The cultures that make up South Africa are sprawlingly diverse, and there are countless ways to learn about them. You might hike through rural Eastern Cape with a local Xhosa guide or take a Cape Malay cooking class in Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap neighbourhood. Art provides insight, which you’ll find in galleries, gardens and on the streets.
Remember that history inevitably shapes a country’s identity, so it’s a great idea to visit a museum or two on your South Africa holiday. Here are some of the best ways to learn a little about the Rainbow Nation.
Check out San rock art sites in the Cederberg
About three hours’ drive north of Cape Town, the Cederberg is an area of rust-coloured rugged peaks and remote hiking trails. It’s also home to many examples of rock art painted by San and Khoi groups – South Africa’s first peoples. San groups are amongst the oldest existing cultures in the world, having lived in southern Africa for at least 20,000 years.
The Sevilla Rock Art Trail loops around nine sites of rock art dating back thousands of years. The paintings depict scenes including a trance dance ritual and hunting, alongside wildlife such as eland (a large antelope). The artists used ochre for red, charcoal for black and clay for white.
The three-mile route alongside the Brandewyn River is self-guided – though some hotels in the area (such as Cederberg Ridge Wilderness Lodge) offer guided tours for their guests. Some guides were trained through a local project that sought to reconnect South African people with their San and Khoi heritage – something widely lost when people were forced to hide their Indigenous ethnicity during apartheid.
Visit the Apartheid Museum
Context is everything, and apartheid is a crucial part of South Africa’s history to wrap your head around before delving into its present-day culture. The Apartheid Museum in southwestern Johannesburg – South Africa’s largest city – is an ideal place to start. It opened in 2001 and is widely considered the best museum dedicated to South African apartheid and the events that preceded and followed the system of racial segregation in place from 1948 to 1994.
Outside, you’ll find the Pillars of the Constitution, where each block represents values of the constitution adopted in 1996: democracy, equality, reconciliation, diversity, responsibility, respect and freedom.
When you enter, you’ll be randomly classified as either white or non-white; a specific entrance is dedicated to your assigned race to physically demonstrate how apartheid operated. The exhibition is chronologically organised to walk you through apartheid history, from its colonial roots to anti-apartheid activism and eventually the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela.
Take a cooking class in Bo-Kaap
Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap neighbourhood is one of its most famous and a typical stop on a South African holiday. On the slopes of Signal Hill, in the city centre, the area of brightly painted houses and cobbled streets has a mostly Cape Malay population – South African Muslims with Southeast Asian heritage.
It’s a demographic with a delicious cuisine, from curries and samoosas to tomato bredie (a stew, traditionally made with mutton), South Africa’s national dish bobotie (spiced mincemeat baked under an egg-based topping) and koesisters (desiccated coconut-dusted fried doughballs).
You can enjoy some of those dishes and learn about Cape Malay culture and Bo-Kaap’s history by taking a cooking class. One example is Faeeza’s Home Kitchen, based out of her purple house in a quiet Bo-Kaap courtyard – she also has a tea garden, where you can dine in if you don’t fancy the whole cooking experience.
Discover Johannesburg’s street art
Street art is part of Johannesburg’s city centre identity, with graffiti from local and international artists encouraged to uplift formerly neglected downtown areas such as Newtown and Braamfontein – the latter is home to Greyscale Gallery, Johannesburg’s first gallery dedicated to street art.
Another example of inner-city neighbourhoods is the Maboneng Precinct, a previously run-down area that was rebranded as part of a 2009 regeneration project. A slew of murals alongside craft and food markets, art galleries, restaurants and bars have resulted in increased foot traffic and local spending.
The best way to see some of downtown Johannesburg’s street art is on a guided walk, such as the one run by City Skate Tours, so you can learn about the artists and their inspirations. Murals you might pass include DBongz’s portrait of Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu under the M1 overpass in Newtown and Nardstar’s colourful Intertwined mural of women braiding hair on the Jewel City development in Maboneng.
Hike the Wild Coast
The Wild Coast is one of the most gorgeous parts of South Africa (which is saying a lot). In the Eastern Cape province, between the town of East London and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border to the north, this coastline is known for its undeveloped beaches along which cattle meander, its indigenous forests, rolling hills and famous rock formations such as the Hole in the Wall archway, just outside Coffee Bay.
It’s home to the Xhosa people, South Africa’s second largest ethnic group. Lots of local guides operate along the Wild Coast, weaving cultural insights into a multi-day hike. Chat to residents as you pass Xhosa villages – clusters of round, thatched-roofed huts known as rondavels – in some of which you might spend the night, depending on the hike.
Many people find their guides on Facebook; you can also book through Wild Coast accommodation, such as Bulungula Lodge.
Tour the Zeitz MOCAA
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) is in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront complex. The building alone is worth a gander. A restored grain silo, it’s split into two parts: the museum occupies the lower floors, while The Silo hotel has the upper half, which is panelled with double-storey, pillow-like windows.
The museum has nine floors of art, from paintings to sculptures to video, all by artists from Africa or the diaspora. Exhibitions regularly change, but the permanent collection includes works by the likes of South African artist Thania Petersen, Zimbabwean artist and activist Kudzanai Chiurai, and British installation artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien.
There are free one-hour tours, Monday to Friday at 12.30pm, which are worth planning your South Africa holiday itinerary around for some extra colour.
Watch a show at the Market Theatre
The Market Theatre was founded in 1976 and so named because it was based on the site of the old Indian market in Newtown, in Johannesburg, South Africa. It became known as the Theatre of the Struggle because it resisted apartheid racial segregation laws, so all South African people could visit or perform.
The theatre staged many anti-apartheid plays, such as the satirical Woza Albert!, written by Percy Mtwa, Mbongeni Ngema (both of whom performed in its first showings) and Barney Simon (one of the Market Theatre founders) in 1981.
Today, it still operates as a theatre, so check out what’s on during your South Africa holiday – you can also take a backstage tour to learn more about the establishment’s rich history.
Explore Spier Wine Farm’s art collection
A visit to Spier Wine Farm isn’t only about the vino. The family that owns the estate – the Enthovens, who also own Nando’s – have one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary South African art. You can find about 1,000 pieces of it on display at Spier, just outside the second oldest town in the country, Stellenbosch.
Many are in the estate grounds, such as Tiago Rodrigues’ sculpture of large gothic letters reading “soon it will be quiet”, a reference to the farm’s old slave bell that hangs behind it and which was left in place as a reminder of the dark history attached to the 1692-founded farm.
Pop into the Old Wine Cellar to see which contemporary artworks are currently on display. Or check out the Creative Block artworks, all by emerging South African artists, in the wine tasting area – these handily suitcase-sized pieces are available to buy. If you’re visiting around Easter, swing by the annual Spier Light Art show that showcases illuminated artworks every evening over four weeks.
Conclusion
South Africa’s cultural story cannot be understood through a single museum, neighbourhood or community. It is found in ancient paintings on Cederberg rocks, recipes passed between generations, contemporary art, theatre born from resistance and conversations with the people who call the country home. Make time for some of these experiences and a South Africa holiday becomes about far more than simply seeing the sights; it offers a better understanding of how the country’s complicated past continues to shape its creative and cultural identity today.
Need to know
Getting there
Direct flights connect London Heathrow with both Johannesburg and Cape Town, with journey times of roughly 11 hours to Johannesburg and just under 12 hours to Cape Town. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic serve both cities direct, while Norse Atlantic Airways operates seasonal direct flights to Cape Town.
Getting around
South Africa is a large country, so combining domestic flights with car hire is often the most practical option for a multi-stop trip. Driving is on the left, roads between major destinations are generally good and self-drive works particularly well for areas such as the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. In Johannesburg and Cape Town, app-based taxis are useful for shorter journeys, while guided walks and tours can add valuable local context at cultural sites.
Best time to go
South Africa is a year-round destination, although conditions vary considerably between regions. For a trip combining Cape Town, Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape, spring from September to November and autumn from March to May can be particularly useful periods for sightseeing. Cape Town’s warmest summer weather generally falls between November and March.
Where to eat
For an introduction to Cape Malay food, try a cooking class or meal at Faeeza’s Home Kitchen in Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap, where dishes help tell the story of the neighbourhood’s Southeast Asian and Muslim heritage. South Africa’s food culture varies enormously by region, so leave room for local restaurants, markets and home-cooked meals as you travel.
Where to stay
Choose accommodation that puts you close to the cultural experiences covered in the article. Cederberg Ridge Wilderness Lodge is a useful base for exploring the Cederberg’s San rock art, while Bulungula Lodge provides access to the Wild Coast and its Xhosa communities. In Cape Town, staying around the city centre or V&A Waterfront gives easy access to Bo-Kaap, Zeitz MOCAA and other cultural attractions.
