Hands up if you never look beyond Ballito or Clifton when it’s time to plan your holiday? That’s okay – most of us don’t. Which is exactly why Mark Sham is shedding a spotlight on South Africa’s small towns with his latest venture, Like A Tourist.
Mark’s career as a speaker means that he is no stranger to airports around South Africa – and that, in turn, means that he has had ample opportunity to get acquainted with our major centres. But, while there’s a lot to be said for convenience and familiarity, he’s far more interested in what lies just behind the bend: What would you find if you venture outside Joburg? Who might you meet? And how might their experiences be different from your own?
It’s this aspect of travel – the opportunity to learn about how other people live – that has grasped Mark’s imagination since he was just 13. “I find it amazing that you can get on a plane in Joburg, take a nap and wake up hours later in a place where people speak differently, eat different food, think differently and behave differently,” he says. That’s why he considers travel to be a mind-altering form of education.
But he also considers it a great pity that most of us don’t open ourselves to this type of learning until we find ourselves in a foreign country.
His own curiosity about South Africa exploded during the Covid pandemic, when he returned home after some time in London expecting to stay seven weeks – and never went back. “I’ve travelled my whole life, so I was desperate to scratch that itch during lockdown. As soon as our borders opened, I travelled South Africa flat.” He made his first video about an exploration of Knysna in 2022, after realizing that, as excited as he was to share his adventures, people simply couldn’t picture the beauty and magic he was experiencing. “When I told people about the towns I visited, they’d say, ‘Oh, sounds cool’. I knew that I had to show them instead.” His instincts were right. The Knysna video “exploded” – proving to him that there’s a real appetite to find out more about places that don’t need a passport.
And Mark is only too happy to oblige. “It’s incredible for me to think that the Garden Route, with its breathtaking beauty, is in the same country as the strange and intriguing village of Nieu-Bethesda,” he enthuses.
It’s in these little towns that you are going to find the real spirit of South Africa’s people, he says. “Trust me: South Africa is not the strollers on the prom in Sea Point or the people cursing in the traffic on William Nicol Drive. But you don’t understand that until you travel around.”
That’s why there’s something sad about setting your Waze to the shortest route possible and getting to your destination as quickly as you can. Mark is all about that ‘sho’t left’. “My favorite way to travel is to allow myself time to just wander. We’ll see a road that looks interesting and head down it, have a drink wherever we wind up, chat to the people, and get to know what their lives are like.” Of course he’ll get where he’s going – he just doesn’t mind taking the long way around. In fact, he prefers it: “It really is all about the journey rather than the destination.”
Of course, this doesn’t suit everyone. “Most of us lead intense lives, so it helps to have someone do the research for you; to give recommendations about where to eat, where to stay and what to do,” Mark says.
With more and more content creators ready to spill their travel secrets, it’s become easier than ever to find those hidden gems. Facebook groups like “Small Towns South Africa” are showing off the charm of dorps from Wupperthal to Wakkerstroom, from Paternoster to Port Alfred. They all have something to offer, Mark insists. “Different places give us different things. I couldn’t single out just one town as my favorite, because each offers a completely different experience. The key is to approach them as you would a village overseas, looking for the things that might interest you and giving those out-of-the-way spots a chance, rather than sticking to the commercial enterprises that won’t surprise you in any way. In other words, you have to think like a tourist.”
The best part? Since South Africa is such a mishmash of different landscapes, you’re certain to find something you love. Travel through our country for just one day, and you can go from the purple rain of a jacaranda-spangled Joburg summer to the moonscape of the Karoo and the lushness of the Garden Route. “Travelling has healed my broken relationship with this country,” Mark says. And he believes it can do the same for everyone else. “We’re still one of the cheapest places to travel. There’s no better time to pack your bags.”
Details: Check out @likeatouristza on Instagram and Youtube.
Start thinking like a tourist
- Check out the socials for travel inspo. Content creators like @sunshinesimplicities and @campsbaygirl showcase incredible destinations.
- If you’re looking for a unique experience, opt for the small, owner-operated restaurant rather than the name you know – they’ll make sure that the burger they’re making is the best one ever, because it’s their livelihood at stake.
- Accept that you might have to venture out of your comfort zone to make amazing memories. Larger centres offer convenience and comfort, but small towns have soul.
- Give yourself time to take that sh’ot left. Schedule a day with no activities so that you feel no pressure to reach a certain place on time, then allow yourself to wander where your curiosity takes you.
Text: LISA WITEPSKI • Images: lIKE A TOURIST, @likeatouristza on Insta
