Wasafiri Africa Podcast

An easy 4.5 hour drive from Johannesburg, or only an hour from Durban, are the Midlands of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Covering a vast area between Pietermaritzburg to just before the Drakensberg range, the Midlands can swelter in Summer heat, or blow frosty with occasional snow, in winter. The Midlands Meander consists of five scenic routes, and  is considered South Africa’s oldest and lead...

Gweru is the main city of Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province. Founded as a military outpost in 1894, it’s situated somewhat midway between Harare and Bulawayo. With modest industrial development, Gweru is the training post for the Zimbabwean Airforce. It is also considered to be the coldest city in Zimbabwe. * Charity Gwakuka is a force of nature. To experience her in real life as she tells her story, i...

The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, known as Wits University, is a top-tier, multi-campus public research university, founded in 1922.  Covering 400 acres, in Braamfontein and Parktown, Wits University has 11 libraries and 18 halls of residence, the latter holding 15% of its approximately 40000  student population. Through the Africa Engineering and Technology Ne...

30 kms north-east of Cape Town, is Durbanville, where rolling hills and wide plains, offer a sense of expanse in this golden valley of wheat and wine. Dubbed “Sauvignon Blanc Country”, Durbanville is also a popular high income residential area, though demographics still overwhelmingly reflect, the impact of South Africa’s segregated history. With a view towards the future, Durbanville is only 13km...

In 1994, Kigali smoldered from a gut-wrenching ethnic cleansing that horrified the world, but the resilience of the Rwandese people clawed back not only their humanity, but also their nationhood. Like a phoenix, the city has morphed into one of the most economically vibrant metropoles on the Continent. Kigali is not only known for its swift and efficient civil service, but also as a center of arts...

Sometimes known as Rylands Estate, Rylands is a well-established sub-area in Athlone, a suburb in Cape Town, located in the Cape Flats. Historically a hot bed of Anti-Apartheid protests, memorials include that of two ANC activists, Robert Waterwitch & Colleen Williams, who died in an explosion outside the Athlone court on 23 July 1989. Although the Cape Flats has generally been depicted as exi...

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Of that, there’s no doubt. But even here, stark inequalities are evident, and children, are not exempt. Today, we put a pin location on Breadline Africa. An organization whose very reason for being, is to uplift the lives of children and the communities they live in. At Wasafiri Africa, we’ll be promoting a Charity every so often. As a Tr...

In the highlands of Kenya, is Dondori township, located in Bahati Constituency in Nyandarua County, a mere 3 hours from Nairobi. At approximately 6,500’ or 2000m, Dondori Forest flourishes in the cool highland climate and boasts a 60’ waterfall with its own miniature rainbow. * Ruth and Muthoni sat down for a conversation, on one of Nairobi’s trademark “just perfect weather days”. Ensconced in the...

At the foot of Table Mountain, sits Iconic Groote Schuur hospital. Although the name loosely translates to Big Barn in Dutch, Groote Schuur has distinguished itself as anything but, with six global firsts in medicine. These include the first human to human heart transplant, fallopian tube transplant and non-invasive brain tumor detection. As a premier tertiary academic hospital in South Africa, Gr...

Under the terms of Separate Racial Development, in 1976, The Transkei in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, was the first Bantu Homeland to achieve a controversial independence from the Apartheid government. At approximately 18000 square miles, this area which borders Lesotho, and home to the isiXhosa people. Under an independent and democratic Republic of South Africa, in 1994, the name changed to...

Nampula is the capital city of Nampula Province in Northern Mozambique. The third largest city in Mozambique, its unique geo location makes it a central point into Mozambique from different parts of Southern Africa. With a pristine coastline only 150 kilometers away from the Nampula City, it remains an attractive holiday destination for locals and visitors, alike. * Lizette Chirrime was cocooned i...

Lupane District is the Capital City of Matebeleland North Province, in Zimbabwe, home to the Ndebele. The name “Lupane” is thought to relate to the Tonga word “Lupale” meaning “Dry Land”. Just 172 km from Bulawayo, Lupane boasts a State University and St Lukes Hospital, known for being a raining hospital for doctors from Europe, South America and elsewhere, seeking experience in rural African comm...

Ruth and Geovany take a moment to take stock of the Wasafiri Africa journey three months on. Fourteen conversations in, and eight countries “visited” the mood is buoyant and filled with gratitude for the guests who have shared their remarkable stories and for all the listeners who have tuned in. Ruth and Geovany briefly reflect on the learnings and feedback. A key aspect has been that with the pod...

Formerly known as Port Elizabeth, Qberha is a port city located on the southeastern of South Africa, by the Indian Ocean. It is the pot of gold at the end of the stunning Garden Route, that winds its way along the Cape Coast.  Also known as the friendly city, Qberha, boasts blue flag beaches, great weather throughout the year, and ranks high as a magnate for foreign direct investment in Sub-S...

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia. Situated on the edge of the Great Rift Valley it is a city on a hill and cannot be hidden. Founded in 1887 by Emperor Menelik the second, this ancient city is sometimes referred to as The Political Capital of Africa being home to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. It is also a well-known travel hub. Addis Ababa mean...

The village of Ntambo is what became Brazzaville in 1880. During WW2, Brazzaville was the de-facto capital of aFree France. In 2013, Unesco designated Brazzaville as a city of Music, adding Brazza to the Creative Cities Network. Flanked by the mighty Congo River, and The Nabemba Tower offering panoramic views, Brazzaville captivates in its earthy vibrancy of art, music and cultural vivacity. * Str...

Situated on the Gulf of Guinea, on the southern coast of Côte d’Ivoire is the bustling hive of economic activity that is Abidjan. From the humble beginnings of a small fishing village, Abidjan grew to be a thriving city not least for being the terminus of the Abidjan-Niger Railway. Once the nation’s capital from Independence in 1960 to 1983, Abidjan, retained the status of both being the econ...

Straddling seven hills, and situated on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, is Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Kampala is also Uganda’s commercial capital, having blossomed from its earliest days as a major stop on the East African Railway line, aka The Lunatic Express.  As one of the safest cities in East Africa today, and complimented by its equatorial weather, Kampala has flourished...

Southwestern Township, better known as SOWETO, is located within the City of Johannesburg Metro, and owns an undeniable place in the political history of South Africa. Soweto is where the 1976 Soweto Rebellion began its juggernaut push against Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in Soweto’s High Schools, to Zulu and Xhosa children. Haunting images of Zolile Hector Peterson, remain engraved and...

Belgravia Road is in Athlone, a suburb within the Municipality of Cape Town. Athlone is in the Cape Flats which the Apartheid zoning laws designated a Coloured Area. Athlone is mostly residential; Belgravia Road is a busy main road with bustling businesses ranging from car dealerships to bakeries and everything in between. Belgravia High School, an English medium school, was where in 1985, as part...

Rylands is a sub-area in Athlone, a suburb in Cape Town. Located in the Cape Flats, the infamous Group Area Act wielded by the Apartheid Government, designated Rylands an Indian enclave surrounded by a vast Coloured majority and smattering of Black Africans. But where the racist government intended to dehumanize and cast aside, a thriving community evolved with a common purpose of dismantling Apar...

Situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Guinea is Accra, the Capital of Ghana. At one point known as The Gold Coast, Accra is inextricably linked to the devastating Trans-Atlantic Slave trade that saw one million people trafficked from its shores.  Yet, testament to the resilience of her people, covering almost 226 square kilometers, Accra today is a bustling city famous for Kente cloth...

In this episode, Ruth is joined by Geovany Dias to debrief and reflect on Wasafiri Africa and to celebrate the podcast’s one month birthday. Hurray! Geovany, normally in the background publishing and monitoring the podcast, brings his vibrant enthusiasm for Wasafiri Africa and the shared joy is palpable.  Running for roughly half the length of a regular episode, at only thirty-seven minutes,...

Worcester, a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, began life as a hunting ground teeming with game and was originally home to the Khoi and San peoples.  Folk driving to or from Johannesburg and Cape Town will breeze through this quaint town, now renowned for the fine wine grown in the region. Like many towns in South Africa, remnants of the country’s torrid history, such as slave bell in t...

With a population of over 9 million people, Luanda is the thriving oil-fed capital of Angola. Home to the Kimbundu ethnic group, the city which was once called the Paris of Africa has Portuguese as the official language. Founded in 1576, Luanda became the administrative center of the Portuguese colony in 1627 and bears the torrid distinction of being a major outlet for slave traffic to Brazil. Now...