A taste of true eKasi

THE only place where one can experience true township living in the small mining town of Cullinan, north east of Pretoria, is the Vuvuzela Flava Africa.

Established six years ago by pioneering local resident Julia Mashego, her guesthouse provides a taste of all things southern African.

The cuisine is a combination of indigenous fruits, grains and meat with traces of European and Asian fare.

Modelled on original township architecture, the guesthouse is the only holiday destination in the town that equips guests with skills to prepare original township cuisine through its cook-off initiative.

Guests have an opportunity to learn how to prepare tasty township dishes such as Babalas (hangover) breaker, Chisa Nyama (Township barbecue), Rehlabela badimo (Ancestral Slaughtering) Dijo Tsa Sontaga (Township Sunday Lunch) and Maotoane (Chicken Feet).

Guests are given the delicious recipes, a Vuvuzela Flava Africa apron and a cook-off certificate when they leave.

After cooking up a storm in a group, guests sit around the dining room table and eat together as a family.

"A proper family eats together because this strengthens the relationship in the family. That is exactly what we strive for and this gives our guests an unforgettable experience," explains bubbly MaJulia, who acts as mother in the family house.

And when guests visit on frosty winter nights they snuggle up under an indigenous ingubo (blanket) and sit on stones in a circle around a campfire enclosed by corrugated sheets called a bomb. This is where African folklore is passed on by story tellers and where traditional dancers provide entertainment.

Vuvuzela Flava Africa is the place where guests enjoy diverse African history, get lost in the traditional folklore, feel the warmth and glow of an African fire and are mesmerised by the beauty of the African sky.

Unlike standard guesthouses and hotels where bedrooms have television sets, at Vuvuzela Flava Africa you can only watch television in the lounge.

"We don't compromise in our endeavour to offer our guests a complete township experience. There are very few township homes that have television sets in bedrooms. A bedroom is for sleeping purposes and nothing else," MaJulia says sternly.

She says the guesthouse is a favourite venue for team-building sessions, wedding receptions and other family gatherings.

With the showers made out of plastic water tanks, taking a shower in the guest house is a unique experience.

An empowerment initiative of the Metweding Entrepreneurial Development Centre, the establishment offers casual employment to 12 people from the local Refilwe township. Vuvuzela Flava Africa has been refined over the years to better its unique service to local and international guests.

When you visit the guesthouse you would not want to miss the opportunity to tour the Big Hole and Open Air Museum and see for yourself the spot where the famous 3,106.75 carat Cullinan diamond was found.

Dinokeng circuit, where Cullinan is situated, is rich in natural, cultural and historical attractions.

The area also boasts conference venues, game viewing, hiking trails, bird watching, shebeens, arts and craft studios.

With its rich cultural and historical heritage, remnants of colonial diamond mining activities and Anglo-Boer War and World War II sites, as well as its history of black oppression and forced removal in the area , it is no wonder that the Dinokeng circuit is a favourite holiday destination.

Visitors can also enjoy township tours through the vibrant communities of Hammanskraal, Refilwe and Onverwacht.

Dinokeng, which means "place of rivers", covers about 281000 hectares of rural land, including areas such as Roodeplaat, Rayton, Cullinan and the huge wide-open and unspoilt bushveld north of Moloto Road.