Telling Durban’s real stories and history

DYNAMIC Durban-based tour operator Sthembiso Mbonambi could not wait for the start of this year’s Tourism Indaba.

Mbonambi, who owns Street Scene Tours, had been a roving delegate at the big trade show for three years, but now he is one of the black-owned entrepreneurs who has been invited to occupy one of the stands at the Tourism KwaZulu-Natal exhibition space during the all-important three-day Indaba at the Nkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.

“I have 19 business meetings set up, which is great. My goal is to tell the international delegates and the world our story and showcase the city, province and country,” he said.

As a roving delegate he had picked up good leads and still works with companies he met then. Now, he is hoping to do even better.

“It is a great opportunity to be part of TKZN’s exhibition stand. This is our time,” he said.

A former best-selling car salesman, Mbonambi began dreaming about starting his own business back in 2009, a dream that turned to reality and kicked off in time for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.

With thousands of visitors converging on the city, he ran 27 back-to-back tours and “that put Street Scene Tours on the map,” he recalled.

Mbonambi prides himself that his tours are “something very unique,” offering tourists to the city something different.

“Street Scene Tours aim to offer our guests a behind-the-scenes view of Durban, KZN and the country.

“Our main focus is to take our guests where they cannot take themselves; to see things that they have never heard of or seen on TV or newspapers.

“A lot of our history was written incorrectly: it is time for the real stories, the real history to be told and Street Scene is here for that. We tell the story the way it happened so that the world understands where we come from, our path and where we are going,” said Mbonambi, who is studying history at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

With 19 tours on offer and with guests ranging from eight to 91 years of age, he says that his most popular tour and his personal favourite is his Super Scene tour, which is a mix of the city and the township.

“This tour tells our story from the time when the country was divided and segregated until where democracy began and where Mandela cast his first vote in 1994,” he said.

His Durban In a Day tour is all about the history of the city and tells about King Shaka, the arrival of the British, the Portuguese and the Indians.

“It’s why we are a cultural and diverse city,” he explained.

Mbonambi has had rave reviews on the influential Trip Advisor website, with one international visitor describing his tours as “amazing, fabulous”.

The writer said that Mbonambi had been “unstinting in his desire to explain the history and culture of black South Africans by taking us to their local ‘muti’ market and a township ... colonial downtown stops, high city views... Gandhi’s house...Dube’s historical homestead ... Mandela’s first voting location, all the while answering every question and explaining past/current politics and culture. All day, we were overwhelmed with his knowledge, courtesy, kindness. At day’s end, we congratulated ourselves on finding him!”

Street Scene Tours can be reached on tel: 031 321 5079 or 083 995 8002, or get in touch via info@streetscene.co.za The website is www.streetscene.co.za