As soon as I landed, I immediately fell in love with South Africa’s endless postcard-worthy landscapes. From the vineyards of Stellenbosch to Table Mountain’s towering yet majestic presence over Cape Town, I was left constantly pinching myself at how amazing my surroundings were. 

Yet lingering underneath this indisputable beauty was a whisper of the ugliness from the not-so-distant past. It was impossible for me not to notice the remnants, both evident and subtle, of the apartheid regime. For instance, after having spent just a few days in the country, I wasn’t particularly surprised by the little old White lady that assumed I was one of the waitresses at the restaurant where we were having brunch. The glaring lack of Black or Brown faces in non-service roles in most of the places I visited in Cape Town in particular, was hard to ignore.

Despite this, after an entirely too brief visit, I left South Africa with an immediate hunger to return and explore more of its beauty, while always reflecting on the lessons of its checkered past.

Photos: Chris Filcidor

SHOP THE CHANGEMAKER COLLECTION

CHANGEMAKERS | NEWSMAKERS | TRAVELERS | TRENDSETTERS | STORYTELLERS