Through transformational immersion tours, event add-ons and motivational talks, Side by Side helps create the tourism market access that local changemakers so deserve.

Side by Side has three divisions to offer the aforementioned services, which address the following three questions:

(i) If visitors to Cape Town are increasingly seeking an immersive travel experience and hungry to plug into the developmental process of the city they’re visiting, then why on earth should that be a difficult, if not an impossible, task?

Through Side by Side Immersions (our foremost division, that our Experience and Tour products fall under), guests visit the community—most often Langa township at this stage—to share authentic, immersive experiences hosted by the entrepreneurs entailing story telling, skill-sharing, exchange of ideas, and volunteering.

Tours are currently co-lead by Side by Side’s founder, Jason Woolf (Volofu on Instagram), a Xhosa-speaking American+South African social entrepreneur & musician; by community-based changemakers, who host short experiences; and/or community-based tour guides.

(ii) Why should those experiences and services be limited to the changemakers’ neighborhoods, whereas we can also bring the the exceptional experiences, products & services from these neighborhoods to where the international visitors already are? Through Side by Side Activations, we’re spicing up meet-and-greets, conferences, farewell dinners and more by making them more inspiring and inclusive.

(iii) Why not highlight these entrepreneurs’ voices in a more strategic and impressive way? Through Side by Side Speakers Bureau, find the perfect motivational talk for your function, or even just an informal chat over one of your meals.

It’s time that visitors of Cape Town have the chance to be ‘side by side’ with Pamela, who’s created employment in the arts for over 50 youth; with Bulelani, who’s cleaning residential areas and creating community gardens; with Sifiso, who’s redefining taverns and street corners through jams and community-building events; with Faith, who’s take-away food establishment is a hidden gem and proudly run as family business; and dozens more like them.