Soweto a.k.a South Western Township

It was raining that followed with hailstones on our way to Soweto. Soweto or South Western Township was a sprawl resident from shanty town house to million dollar mansion. The area is nowadays associated with events in the struggle against Apartheid. Tourist allowed only with the local to drive around. It was dusk when we arrived after the unexpected hailstones pouring. Mousa lives there. One of the highlight was the resident of Nelson Mandela was in the same street as Desmond Tutu.

Two of the world Nobel prizes winner living opposite of each other. How cool is that!

For a day that I stayed in Johannesburg I got the feeling everywhere is not safe. I was afraid to get out of the car even Mousa was beside me. My instinct always feeling uneasy with the atmosphere. The guide book mentioned some part in Jo’burg is a no-go area even during the day. It’s a weird feeling not to be able to go out in the evening. Not necessarily good or bad but Johannesburg is a strange place to travel for me. During the day I was rushing from one place to another and stuck in the hostel in the evening.

Cost me 1000 Rand (€100) for Pilanesberg Game drive where usually it cost 1300 Rand (I like to believe that it’s a discount, it might have been a rip-off on the flip side). South Africa is cheap to travel by European standard but anything to do with safari cost you a fortune. That 1000 rand was too much for a day activity. Soweto Township tour cost 450 Rand and 800 rand if it’s a night tour. Mousa has secret agenda. I didn’t though that Soweto Nighttour was an additional payment outside Pilanesberg tour I paid earlier. My mistake that I didn’t get a clear understanding about this 2 tour.

I had to pay additional 800 rand for Soweto Night tour however Mousa asked me to pay only 300 ( discounted price for a 450 rand daytour) with a condition that the Hostel has no idea that Mousa took me to Soweto. The reason being was the hostel is charing commission from the tour operator. Simplest explanation is the 300 Rand goes solely to Mousa’s pocket. The hostel didn’t have to know about that and I needed to tell them it was traffic jam that made us reach the hostel late if they curios to know. The tour operator is relying on the Hostel Guests that’s why they charged commission from taking their guests. The hostel already has their commission from the Pilanesberg Game drive tour.

I didn’t know who and what to believe.


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