Outdoors

Uncover the people, culture and food of Bo-Kaap, Cape Town with Closer to Africa Tours

There is no better way to immerse yourself in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, than with a local resident. As their name suggests, Closer to Africa Tours will take you on a journey of discovery.

Owned by Capetonian and expert tour guide, Zaki Harris, Closer to Africa aims to provide tour experiences with a closer connection to the destination explored. Zaki has lived in Bo-Kaap for over 30 years and will get you to all kinds of hidden gems in this colourful community

To ensure the authenticity of your tour, they utilise passionate community tour guides and local, home based service providers. Through this, they hope to grow real sustainable community tourism.

“We are a bunch of like-minded people passionate about sustainable community tourism,” the tour company describes.

“We are Cape Town locals born with a desire to host, help and meet people from all walks of life.”

Closer to Africa was born out of the success of the Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour, a home-based culinary school.

Closer to Africa Tours offerings

Closer to Africa offers four amazing and informative Bo-Kaap tour experiences. Try their two-hour Bo-Kaap Heritage Walking Tour with a traditional tea break; the three-hour Bo-Kaap Koesister Tour with a hands-on cooking demo; the four-hour Half Day Bo-Kaap Experience with Tea Break, Full Cooking Lesson & Lunch or the one-hour The Bo-Kaap Local Tour with a community resident.

Don’t leave Cape Town without experiencing ‘the hood’. Through Closer to Africa, you can also experience life in the Langa, Woodstock, Kalk Bay and Mitchells Plain neighbourhoods.

Ask them about their booking specials.

Reviews from people who have used Closer to Africa Tours

“I thoroughly recommend this tour; it was interesting, hands on and informative. Zaki was born in the Bo Kaap and as a ‘local’ has many stories to tell about life in the Bo Kaap. Also takes you on a journey of the History of the Bo Kaap and its people,” wrote Dieter H on their TripAdvisor page.

Esther V added; “It was such a nice experience, we’ve heard a lot about the history and the culture of Bo-Kaap. Our tour guide was very personal and friendly. He even took more time.”

“Zak was lovely and we had a memorable morning/afternoon with him in his neighborhood. He not only shared about the history, culture, and religion of Bo-Kaap, but also provided personal anecdotes and stories about himself, his friends, and family that made it feel personable and relate-able. The Cape Malay meal was also incredible, as was the savory/spicy donut and rooibos tea at the end was enjoyable as well!” said Phoebe Chen.

Closer to Africa Tours is located at 46 Rose St, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. Here is their location on Google Maps. For bookings, call +27 (0) 61 636 2754; email info@closertoafrica.co.za or visit them online at www.closertoafrica.co.za.

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Restaurants with a good mix of service, food and ambiance

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No matter that the food is delicious and the setting delightful, poor service can ruin the occasion. However, great service combined with mediocre meal and a plane jane restaurant can still be a pleasant night out.

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Well that’s our theory anyway. It also doesn’t take a grand location with enormous facilities for a spa to be really good

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