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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE future of tourism lies in townships as foreign visitors are not only interested in wildlife but are also curious to learn about the lived experiences of Zimbabweans.
Zimbabweans are known for being blessed with a rich culture and hospitality — the Ubuntu tenets which cannot be visible out there if not really showcased.
Looking at the country, there are opportunities for massive township tourism leveraging on existence of historic structures such as houses and streets in the old suburbs.
The country launched the concept of township tourism in October 2012 in Harare’s Highfield Township, one of the most significant old suburbs with a rich history of the country’s liberation.
The concept however, suffered a stillbirth as the initial idea of promoting historical and cultural tourism in local communities through the suburbs did not get much support.
In Bulawayo, Makokoba suburb possesses much history that can be turned into gold for tourism.
Plans are underway to turn the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s Pelandaba house into a museum because many significant events happened while the late Vice-President was resident there.
Chinotimba suburb in Victoria Falls also possesses a lot of untold history with some old structures that are synonymous the country’s history and can be used as a tourism draw card.
In the suburb is the Chinotimba Old People’s Home, known as a sanctuary for vulnerable elderly people, but has vast potential to attract cultural and township tourism.
The home was opened in 1979 to accommodate elderly migrant workers who had nowhere to go after working in Victoria Falls for a long time and during Covid-19 lockdown it got an artistic facelift from a couple, Jose Luis Regot and his wife Maria, who operate Lola’s Restaurant.
Its pre-cast wall which surrounds the St Kizito Roman Catholic Church is an attraction as people make brief stop-overs to see the drawings on the wall.
Regot said the idea was borrowed from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where township and cultural tourism is an industry cash cow.
There is also a traditional dishes restaurant, Dusty Road, whose idea was to bring tourists closer to the ordinary people.
Tour operating companies also take clients out on a tour of villages where they interact with ordinary people, partake in community activities, eat traditional food and enjoy cultural activities.
This concept of township tourism is said to have originated from South Africa and relates to the post-apartheid era (1948-1994) whereby tourists were educated about the racist apartheid policy by visiting townships and interacting with local residents.
Former South Africa President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s houses on Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, South Africa are one of the most visited cultural attractions.
Vilakazi is perhaps the most famous street in Soweto — or all of Johannesburg and the only street in the world to have produced two Nobel Prize winners and for that matter, is one of the most famous streets on the African continent.
The development of township tourism has created contradicting views among researchers with two different schools of thought emerging — one stating that township tourism exploits the poor and uses their living conditions as a tourist attraction — while the other suggests it is a tool to improve the local economy by combating poverty and encouraging understanding of how other people live.
While it can be true that some unscrupulous individuals seek to make money by portraying a bad image of townships, promoting indigenous suburbs is a key towards empowering ordinary citizens in line with the Second Republic’s Vision for an upper Middle Income Society by 2030.
Government targets a US$5 billion tourism industry by 2025 and domestic and township tourism are some of the areas expected to contribute.
Townships are not places to go sightseeing or people watching. They have history and heritage, family legacies and loving communities that do their best to gain a livelihood, raise families, educate their children and enjoy what life has to offer.
Former Victoria Falls councillor Ephias Mambume has localised the concept of township tourism with a fusion of culture and contemporary taste. He has registered a company that has established Mbumez Wabantu Leisure Centre in Mkhosana suburb’s Moringa shopping area.
The leisure spot opened its doors on the 4th of March 2022 and operates a restaurant that specialises in traditional food dishes, open braaing, a bar and events venue and organised entertainment where hordes of tourists frequent.
Mambume is a local businessman and former group human resources manager of Machaba Safaris Zimbabwe, a job he left last year to focus on his personal business, the concept he says he borrowed from South Africa’s Soweto.
“We modelled our business around the concept of township tourism, seeking to provide an environment for tourists who are in search of authentic experiences. For most tourists, a visit to the township, a drink in the township, a meal in the township, a dance in the township is an experience of the ‘real Victoria Falls,’” said Mambume.
He said Mbumez Wabantu Leisure Centre’s flagship performance called Mbumez Conga Fusion nights is a gem for many tourists.
The centre also hosts an annual talent exhibition gig known as VicTalent that brings together all local artistes to showcase their talent and the gigs are broadcast live on local radio station.
The business also offers tours and transfers for convenience of clients.
“Tourists are given a rare opportunity to prepare some of our delicious traditional meals under the supervision of experienced and certified chefs,” said Mambume.
“We believe that our business model will contribute to more revenue for the tourism sector. Our focus is to contribute towards the growth of leisure and cultural tourism and we endeavour to see the ordinary hard working resident benefiting from tourism by selling their products to the tourists right in the township.” — @ncubeleon
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