MEET SOME OF OUR WANDERFUL HOSTS!

Get To Know Us

Heritage day has come and gone, and we here at WanderfullySo are extremely proud of our heritage and where we come from. With that being said, we are so excited to share a bit of our heritage with you through our virtual tour experiences with amazing local hosts. In this post, I will be introducing you to three of our Wanderful hosts, Julius, Gilbert and Elizabeth.

The Humble Historian

Introducing our first host, and by that I mean he really is the first guide to come on board as a Wanderful host, Julius. Julius, aka the Humble Historian, was the first host to believe in WanderfullySo. Originally a farm boy from Bloemfontein with a French heritage, Julius’ father was a foreman on a farm just outside of Bloem. With hopes of big dreams, Julius’s father moved his family to the Big City.

Growing up, Julius’ favourite dish from his heritage was the traditional “braaivleis and pap”. Julius reminisces that, “the family getting together and braaing was basically a cultural tradition in my family. Come Christmas time, my father would bring out the Constantin which is unique to my culture. But this would only happen after a few brandys!”.

I also asked Julius what traditional attire is representative of his heritage and culture, he laughingly said “Before my time it was the safari suits! But jeans were very common during my generation”.

Julius is a fun-loving guy so when you choose him to be your host, you’re in for an experience full of laughter as he will keep you laughing throughout your whole tour! Join him for a wonderful experience full of adventure and historical insights.

The Cultural Connoisseur

Our second host is Gilbert, aka the Cultural Connoisseur. Gilbert was born and raised in Mitchells Plain until he was 12 years old, after which they moved to Steenberg. His maternal great grandmother is from Saint Helena Island, which is an island off the coast of West Africa; as for his maternal great grandfather, he’s of Filipino heritage. Unfortunately, Gilbert’s father passed away when he was five years old, therefore doesn’t know much about his father’s heritage.

I asked Gilbert what are some of his favourite dishes from his heritage and he responded saying “The normal stuff like curry, gatsby, seafood, stews or ‘bredie’, ‘smoortjies’ and ‘fishcakes’ ”. Gilbert mentioned that a difference he noticed between Coloured people in Cape Town and Coloured people outside of Cape Town is how they prefer to eat their stews. Gilbert, being the funny guy said “In Cape Town, we eat our stews or ‘bredies’ with rice, but Coloured people outside of Cape Town eat theirs with pap! You’ll hardly find a Coloured person in Cape Town eating their ‘bredies’ with pap. I found that quite interesting and it shows that even within some heritages, there are still small differences.”

A cultural tradition that is a favourite for Gilbert is the fact that the Coloured community’s main driving force is religion, whether it be Christianity or Islam. It's what holds them together. “If there’s one common thing in our heritage, it’s that Coloureds all go to Church, no matter what! About 90% of the time, it's either for Christmas or Easter, which would usually be followed by an afternoon roast for lunch. Sunday roast lunches are very big in our heritage”.

When you choose Gilbert to be your host, you’re sure to be entertained throughout your tour. He likes to play the fool so expect a lot of comedy from this gentleman as you journey with him through the artsy culture-rich locations in Cape Town.

The Enthusiastic Environmentalist

Our final host is Elizabeth, aka the Enthusiastic Environmentalist, who was born and bred in a small town called Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape. Elizabeth said, “My mom and dad had a big trading store in Town and come holiday time when we were old enough and could reach the tills, we were given a choice: either work in the shop and earn some pocket money, or you go stay with your uncle and aunty on the farm”. She chose to go to the farm which nurtured her sense of adventure.

I asked Elizabeth what is her cultural heritage and she said, “I’m South African all the way. While spending holidays on the farm, I was able to learn a lot about African culture and up until this day I can still speak Xhosa. This has brought me closer to being able to do what I love the most and that is giving back to the less fortunate communities, especially within the Xhosa communities”.

When asking her about which foods are favorites of hers from her culture, Elizabeth said she loves traditional African foods like Umphokoqo; the staples like chicken, beef etc. “I enjoy going to traditional African restaurants and I also include them on my tours”.

Elizabeth has a big heart which comes through her great passion for giving back to communities in need. As a lover of people and nature, she will have you smiling and giggling non-stop. Join her as she takes you on a tour of picturesque landscapes and spots in Cape Town.

To be continued…

It’s been an absolute pleasure to introduce some of our Wanderful Hosts. I will continue to highlight and share with you about our amazing Wanderful Hosts who are passionate and excited to share with the world, South Africa’s heritage, history and beauty.

We are always looking for vibrant locals and guides to join our Wanderful network of hosts. If you're a vibrant Capetonian with a passion for travel and you enjoy exploring Cape Town, send us an unedited 5 min video of you doing a mock tour of your best spot in Cape Town at connect@wanderfullyso.com.