Soweto: Much More Than Just Museums! Engaging While Giving Back

This tour was amazing, and Gilda was the perfect person to lead the experience. Our pickup was on time and the vehicle was super comfy with AC and water if needed (we were the only two on the tour that day). We had deep, in-depth chats, we asked the difficult questions, and we got so much out of our time with Gilda. Rather than having a large generic group tour, Gilda uses local guides and people who live in the areas you visit and can tell you the brutal truths of life in Soweto, including the community's resilience and warm welcome to visitors. At no point did we feel unsafe, everyone was so kind and welcoming, and we got visit places/meet people we never would have met otherwise. It's so important to have an understanding of Joburg and how Soweto came about in order to do better and be better as people. This tour helps bridge the perception gap. Don't sleep on booking this tour - it's absolutely worth every cent! Make sure you've got some Rand with you for local performances and any curios/snacks you might want to purchase (cards were accepted almost everywhere except for Kliptown). Thanks Gilda!

We had a wonderful day with Gabriel our guide on our day trip to Soweto. Gabriel is a warm, thoughtful and knowledgeable guide who made our trip sparkle. We visited Nelson Mandela’s home and had lunch at a local restaurant serving typical South African food. We also experienced great street performances by different groups. Gabriel explained the history of how Soweto came to be and how it has changed over the years. We enjoyed having a beer in a local bar. We loved everything that we did but the most thought provoking and confronting part of our trip was the visit to Kliptown. I am so glad we went there, the people we met were so kind and welcoming and the children were gorgeous. Kliptown is the poorest part of Soweto and most tourists don’t go there. We saw how this community is working together to improve young people’s lives through creative industry. We highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to gain an understanding of Soweto’s history and its people.

Gabriel was a spectacular guide, we were grateful for the opportunity to learn about life in Soweto, its history, and support local organizations and businesses.

The 4 of us were the only ones on this full day tour with Gabriel who did an excellent job tailoring it to our expectations. Gabriel was very personable, friendly and knowledgeable enhancing our day even more. The Itinerary is an excellent one as are all the community based guides. We saw and learnt alot from the very sobering sites of Hector Pieterson Memorial; and Mandela’s House; to the amazingly athletic and joyful Zulu dancers. We made some great purchases from the very helpful and friendly roadside vendors; and enjoyed our local lunch; and brew. From the outset of our booking from downunder several months in advance Gilda was very helpful. Gilda has since ensured that our 40+ brand new running tops donations were well distributed, which we appreciated.

We recently booked a half day tour. Was hoping for an authentic experience in Johannesburg, and that was exactly what we got. Our guide was Gabriel. He was knowledgeable and shared with us about his city and he was really passionate about it. We had a good time.

This was one of the best tours we have ever done anywhere! Our guide Gabriel was amazing, introducing us to the culture, some customs and practices of the locals. The tour showed that the people of Soweto are resilience personified! We enjoyed a local beer and traditional lunch, met local kids making the most of what they have! Highly recommend this tour!

If you only do one thing whilst in Joburg, make sure it’s this tour with Gilda. From learning about Hector Pietson from a local, to the tour of Nelson Mandela’s house with an amazing tourism student and eating amazing food at a local restaurant, this tour had it all. We visited a local community with Gilda and ‘her boys’. They gave us a unique insight into life in Soweto which was informative, confronting and humbling. Gilda changed things up to enable us to experience everything, even though the first rain of the season threatened to derail our day. Amazing!!!!

Our experience was absolutely wonderful and the highlight of our trip to South Africa. Please do not miss out on the opportunity to learn about Johannesburg and meet her people. Gilda, one of the owners and our guide for the day was very professional. She shared her passion and knowledge about Johannesburg and specifically Soweto. Gilda's relationships with the community allowed us to have experiences that we wouldn't have had on a "traditional " tour.

I joined this Soweto tour on the last day of my stay in Johannesburg, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my trip to South Africa. Many outsiders tend to think of Soweto only as a place of poverty and hardship. But my guide, Gabriel—who is from Soweto—opened my eyes to a very different reality. He showed me the diversity, resilience, and vibrancy of this community: people living on their own terms, creating beauty, and thriving despite challenges. At the beginning he told me that by the end of the tour I would understand how resilient the people of Soweto are. By the end, I completely agreed—mission accomplished! The tour was eye-opening and full of nuances. Gabriel introduced me not only to different neighborhoods and living conditions, but also to the people themselves. He explained how to greet locals, invited me to share a beer along the way, and emphasized that Soweto cannot simply be flattened into the stereotype of “the poor and oppressed.” Instead, it is a multifaceted community with rich cultural, social, and economic diversity. I was also deeply impressed to learn about the grassroots work that Eenblod Tours and its owner, Gilda, are doing in partnership with the community. One highlight was meeting four children supported by the program, who were engaging, curious, and eager to interact with visitors as part of their learning journey. Talking with them was both fun and inspiring. This tour—and the wonderful guidance of Gabriel—made my final day in South Africa unforgettable. I highly recommend Gabriel and Eenblod Tours to anyone visiting Johannesburg.

This tour delivers exactly what it claims in the Title. I gained a lot of information about Soweto and South Africa during the day. Our driver Gabriel was charming, friendly and very knowledgeable. The drive was very comfortable but most of all the memory of our visit to Kliptown will remain with us forever Amazing work is being done by this company to secure the futures of several young men in the township We met them personally as they guided us around with many smaller children in tow who were an absolute delight Well done to Gilda and her team for giving these boys the opportunity to make a difference in their lives and their families You should be very proud of your work

We recently booked the Soweto tour with Gilda and were not disappointed. A 5 star tour full of history and authentic real world experiences. It was a day filled with love and laughter. We got to meet many fabulous people along the way. Check out our photos as they speak for themselves. We highly suggest you book a tour with her as it will be a day you will not soon forget!!!❤️😎

Definetly one of the more unique experiences we had. Lovely to SEE Soweto and Kliptown through the eyes of someone so involved in the community. We felt safe during the whole trip, our guide was an excellent driver and a lovely down to Earth person. Would 100% do this tour again if we could!

If you want to have an immersive experience in Soweto, book your tour with Eenblond Tours. Gabriel, our guide, is a local, who understands the history, culture and community and provides the openness needed to discuss challenging questions. His connections and grace are amazing. From the time he picked us up, with his friendly smile and invitation to ask any questions, we knew we could learn from him. The pace of the day was just right for us, he checked in along the way to ensure we were having the experience that matched our energy. The visits to community venues helped us understand the richness of Soweto. We came as travelers and left as fans. Don't miss the chance to experience the community with Eenblond Tours and Gabriel!

Within 10 minutes of meeting Gilda it felt like I had known here forever, in the best way. What an amazing lady and what brilliant tours she offers. I have known her for nearly 3 years now and I’m claiming her as a friend. Whilst I met her for Jo’burg based tours I am super excited to be going on tour with her in other parts of South Africa on what looks to be an amazing tour that she has put together for me. I have no doubt it will be superb. You will be so pleased you chose Eenblond Tours, I promise you.

My friend and I had a truly incredible day on this tour. We were both really looking forward to learning more about Soweto and its history, and this experience really shows you a lot of sides of the community. Because we spent the full day rather than many of the half day tours that are offered, we were able to go to many spots with no tourists and interact with the locals. I also appreciate. how much this tour strives to give back to the community and support the local economy. I highly recommend this experience!

This tour was in my opinion one of the best and most humbling tours I have ever done. Our guide, Gabriel, was himself born and raised in Soweto and knew where to take us for the best overview of everything. The visit to the boys in one of the poorest parts of Soweto was both enlightening and overpowering. The outlook on life by these boys who have absolutely nothing, was a mark of their determination to succeed in whatever they do, and with the help of Gilda they are managing to achieve.

This was the best experience I have had in the entire trip to South Africa. It challenged my pre conceived notions of Soweto- it’s a lively, safe, vibrant community. Gabriel was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide.

What a day with our guide Gabriel, just the three of us! Moving, thought provoking, educational, and enjoyable. Wonderful to know I selected a tour company that focuses on working with young boys in Kliptown, helping them develop a business to help themselves.

Gabriel was an excellent guide, providing cultural insights and historical information. The day was thought provoking and inspirational. Would highly recommend to others who appreciate the intimacy of a small group experience. “Sawu bona” - a Zulu greeting!

Gilda and Gabriel took us on an amazing, unrepeatable day around Soweto. The exceptional relationships that Gilda has cultivated give her guests an utterly unique, real, vibrant experience. From Vilakazi street to the local family in their yard to the exceptional boys Kliptown, Gilda will open you to an unforgettable experience. If you want to really immerse yourself in Soweto don’t miss this exceptional opportunity.

Very intimate, authentic, flexible simply amazingly enjoyable. We wanted a beer she made room on tour for a local bar. Visited local families and communities. Everything promised and more!

She was an excellent guide absolutely recommended if you are looking for an authentic and immersive experience both in Soweto culture and local African village. In addition to it we really appreciate had a typical lunch. Martina e Christian

The entire tour was very informative. We loved the authenticity. Meeting the families and children was enlightening. Someone actually pleasantly invited us into her home. Highly recommended if you want to experience the true Soweto.

Incredible opportunity to see the real Soweto life. Gilda and Gabriel were excellent guides and brought the area to life enabling us to go to places where most tour companies would not go.

The tour was amazing. Gilda is very connected to people and culture. The most memorable segment was the immersion into the history of Soweto, and the beauty of the Joburg spirit. I hosted 14 family members and will never forget this tour.

Gilda is an extraordinary guide. She gave us deep insight into the people and history of Soweto, which changed my entire experience of this country. We saw sights and locations (Mandela's home, KlipTown, etc) through the eyes of people who live there, whose stories are remarkable. As a result of Gilda's guidance, we instantly felt at home, at ease, connected to the joy and strength of this community. Do not miss this opportunity!

Hearing stories from the locals give such a great additional layer of emotion which I have didn’t get from previous tours I did in Soweto. Gilda is so engaged and committed to the people in Soweto.

I have been meaning to write this review for months. My son and I traveled to South Africa in March. We had a week safari planned as well as Cape Town and the Whale Coast for another week. We flew into Johannesburg and had a day before the safari and booked Gilda’s tour. After our amazing vacation (saw the big five, penguins, Cape of Good Hope) my 12 year old still says his favorite day on our trip was the Bespoke tour of Soweto with Gilda and Gabriel! Don’t hesitate to book this tour!

We booked a last-minute tour with our two teenagers. When I asked at the end “Did you like it?” They answered “No, we loved it!! Especially the music at the end and the kids in Kliptown.” To be honest, we as parents, thought it was a bit too touristy on Vilakasi street with the dancing Zulu’s. But the extra local guides were well informed and nice. And we got time to go up the Soweto Towers (didn’t jump 🫣). The view was awesome. All in all a nice day.

We had a day layover in Johannesburg and we’re really interested in a tour that would engulf us in the local community. Gilda and Gabriel did just that and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Gilda has an amazing relationship with the local community and truly cares about giving back. We loved that she had a local member of the particular area show us around and get a perspective from someone that lives there. Although we only had about four hours for our tour the takeaways and memories will last a lifetime. Highly recommend!

It was a GREAT experience with Gilda. If you look for a tour to discover authenticity, culture and the community, go for it! You will not go where all the tour buses go but visit the locals places in total safety with Gilda. She knows everybody and has an extended knowledge about Soweto. Will do it again!

The day in Soweto with Gabriel was amazing. We had so much fun and learned so much about the place. We met amazing local people, had the best coffee and scones ever, a great lunch and felt the true spirit of Soweto. We will never forget that day and this experience. Thank you Gabriel for a truly special day!

What an unbelievable experience, Gilda gave us! From the moment we arrived in Soweto we knew it was going to be a great day. Gilda sat with us in a coffee shop along with our driver, who was great as well, and explained the history of Soweto and the townships before we even started our tour. She is a very special person with a passion for her profession, and for her community, she is very generous and caring about, the Soweto people, and especially the children we visited. We received a tour of the area where the students were shot while protesting apartheid. Then we got a chance to look in the museum as well briefly, but the best part of the tour was the walk through the area of Soweto called Kliptown. What an experience it was! We interacted directly with the residents and got to see how difficult their lives are and yet see how much happiness and love is obvious throughout the community The best part was taking selfie's with the residents who loved being part of pictures. We were never hounded to give money like happens in many places. We chose how to give a small token of our appreciation to, and they were eternally grateful this was one of the best tours we have ever taken If you want to see the real Soweto and learn about its history, and the history of apartheid take the tour! If you want to just sit in the bus and stare at monuments in museums and residents out a window this is definitely not for you

Perfect blend of history and culture - truly immersive experience. The good the bad and the ugly (and the amazing). The tour way exceeded expectations. Blew my mind. Glenda and Gabriel are phenomenal. Worth every cent and then some. So grateful to have had this experience. Changed all the preconceived beliefs about Soweto.

Gilda was a terrific host and I would highly recommend this tour. Our aim was to find a tour to show us as many facets to life in Soweto as possible. We found what we were looking for.

This tour was well organized and very thoughtfully planned out. I was able to see and learn so much.

If you want an amazing tour of the wonderful place called Soweto you have to take this enlightening travel opportunity. Discover the REAL Soweto. Meet the lovely welcoming people. See places not on the tourist map. I was so lucky yo pick this tour. What a pleasure to be able to explore what Soweto and the area stand for. See the past view the present and envision what this lovely place has to offer. Gilda and the locals that showed me around were the best. Gabriel picked me up on time and provided a lively explanation of many of the places we past on our way to Soweto. Gilda does not only provide tours but also is a viable part of the community even though she does not live there. She has created an NGO for the locals.As we walked through some small communities men were asking for seeds to plant gardens. The only thing that should be changed about the tour is that all the people we spoke with wanted to be tipped. I do not mind but I did not budget for this. I suggest to raise the price of the tour maybe and she pay her people herself. So many people have a very negative view of the world in these South African communities. One only has to walk through these wonderful communities to see how vibrant safe and welcoming they are. Never once did I even think I was unsafe. We all should take this tour and have our eyes opened and walk away a bit more educated and happy.

It’s hard to explain how great of an authentic and impactful experience Gilda provided. We were treated like locals, and friends of everyone there. We experienced hospitality from every stop. We were taught how to interact in Soweto, both from Gilda and the community leaders. We saw all the tourist spots AND the spots that only a local like Gilda could provide. She allowed us to choose to stay longer at the spots we enjoyed and move quicker through the spots we were less inspired to view. We fit it all in through the day, and were able to reflect throughout. Nothing felt forced or too uncomfortable. Overall, such an organically fun and memorable day. I will recommend this to anyone visiting Johannesburg!

I had the BEST day on this tour. Gilda was so welcoming I felt like I had known her for years with min a short space of time. The tour was exactly what I had been looking for - something a bit different, away from the standard tour that you normally get. There was so much to see and so much to learn. My brain feels very full in the best way. Gilda is completely awesome as are the local guides used at various points. Book this tour - you will not regret it!

My wife and I took this tour and can't recommend it enough. We saw Soweto in a way you never could in a large tour group and our guides were folks who lived in the neighborhoods they were talking about. Gilda and Gabrielle were both incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and really catered the day to our interests. Start to finish every moment of the day was memorable and anyone with any sort of interest in this incredible city would be doing themselves a disservice to book with anyone else.

We had a full day tour with Gilda and it was spectacular. Gilda created a warm and personal experience at every single stop. We felt as though we really got to know the authentic community and it was so very much better than any general tour bus could have been. It was a beautiful way to really bear witness to a culture and a community which was both respectful of and engaging with that community. We are a family of 5 from the US traveling to South Africa for the first time. Our three adult children also found the experience educational and moving. We only had 4 days in the Johannesburg area and it was 100% worth spending a full day doing this. Gilda was also very conscientious about Covid protocols and we felt completely safe.

Gilda and Gabriel are amazing, friendly, and accommodating guides who worked together to provide a personalised online tour for me. Due to the pandemic, I am currently unable to travel to South Africa for a research project on entrepreneurship. I reached out to Gilda to see if it would be possible for her to show me what entrepreneurship looks like in Soweto. Not only did she show me this, she shared with me her own experiences of entrepreneurship, answered my many questions, and arranged for me to speak with entrepreneurs in many different lines of work, as well as stopping and facilitating conversations with local entrepreneurs she met along the way. This was a truly remarkable experience for me and my research, and goes to show how comfortable Gilda makes people feel, everybody was keen to talk to her! I would highly recommend a tour with Gilda and can't wait to take one in person when it's safe. Thank you both so much for the incredibly valuable experience.

we spent a lovely day with our guide visiting several parts of Soweto, we enjoyed nice food nice view and we discovered a lot of the history of this incredible township

The tour was an amazing experience. Gilda takes you deep into the culture of Soweto, providing direct connection to the amazing people and environment. On the tour, she arranges for native guides to narrate the local flair, from Kliptown to Orange West and everything in between. If you want to immerse yourself into the many colors of Soweto, this is tour to make it happen.

Thank you Gilda for sharing your special relationship with Soweto and its residents with me last week. It is evident that you have developed genuine friendships with a wide range of people, from the street performers to the artisans and the guides. Your warm relationships translated to shared insights and understanding of Soweto, its people and its history with me. I feel so fortunate to have connected with you and am excited for my next visit when I can spend a longer day with you. Much appreciation! Beth C from Maine, USA

Gilda was just the best. Unbelievable behind the scenes authentic private tour for my wife and I . I highly recommend booking this tour for anyone travelling to J’Burg and opening their mind up. Keep up the amazing work Gilda

If you are looking to get a lot more than a double-decker ride zipping you through with no real connection with your host country, this is for you. If you want to meet locals and get to know their history and their future, this is for you. If you are open to see Soweto by walking down the street, guided by members of the community welcoming you, not as a tourist, but as an old friend, this is for you. If you want to hang out with Gilda, the tour owner, as she tells you about the both side of the coins and introduces you to all her friends along the way, this is for you. I truly enjoyed my time (did not feel like it was a tour) with Gilda and her team. Gilda and her stories alone are worth your time. The only drawback is that you may feel you know so much more about the history and the people, however, you are truly aware there is still so much more to learn. You may be feeling the area is not safe. Rest assure this is not the case and I felt safe at all time, this is a community that support each other and they want to be sustainable. Come and see for yourself, you will not be deceived.

Everything about the day from the moment that Gilda picked me up to when she dropped me off was just perfect. She is so well known and loved in every area that we visited that the whole experience was an absolute joy. Both Gilda and her guides are extremely knowledgeable and so keen to share their knowledge and the culture of this amazing place. If you are looking for a fun filled, informative and real insight into life in Soweto, I genuinely can’t recommend this tour highly enough. Gilda, thanks once again for an incredible day!!

Gilda, the eponymous "eenblond" who offers this wonderful tour and others, has a clear and contagious passion and appreciation for the communities that make up Johannesburg, and South Africa in general. The mutual trust that is obvious between Gilda and community members and leaders gives the tour a unique level of engagement and insight that simply cannot be replicated by other tours, much less by those which focus solely on monuments and landmarks and which miss the daily, lived experience of the communities. Gilda's approach is interactive, experiential, and laden with a rich volume of on-the-ground humanity and relationships. Gilda's warm, respectful, but straightforward personality permeates through to her touring style, which allows those who are shier or who may only know of Soweto (or Johannesburg at large) from media dramatizations or news hyperbole to shine during her tours and to develop a unique appreciation for Soweto's history, and for Johannesburg and South Africa as well. For those who are only experiencing Soweto or Johannesburg for the first time, Gilda's tours are simply a wonderful, safe, and memorable introduction to these communities. Her deep knowledge, friendly personality, and relationships with the local communities, however, often invite the traveller to book a tour for a second, third, or fourth time -- even encouraging second or third trips to South Africa for those of us who are not locals. Touring with Gilda was a wonderful experience which I cannot stop recommending and I hope to tour again with her soon!