In the 1950s Sophiatown was a vibrant, overcrowded and often chaotic suburb close to the centre of Johannesburg. Its population, who were almost all black, included musicians, writers, gangsters and politicians. But because Sophiatown was a “black spot” in “white” Johannesburg, its very existence was anathema to the National Party government of the 1950s.
In 1955 the community of Sophiatown was destroyed; its residents and their belongings forcibly trucked to barren fields southwest of Johannesburg. One of those removed was the grandfather of Neo Mamashela, (correct; she insists it’s not “Mamashele”) a born-and-bred Sowetan who is turning the disaster of forced removals and apartheid into her own small-scale entrepreneurial triumph.
Stroll through history
The house Neo’s grandfather bought in Bacela Street, Orlando West, is on the corner of Vilakazi Street, a street famous for taking centre stage in the grim events of 1976 and for the two Nobel Peace Prize winners who have called it home: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
An easy walk up the hill from Neo’s B&B in Bacela Street is the Hector Pieterson Memorial, the most visited site in Soweto. On the way there they can pop in to the Mandela Family Museum in the humble “matchbox” house the freedom fighter and statesman lived in.
On a warm summer evening, guests at Neo’s B&B often walk through the streets, pop across the road to Sakhumzi’s Restaurant for a drink or simply sit under the trees chatting in Neo’s backyard. (They will probably note the three little toilets at the extreme rear of the property, which was originally designed as a nursery school.)
A special Soweto welcome
Upon arrival they will have been greeted by their hostess with a warm smile and a complimentary glass of sherry. Their rooms –there are four of them, three en-suite) are all tastefully decorated in a contemporary African style and grouped around the shady back yard.
If they want to know more about the community they’re staying in or simply want to chat with a local, they will find Neo an enthusiastic but unimposing companion. She and daughter Alle live in the main house so there is almost always someone to call on for information or help.
Guests from all over the world find their way to Neo’s B&B, most of them from Europe. “I don’t know how I got in there but a few years ago Neo’s B&B was listed in the Lonely Planet,” says this 50-something mother. “I keep getting guests calling to say they’ve seen me in Lonely Planet. Otherwise, our most important way of marketing ourselves is by word of mouth.”
Word of mouth has it that Neo’s is an unpretentious, comfortable home from home in one of the best parts of Soweto for a visitor wanting to see the sights, and interact with the community. “We don’t do anything fancy here, “ says Neo, “we just try to make people feel really welcome. Oh, and we give them a really great breakfast; whatever type of food they prefer.”
This three-star graded B&B has been in business since 2001, after Neo joined with ten other local entrepreneurs who pooled their resources and talents to get an inclusive tour package focused on Vilakazi Street off the ground.
All for one
Working together to benefit all is very much the Soweto way and Neo says she is optimistic that a new initiative to create a cluster around Vilakazi Street will further enhance her community’s profile and that of her business.
TEP, she says, has been a valuable support. “I’ve known TEP since 2007 and they’ve never turned us down on anything,” she says. “For instance, with our grading they contributed 50% of the cost. It can be an expensive process and that was a great help.
“With that kind of support we’re confident of the future. Next year is 2010 (the Fifa football World Cup which South Africa is hosting). We’ve come a long way but there are exciting times ahead for all of us.”
At Neo’s B&B in Orlando West, tourists who have come a long way to experience Soweto for themselves can get a taste of the journey people like Neo Mamashela’s family have taken – from the dark days of the Sophiatown removals to the giddy anticipation of 2010.