An Assessment of Cultural Places of Interest in Tshwane to Inform a Tourism Shift From Colonial to Indigenous Towards Decolonisation

Abstract

This paper continues from the premise that the built form of the South African post-apartheid city continues to perpetuate the paradigm that only the colonial culture is available for tourist consumption. South Africa is a culturally diverse country that provides tourism to an international tourist market that seeks diverse cultural experiences. However, with most African cultural artefacts found encased in colonial architecture museums, questions arise regarding the authenticity of the cultural experience and the appropriate cultural representation in built form. This paper provides recommendations towards the transformation of the post-apartheid city following an assessment of the current tourist attractions that host cultural artefacts and serve as tourist attractions. Most of this data exists, and this paper investigates, collates and assesses the data based on these criteria: colonial and indigenous, restricted, and accessible, and static or transformative. The collated data is presented in urban mapping and architectural illustrations. The study is focused on the City of Tshwane in South Africa. Selected case studies are presented. The findings indicate a substantial under-representation in the City of Tshwane of what this paper argues to be culturally appropriate tourist attractions. This paper argues that there is a market for the consumption of culture as an experience away from colonial towards indigenous.