Experience the life of an African village, learn about time-honored tribal customs, watch dance performances and sample traditional African cuisine.
Set amid rocky hills and picturesque woodland is the enriching Lesedi Cultural Village. Share the warm hospitality of Africa’s tribal cultures while discovering their daily activities and customs. Watch live music and dance performances then enjoy a traditional African buffet.
The village showcases five of South Africa’s many ethnic groups: Basotho, Ndebele, Pedi, Xhosa and Zulu. Watch a multimedia presentation about the origins of South Africa’s people, and understand why Desmond Tutu christened the country the Rainbow Nation. Join a knowledgeable villager and visit the homesteads of each of the represented groups. See drumming, spear throwing and stick fighting demonstrations.
Enjoy performances by West African marimba players, a wooden percussion instrument similar to the xylophone. Listen to the sounds of maskandi, Zulu folk music common in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. Go to the ingoma boma dancehall, where members of the village’s groups put on a fascinating display of rhythmic drumming and dance. Marvel as the Pedi women perform a hip-shaking rain dance and Zulus execute giant pirouettes across the stage.
Dependent on the timing of your visit you’ll have the chance to appreciate various dining experiences. Sample a nyama choma, an African buffet of meats such as crocodile, ostrich and warthog. Experience the flavors of North African cuisine while sat cross legged at a floor table. Chat with villagers in a shebeen, a tavern that originally served as an unlicensed drinking venue.
Stay overnight in a luxury hut of one of the five homesteads. Wake up to the soothing sounds of traditional tribal instruments such as the maskandi guitar and squash-box.
Situated in the northwest of South Africa’s Gauteng province, the Lesedi Cultural Village is a 35-minute drive from Pretoria. Johannesburg is about a 50-minute drive away. Renting a car is a convenient way to get here and allows the chance to visit nearby attractions, including the scenic Hartbeesport Dam. The village also offers a shuttle service from hotels in Johannesburg.
Tours of the village last about three hours and there are two programs per day. Find admission fees and the tour schedule on the village’s official website.
