The spirit of religion - South Africa

Countless religions have taken root in South Africa during the course of the country’s history. Even in the smallest villages, church steeples tower into the sky, indicating the way for believers as they congregate in devotion and prayer.

Today the constitution guarantees complete freedom of worship to all and reflects the diversity of South Africa’s communities. As in most parts of Southern Africa, Christian denominations form the largest group. A minority of black South Africans still follow traditional religions, especially in the rural areas. Here, traditional leaders known as ‘sangomas’ play a major part in the cultural beliefs and prescribe their own muti (medicine).

At Vuya Africa we don't actually have any tours related to religion, but if this is where your interest lies then we recommend you try get involved in the following types of tradition.

South Africa's diversity in religion

The oldest Christian establishment is the Dutch Reformed Church which was founded upon the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652. As apartheid became more established, this church became the centrepiece for the Afrikaans people, and smaller ‘daughter churches’ were established for the ‘non-white’ racial grouping.

Thanks to South Africa’s sizable population of British immigrants, the full spectrum of British churches is represented.