Township tour with the sound of Gospel

An extraordinary township tour all about seeing, feeling and singing

Hello, my name is Samantha Mtinini, but you can also call me Zoliswa, which is isiXhosa for 'humble'. I’d love for you to join me – or my partner Khonaye – on a Sunday of your choice for a vibrant gospel church service in my township (Langa, near Cape Town), where you can enjoy an uplifting South African gospel experience in a church that has a young and dynamic congregation.

A few years ago when locals saw white people in their townships, they said “Hey, there are mlungus [white people] here...” But now it has become normal for white people to visit and see the lively neighbourhoods of the townships of Cape Town.

But it’s not just about seeing, it’s about feeling – feeling the warmth and welcoming nature of our people, particularly when we are at church singing gospel songs.

I enjoy showing my guests the place where the spirit of the community can be experienced at its fullest, a place where the joy of being alive reaches a peak, a place where we celebrate each other and our faith.

That place is church. My church is the Langa Baptist Church, and every Sunday morning more than 300 people – from the little babas (babies) to the wise gogos (old ladies) – attend my church to congregate and fellowship with one another and sing our South African gospel songs of praise (like Uyinkosi yamakhosi – You are the Lord of Lords).

After we have enjoyed the gospel songs and the rest of the service, I enjoy showing my guests where we live. I introduce them to my friends and neighbours and we walk through the streets and share jokes and greetings with members of the community.

The majority of the Langa community is Christian, so you can imagine that Sundays in our township are special days. Church is more than a ritual for us; it’s something we look forward to, something that renews us from the inside out.

From when we arrive at the church, when the congregation will welcome you with singing, beating of drums and clapping of hands, to when we visit people in their shacks and houses in the township after church, your eyes and ears will see and hear the true story of the spirit of the township.

My gospel township tours start at around 9am when you’ll be picked up in Cape Town; we go straight to Langa Baptist Church and enjoy about 45 minutes to 1 hour of the gospel church service.

Then we walk through the township and we’ll pass many small business owners like herbalists, traditional healers, meat markets, cell phone repair shops, shoe fixing shops, barber shops and more. Along the way we experience all the sights, sounds and smells of the township.

Read a first-hand account of the Gospel tour in Langa