Khayelitsha
Khayelitsha is situated next to the N2, which connects Cape Town with George. It's close to Cape Town International Airport.
Khayelitsha is in South Africa.
Understand
Khayelitsha was created under the Apartheid's regime as a designated area for black laborers working in Cape Town. Since then it has been growing rapidly town that is one of the biggest townships of South Africa, today.
Get in
Metrorail runs commuter trains from central Cape Town every 30 minutes via its Central Line. 🌍 Khayelitsha station is the terminus for this line and the full journey time is just under one hour. Notice that trains along the Central Line suffers from extreme overcrowding, with commuters sometimes forced to sit on the roof or between carriages.
Get around
One way to get around in Khayetlisha are the taxi or mini buses. You can recognize them by the loud hooting. It's a cheap and fairly reliable way of transportation. Safety however is not always guaranteed as South Africa experiences many accidents on its roads caused by these taxis.
See
- The Lookout Hill is one of Khayelitsh's main tourist attractions. It is the highest point in Khayelitsha from which the townships Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain, as well as the shoreline of the False Bay, can be seen. The wooden platform, built on the largest dune on the Cape Flats, sometimes lacks some planks but this does not dismiss the great view. The adjoined Look Out Centre hosts an information office of Cape Town Tourism as well as several locally owned art and craft shops. The community venue also has an exhibition room and amphitheatre for cultural events. The Look Out Hill complex is an often visited place by township tours. The area is comparably safe and the site well secured by professionals.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Several township bed & breakfasts started to pop up in Khayelitsha to offer tourists the chance to experience this side of South Africa. They mostly are redecorated shacks to fit the basic norms of tourists.
- 🌍 Kopanong, C329 Velani Crescent, Khayelitsha, ☎ +27 21 361-2084, e-mail: kopanong@xsinet.co.za.
- 🌍 Majoros B&B, 69 Helena Cresent, Graceland, Khayelitsha, ☎ +27 21 361-3412, e-mail: sonke@telkomsa.net. Township B&B.
- 🌍 Malebo's, 18 Mississipi Way, Graceland, Khayelitsha, ☎ +27 21 361 2391, +27 21 551-0162, e-mail: info@cape-town-hotels.travel. Township B&Bs.
Stay safe
Even though townships are often referred to as unsafe, people can visit the township of Khayelitsha without the risk of being violated. One should however evaluate the circumstances (night, day, in group) before planning a visit when uncommon with the area.