and we realized that they were shopping at the popular Woolworths store. You can use the shopping carts outside of the store and leave them in a designated area which will be picked up by staff.

Once we finished dinner we found our way back to our Hotel Room and chilled for the rest of the day. This mall/square area has another hotel named Michaelangelo connected to it. The journey back to the hotel room was interesting because it’s so massive that you can get lost. However, after a few days, we figured out the pattern.

Just getting started

Stayed tuned for more South Africa days with me. This was only the second day. Throughout our stay, we toured Soweto which included seeing the Nelson Mandela Museum and where Mr. Mandela stayed. I’ll talk about our experience at the the Apartheid Museum and more.

Five Key Takeaways

• Use a tourism company to guide you through everything. We used The Real South Africa.
• The Davinci Hotel accommodations were exceptional but bring items like napkins, dish soap, and washcloths (if desired).
• ATMs and banks are located within the mall if you need cash (Credit cards are accepted widely).
• Nelson Mandela Square has options for food, shopping, and people-watching, all in one safe location and you can use the shopping carts throughout the square.
• This area is more expensive so stores located in the mall are on the higher end. Food prices are reasonable.

The post Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Mandela Square & More first appeared on Angela P. Banks.