February 17 – 21, 2018

The Prequel Itinerary will focus on the key political and historical events leading up to the transition to the new South Africa, township life, and the important role the gold mining industry has played in South African history. We will also have a glimpse of modern-day Johannesburg, as expressed in its buildings and public art.

Our guide will be Jo Buitendach, holder of an Honours degree in archeology from the University of Witwatersrand and a Masters degree in Architecture and Planning from the University of Cape Town, where her thesis was on the conservation of the built environment, with a special interest in public art. She founded her touring company, Past Experiences, in 2008 and was recognized by the Guardian Newpapers as one of the “World’s 10 Best Tour Guides” in 2015. Last year, she was recognized by the Gauteng government for her continued contributions to the city of Johannesburg.

Saturday, Feb 17:

• Arrive at O.R.Tambo International Airport to be met by Green Route Africa, our travel consultants, and escorted to our hotel, The Michelangelo, in Sandton. michelangelo@legacyhotels.com.    011-282-7000.
• 6:30 pm: Dinner at the Butcher Shop and Grill.                                    

Sunday, Feb 18: Pretoria: Colonial History, Afrikaans Heritage, and Pre-Apartheid South Africa

• 9:00 am: Gather for bus journey to Pretoria.
• Visit the Voortrekker Monument, Church Square, Paul Kruger House, Melrose House (where the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed in 1902, ending the Anglo-Boer War), and the Union Buildings, executive capital of South Africa and the site of Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as President in 1994. Lunch at the Voortrekker Monument.
• Dinner: Marble Restaurant, Rosebank.

Monday, Feb 19: Soweto Township and the Struggle Against Apartheid

• 9:30 pm: Tour the Apartheid Museum.
• 12:00 noon: Travel to Soweto via Soccer City. Lunch at Sakhumzi Restaurant.
• Visit Mandela House, the Hector Pieterson Memorial (to the first student killed in the 1976 Soweto Uprising), and the Regina Mundi Church, site of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings from 1995 to 1998.
• Return to the hotel via Freedom Square and the Chris Hani Hospital.
• Dinner: Gemelli Restaurant.

Tuesday, Feb 20: Johannesburg: From Mining Town to Apartheid to Hip New City

• 9:30 am: Travel to Liliesleaf Farm, secret hide-out of the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party during the early years of apartheid, and the site of the raid that ultimately led to the Rivonia Trials and the incarceration of many struggle leaders, including Nelson Mandela.
• Tour Constitution Hill, where resides the Constitutional Court, the highest court in the land, and the Old Fort, among whose prisoners have been Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela.
• Lunch at Canteen Maboneng.
• Afternoon: Walking tour of the city, viewing Johannesburg’s gold mining history, the city as it was in Mandela’s time, and the modern city is has become, as reflected partially through its public art.
• Dinner: DW Eleven 13 Restaurant.

Wednesday, Feb 21:

• Transfer to O.R.Tambo International Airport (timed for your specific flight) for ongoing travel to Cape Town.