Be a part of our patreon family and become a catalyst of genuine change.
The Maboneng Township Arts Experience is a non profit destination development initiative. The organisation turns homes in townships into attractions and communities into creative districts. We train and upskill homeowners and families to create a warm intimate creative environment between townships, rural areas and cities; for locals and international visitors alike.
In the past 2 decades, Maboneng Township Arts Experience has created experiences in South African communities that have led a multitude of visitors from all over the world to these new centres of culture.
The name Maboneng is a Sesotho word for a place of lights. After being called Dark City because it had no electricity, Alexandra Township residents nicknamed their township to Alexandra Maboneng meaning Alexandra - A Place of Lights. A good fit to be the birth place of The Maboneng Township Arts Experience & its founder Siphiwe Ngwenya
“After struggling to exhibit my own works earlier on in my career, I ended up exhibiting in the streets and homes of my own community. And now, we’ve created experiences that solve the problem of artists looking for space, families looking for work and the township looking for its place in the world. Join me in my journey of turning townships into towns and exploring new frontiers of my creative career.”
The organisation’s programmes contribute substantially towards training, women and youth empowerment, income generation, as well as the advancement of inclusive and responsible tourism in South Africa. The ongoing programmes impact the cultural, social, economic and environmental conditions of all participants. They transform the local tourism economy and improve the quality of life for the long run. We do not just do poverty tourism, we do development tourism. When you book your tour, we build our South African Townships at the same time. We are the first African black owned tourism and community development non profit with such impact accolades. Our community members that are partners in the experiences earn a living from your gracious bookings. Their children are inspired on every tour to follow a career in the arts and in tourism. Our goal of turning townships into towns through the arts comes even closer with people that want their travel experiences to be a building experience.
