Uthando is where tourism and meaningful help come together

Through guided tours, visitors help uplift Cape Town's grassroots communities directly. By Naledi Sikhakhane

- Naledi Sikhakhane

James Fernie, director of Uthando (Love) South Africa (far left), with the tour group he took to the Moya we Khaya community garden in Khayelitsha, led by Christina Kaba (centre).

(Photo: Naledi Sikhakhane)

Tourism can be an extractive industry, especially for the communities on the periphery of the main attraction sites.

Social entrepreneur James Fernie has found a way to provide maximum benefit to those who need assistance the most while also providing an authentic experience to tourists. He runs Uthando (Love) South Africa, a Cape Town-based nonprofit organisation aimed at community development.

It is Tuesday, 17 September, and Fernie is putting on his wireless headset and microphone as he sits in the driver's seat of a 16-seater minibus in Claremont. He weaves through the suburb, Langa, Khayelitsha and the areas in between, sharing the historical context of these townships, explaining the socioeconomic status and interesting facts.

One may think this is a township tour. But no, this is a well-curated tour of hope that visits some of the most inspiring people making an impact in helping people to put food on their tables.