“Reduce the Poverty”: Woman From Vienna Visits Cape Town’s Oldest Township

• A woman from Vienna visited Cape Town, South Africa, and decided to explore the side most tourists abandon 
• She travelled to the city’s oldest township and documented the lifestyle of Black people living there
• Social media users communicated more with the woman and shared their thoughts in a thread of comments 

A jeweller from Vienna shared her trip to one of Cape Town’s largest and oldest townships on TikTok.

The post went viral and garnered over 41K views after the Mzansi people showed interest.

Vienna woman explores Cape Town township 

A young woman, Elizaveta Chirazi, decided to explore the forgotten side of Cape Town during her visit to South Africa. The jeweller documented her experience and posted her footage on TikTok, which went viral.

Chirazi visited the township of Langa in April and was amazed at how different it was from the city and what most people who visit Cape Town post on social media. She got to experience the rawness of Black culture and true township life.

She took pictures of the informal settlements, barbershops, children playing and everyday activities. Chirazi spoke to a community member and tried to find out how she could donate goods to the community:

“We visited Langa with a local guide, and I learned a lot, and the locals shared that they benefit from visiting tourists. This tour was incredibly insightful, and the people were open and kind. However, I wouldn't recommend visiting on your own—it's important to go with a guide or a group to ensure everything is safe and properly organised.

“Langa means ‘Sun’. The biggest insight I got is that overseas donations rarely reach the people. The guide said if you want to make a change, it's better to come directly. Spreading truthful information is key, and also supporting them by buying local products. It's important to make this part of Cape Town seen too. Among the beautiful beaches of Cape Town, you can rarely see photos on social media of the other side.

“Small acts don't reduce the poverty, but you never know who might care. A random tourist from Ireland, after visiting the townships, built many houses. Raising awareness is key."

See the TikTok post below:

Mzansi responds to Vienna lady in township

Social media users interacted with the young woman in a thread of comments:

@Adam ace said:

“There's a lot of talent here. When I attended university, the smartest students there came from the kasi and townships, I got mad respect for them.”

@george commented:

“Is this Langa? We did a tour two weeks ago, and we felt it was so important to see and experience all aspects of Cape Town. The locals told us how tourism has benefited them a lot, was good to see!”

@ISSUFO999: 

“The government buys into them by before voting they give them food for one week and extra promises then they accept the vote simply controlled.”

@AWXNKE wrote:

“Grew up in a place like this for some time in my life. Doing much better now, but eternally grateful for everything it taught me in life.”

@ISSUFO999 said:

“No tourist can do anything about it, it's controlled above the law. If you put your nose into the wrong places, you will get caught. Don't be loud, just letting you know. this is south Africa.”

@Somahashe wrote:

“You must come to Khayelitsha to explore more townships.”

@Khanya Ngqo🇿🇦announced:

“My reality!”

@Amy Fraser commented:

“This post doesn’t sit well with me.”

@Kiki 🇿🇦pointed out:

“Langa is probably the safest of all the townships in Cape Town. So she was fine. We get a lot of exchange students who live there and walk freely in the township. However, this is not the only perspective of Langa. Not everyone lives in the informal settlement, you're not showing a fully accurate view, and that's a problem.”

@Mushtaq 6 said:

“I don’t know how to feel about your post. I’m from Langa, and the pictures you’re showing are not the real Langa. I mean, Langa has a rich history that you could have posted for someone who still wants to come and visit.”

3 More stories about townships by Briefly News

• A South African lady shared her pain of experiencing how children grow up in the townships of Mzansi.
• An American lady living in South Africa raved about the vibrant life in the township of Khayelitsha in a now-viral TikTok video.
• Mzansi was boggled by a video of a congested informal settlement built on a railway road somewhere in Cape Town.

Source: Briefly News