10 Things you MUST know before travelling to Venda

Photo cred: @Ndamunesh_ (Twitter)

A friend of mine recently said that she is interested in visiting Venda now that we have a Venda president....NOW, that, we , have, a , Venda, President?
I don't know how many times I've issued out invitations to many of my friends in Eastern and Western Cape to Join me on my trips home- they were usually declined based on existing stereotypes(which instilled fears) that are known about Vhavenda people and our place. But thanks to the coronation of the first Venda president Cyril Matamela "Thuma mina" Ramaphosa, some people's interest in that part of our country seems to have escalated.

If you are visiting "Venda" and you are from another part of the country, continent or world, there are few things to keep in mind so that "when in Venda, do as the Vendas do". Or if you are a Venda diaspora wanting to visit home after a suspiciously long time(I say that because we have uncles who left home decades ago in search of suitable employment in the cities but have not returned home since or attempted contact, since their whereabouts are not known the rumour that floats around in the villages is that these uncles have been swallowed by the glamour and glories of city life and are now cohabiting with their new baes and offspring). Or you might just be curious about what life in "Venda" is like here are some things about this beautiful place.


DISCLAIMER: Views expressed in this article are based on my personal experience, if you disagree with anything please feel free to comment below, the comments section is where we can argue 😊

1. A small village called Venda?

People are often surprised when they hear that Venda is not one village with rondavel houses only(Similar to how Western people tend to think Africa is one big homogeneous dusty village where monkeys and lions cohabit with human beings). There are various types of settlements(suburbs, villages, towns, lokshin(-ish) ) that makeup the whole place. Some of the well-known places are; Thohoyandou, Phiphidi, Makwarela Sibasa, Thathe, Vondwe, Khalavha, Tshipise, Shayandima, Lwamondo, Tshakhuma, etc Venda is an umbrella term used to refer to all these different places and can only be used until a certain point in the province. Sometimes when we are out of the province and asked where we are from we prefer to say we are from Venda to avoid having to give a lecture. For the purpose of avoiding confusion, in this article i'll continue using the word 'Venda' to refer to  the whole place.

2. The cultural faux pas of wearing mini skirts

When you are in Venda you will realise that the dress code is a tiny bit different. Its not usual to see someone wearing a mini skirt or short-shorts in public areas and when one does so they run the risk of getting cat-called by different groups of people including the elderly. I remember one incident that happened during my high school days; a girl was harassed and labelled 'a home wrecker' at the taxi rank for wearing a short jumpsuit. I doubt the people who did it were trying to be spiteful but its because the culture is still a bit conservative. I for one like wearing shorts in hot summer but I only do so when i'm in the city outside Limpopo, I don't attempt to try that at home (no pun intended)

3. The Venda they never show you on TV

Every time I see a Venda person posting a picture like this to shed some light on beautiful residential areas I simultaneously feel proud and sad. Proud because Vendas have been building some nice mansions out there but sad because we have to constantly use pictures to prove that there is some development going on, on that side of the country. South African Television doesn't often give a good representation of the kind of houses there are in Venda. Outsiders not familiar with the place might watch Muvhango and see the external of the 'royal' house and think that must be the most beautiful house there is and this is false. There is so much more.
We have hotels, lodges, malls and beautiful tourist attraction areas. Don't take my word for it though, go and see for yourself.

4. What about taxi maths?

I recently saw(on Twitter) people discussing how difficult counting money and change in a taxi is, making people dread sitting on the front seat next to the driver because; what if you think you nailed the taxi maths then someone asks for their outstanding change? What if the money you collected is not enough?-the driver might ask you to pay the remaining balance.......there are many things to fear being in a taxi but when in Venda, taxi maths isn't one of them.

Every individual is expected to pay their fare right before they hop off meaning that the driver will accumulate the money as passengers arrive at their different destinations. In all the cities I've lived in so far, the driver will insist you pay the fare the moment you hop into the taxi just in case you come to your stop and Caster Semenya away without paying!😂

5. When crime is shocking

One of the reasons I enjoy being home- it feels safe. Now i'm not suggesting there is Zero crime, that would be lying because Venda people commit the weirdest types of crimes(which I won't mention in order not to scare our tourists away. LOL)
But you can be sure mugging is not very popular. You feel safe to walk with your cellphone or wallet out in the middle of a busy town without worrying if someone is eyeing it or not. Something you can never experiment with somewhere like Johannesburg CBD or Diepsloot.

6. Surprise load shedding

This is not something to loose sleep over. Load shedding is part of the Venda cultural experience. People have gotten used to Electricity switching off that you'll hear gogos asking "kana u do tsima lini mudagasi wa hone"(I wonder when the Electricity will be switched off), people are complacent in laying complaints. I've grown up knowing that whenever there is a cut you step outside your house and look at surrounding areas/villages to see if they also got cut off, if so, you don't bother complaining to Eskom because it is a common struggle. I'm guessing now that we have Vho-Cyril as president, there will be an improvement in Eskom service delivery in Venda(a citizen can dream). Don't let that stop you from visiting, just bring a flashlight and candles and something to abate mosquitos.

7. The natural science rumour


I'm pretty sure we are all aware of the rumour that certain people in Venda are gifted in the department of Natural sciences/Chemistry aka Black magic. This is just a silly stereotype that continues to be perpetuated by the media and public. There is witchcraft everywhere in the world, it just takes different forms in different areas depending on the culture, Hollywood has glamourized Western witchcraft, somehow making it more 'acceptable' in a way we end up celebrating it by watching shows like 'Charmed', The secret circle, etc. When in reality, all witchcraft is wicked and wrong. I don't want to hear anymore "nywe nywe bayathakatha eVenda" as if we have monopoly over that evil deed.


8. Multi-lingualism

I'm convinced Vhavenda have the gift of tongues so you might not struggle as much to be understood when asking for directions or making conversation. Most Venda people have basic understanding of South African bantu languages. And when it comes to accommodating non-Venda speakers, lets just say we do it with grace and patience.


9. Night life in Venda

Not as wild as city night clubs. The night life is not as busy as you would expect. I guess most people live by the expression "Vhusiku ndi dada li a luma"(The night is a monster that devours people). Most people are home before the sun goes down.


10. Street kitchens (Dust chicken and Madenndeni)

I personally believe this is one of the most underrated businesses in black populated areas. These kind of eateries are often looked down upon, maybe because the setting is not as aesthetically pleasing as popular franchised restaurant chains. The food sometimes taste better and fresher. One friend of mine from Bulawayo once told me that in Zimbabwe these street kitchens strive more than formally branded restaurants.

Venda is one of the nicest place to be in. If you want to visit, need a tour guide or help with sorting out accommodation, drop me an e-mail: sigama.gudani@gmail.com