Life in a Township

A collection of pictures from the townships (informal settlements)

around Cape Town

Township Facts

• Population of Townships 8-10 million (about twice the population of Minnesota)

• Total population of South Africa 40 million• Largest township is Khayelitsha with an

estimated 1,000,000 people.• Khayelitsha and Guguletu (population

350,000) are next to one another. Many of these pictures were taken in these two areas.

Things to observe

• People work hard to earn a living• Township residents try to make the best out of

their circumstances. They work hard to improve their lives.

• Townships are homemade cities with as many modern conveniences as possible. What they don’t have they create on their own.

• Most shacks do not have running water or bathroom facilities. Sanitation is a major problem.

Township Residents

• Laugh • Smile• Tell jokes• Play games• Cry• Yell• Show anger

• Hug• Forgive• Care• Show sympathy• Help• Dance• Live life

Water TapUsually 1 for every 10 homes

Danceline Members

Fast Friends

Home from School….notice the uniforms! All schools we saw required uniforms!

Shacks

Remember, these are people’s homes. They are constructed with whatever they can find.

Homes

Each house contains an average of 4 people

Each Shack needs an identification number

Some constructions are on top of one another, making 2 story shacks

Color helps identify ownership

Notice the power lines. Because many residents cannot afford electricity, they tap into the main power lines illegally. Laws

against the practice are not enforced.

Waterproofing is a problem. When it rains hard, homes are easily flooded.

Some shacks are metal sheds.

Others are completely made of wood

The government is issuing housing as a reparation for apartheid. Residents are put on a waiting list to get a brick home. The average wait period for a house is five to ten years.

These homes are uniform in shape and floorplan. Residents personalize their homes with decor.

Townships go for miles with a mix of brick houses, hostels, shacks, and shops.

Do you recognize these?

Shell Gas Station

Look Familiar?

Shopping mall. Yes, it looks very much like malls in the U.S.!

Medical Help

Local Clinic

Private Clinic

Traditional HealerBecause Western medicine is associated with “white man,” it is distrusted. So many residents turn to traditional healers, or sangomas, who use roots, herbs and other

natural substances to help the patient.

Schools

College campuses are vocational schools. This one is in the middle of the township of Guguletu.

School yard

Primary School

Primary School(Notice the fence!)

Creative ways of making a living

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Vegetable Stand

Shoe Repair/Cell Phone Repair

Barber

Barber – Cell Phones

Fruits and Vegetables

Wood for Homes

Hardware Store

Repairing Homes

Wall Art

Please keep in mind:

• Most people want out of the townships, but discrimination, lack of education, and lack of employment opportunities prohibit this from happening.

• People try to make the best of their situation by working hard, getting an education and hoping that employment becomes available to pay a living wage.

Community

• There is a thriving sense of community in the townships.

• Because privacy is challenged, people know intimately what is happening in their neighbors’ lives. There are friendships and cliques, hard feelings and envy.

• Even so, one who has very little is often assisted by neighbors who also have very little.

• Residents share a common sense of struggle.