 | Director GreatGuides, Cape Town Great Guide since 12/09 Nationality: English |
Location: Southern Africa | South Africa Themes: the past, travel, society | tour guide, inspiring | |
Zulu Church
GREAT GUIDE
RODDY BRAY : South Africa
A Self-Drive Guided Tour of the Cape Winelands [audio]
A History of South Africa in 8 Parts [audio]
meet Roddy Bray
The Twelve Apostles, above Camps Bay in Cape Town
Originally from the UK, I spent a 'gap year' in a Cape Town township in the late 1980s. A state of emergency was in force, trying to quash the 'ungovernable' black majority clamouring for change. I was soon caught up in the revolutionary spirit in South Africa, and at the same time bewitched by the beauty of Cape Town.
One year turned into twenty and I saw the fall of apartheid and the rise of Nelson Mandela to the Presidency. I watched the country embrace reconciliation as 'the rainbow nation', hammer out a radically liberal constitution, and face its demons in the Truth Commission. I have lived through the dramatic transition that has occurred, with its ‘miracles’ and failures. | |
Nelson Mandela on his release, with my friend, Mayor Gordon Oliver |
In the mid-90s I wrote a Masters thesis in Anthropology that studied the political transition and its effect on NGOs, and this helped me become established as a specialist tour guide for groups wanting to understand the country in greater depth. My work in tourism developed and I started my own company in 2000 that continues to offer private tailored-made tours in East and southern Africa.
I have worked extensively in very poor urban townships, like Khayelitsha, promoting not-for-profit initiatives. I also re-established and managed the work of the WorldTeach programme in South Africa, running winter-school programmes in Masiphumelele and placing volunteers in schools as teachers.
| I am very grateful for my experiences in South Africa. It is a beautiful and rich country, that must constantly grapple with its intense history. It is the world’s workshop, capable of glory and disaster, facing difficult challenges in every respect. I have learned much here. | |
Flags over Cape Town Castle represent the history of South Africa |
The variety of my experiences in South Africa gave me a wonderful network among inspiring people and insight into the country. Out of this emerged the 'GreatGuides' website. I trust that you will benefit from my recordings and other media, which reflect my passion: to learn, and to share that knowledge.
Author: Roddy Bray
Date: 02 Feb 2010
Location: Southern Africa | South Africa
Themes: the past, travel, society | travel writer, lecturer
I downloaded your “History of South Africa” and a tour of the wine lands some time ago and it was absolutely stunning. Well done. Albert Gerber, South Africa
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