Khaya La Bantu Xhosa village provides a very worthwhile opportunity to take a look at the life of a Xhosa African village. Of necessity, it's adapted to cope with the need to show travellers something of the Xhosa culture in a form they can understand, but it's as natural as can be achieved.   These events are very important to the villagers who welcome visitors with open arms. They are keen that people should learn about their culture, and the small income derived from travellers helps to provide much needed revenue to fund village improvements.

The matriarch of the village, who rules like a queen, is Mama Tofu,

a remarkable woman of 88 years who is clearly greatly respected by all the villagers. The tour bus stops at the edge of the village and there is a very comfortable walk along a dirt road, with a brief stop at the Kindergarten, to a meeting point where Mama Tofu and her daughter give explanations of the culture, rituals, beliefs and folklore of the Xhosa people. A good number of villagers take part and there is a taste of Xhosa singing and dancing, involving children of the village.   Men and woman are divided into different groups, the former being taken to the Kraal to hear about the life of Xhosa men and taste the local 'beer', whilst the women are lectured by Mama Tofu on the life of the Xhosa women. The beer is "different", tasting heavily of yeast, but does not have the seriously laxative qualities feared by every western visitor

After the visit to the village, there is a short drive to Khaya La Bantu, a small project set up to enable the exhibition of the life of a rural Xhosa village. Singing and dancing are a large part of rural life, and are a delightful part of this visit.   Also of great interest is the opportunity to sample Xhosa food, part of which is a Lamb stew that would win any Irish Stew competition anywhere in the world.

This is a tremendous visit and one that all visitors to the area should undertake if they have the opportunity.

Dinner is Served

Village Children

Delighted you could call