A year ago, Cedric de la Harpe did not know Soweto. He was a northern-suburb resident running a security and cleaning business. An official visit to Soweto in July last year to celebrate the awarding of the Soccer World Cup to South Africa was a turning point in his life. Today, he spends most of his time in Soweto.
However, his first trip to Soweto was an anti-climax for him. After visiting all the famous spots of Soweto such as the Hector Pieterson memorial and the Nelson Mandela house, the group went for lunch at Wandi’s in Dube.
“I did not feel I was in Soweto. There was nothing new or different. I was disappointed,” he said.
With the Soweto bug biting, he decided to go back on his own. He found a bed and breakfast establishment and made reservations.
Again he was disappointed. There was nothing that told him he was in a black township. “I could have been anywhere in Sandton. And when I signed the visitors’ book, I realised that the only people who spend a night in Soweto are overseas journalists, NGOs and government employees. I had to change that.”
He spent the next six weeks travelling around Soweto until he discovered Orlando East.
“That’s when it hit me. For the first time I felt I was in Soweto. People talked to me. The children came over and wanted to play with me. I realised what was wrong with the Soweto tours. They were impersonal.”
De le Harpe was invited into people’s homes and told their stories. But still he felt that something was missing.
“Soweto did not have a product that encouraged people to stay overnight. Other than the few famous places, there was nothing else to see,” says De la Harpe. “I had to come up with something that would make tourists get off the buses and get their feet dirty.”
He then purchased a mini-bus and 10 horse carts to ferry tourists around Soweto.
A chance meeting with Spoons Khalimba, owner of the Spoons Place shebeen on Mpane Street, added another dimension to De la Harpe’s dream. They became partners and transformed the shebeen into a pub-cum-restaurant where visitors are entertained by a live jazz band and served African cuisine.
De la Harpe also bought 20 shacks around Soweto and created accommodation for tourists who want to spend a night in Soweto.
“One day, a thought struck me. Why can’t Mpane Street be like 7th Avenue in Melville, where people dine and drink until the early hours?”
He went into partnership with some local residents and built traditional huts where tourists can learn about the various African cultures. He built an open-air theatre where artists perform for tourists. He renamed that section of Mpane Street the Soweto Golden Mile.
“I am on a mission to get white feet into Soweto. By 2010, the Soweto Golden Mile will be the destination for the world visitors to experience life in the township. By then it will be like New Orleans with live jazz bands and African dancers prancing around to the sound of township music,” he proudly announces.