The name “Tembisa” is derived from the Zulu word for “promise”, and it is a place that was established in the 1950s, becoming a home for black residents during the apartheid era. Tembisa is a major township located to the north of Johannesburg, covering an area of 42.80 square kilometres and home to over 400,000 people. It is a diverse and vibrant community that features a mix of informal settlements and more developed neighborhoods, with improved infrastructure and amenities over the years. Further recommendations for policymakers and tour operators are also provided.Soweto gained global attention due to its role in anti-apartheid struggles, including the 1976 Soweto Uprising. This paper argues that there is a latent demand for culture-led, experience-based township tourism product development to create more opportunities for entrepreneurship and local economic development. Eighty-three percent of those surveyed were satisfied with the township tour that they went on, whilst 82 % of respondents said that they would recommend a township tour. The study found that the majority (73 %) of respondents felt safe whilst on a township tour. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 317 tourists who participated in township tours in the Greater Cape Town area. The aim of this study was to investigate tourists’ perceptions of safety and security whilst on a township tour. Consideration regarding tourist safety and security, therefore, is important since it may have implications for the future growth and development of this market.

However, in recent years, doubts about personal safety have cast a negative light on the township tourism offering. Approximately, 25 % of all international tourists visiting Cape Town participate in township tours. Township tourism has emerged as an important part of the urban tourism product in post-1994 South Africa.

Define township in south africa