Cape Town - I am Michael Letlala. From the age of five I had itchy feet. I lived in all nine provinces and went to 10 schools, but have been living in Cape Town for 11 years.
I work at Coffeebeans Routes and for seven years have been in the position of chief guide and operations manager.
While living with my grandma I picked up seven languages. I believe when you learn another language you learn about another culture and it helps you to understand where people come from. The more you learn the language, the more you learn people’s stories.
Being in tourism 24/7 you have to keep your energy up. I love mornings and jog every day to get rid of yesterday’s energy. Bananas: I eat two a day for energy. When I was a boy my mum didn’t pay attention and left a banana until it was brown and told me to eat it. I didn’t eat bananas for 20 years. Then I tried them again and loved them. I dip them in chocolate and make smoothies.
I had too much chicken growing up, but now that I’m a foodie, I love tender lamb. Friends introduce me to different flavours and spices.
I exercise though, because if I eat a big lunch and don’t exercise… eish!
I studied tourism and have been passionate about it since I was young.
My research into places to include on tours involves building relationships with everyone I can. It makes me laugh. I can be in the centre of town or in the townships and the tourists say: “Wow! A lot of people know you.” It helps that I am a problem solver: let’s say I take a group of tourists on a tour and the host does not arrive, I have to keep cool.
Something that bothers me is the rubbish in the city. In some new parks you see big recycling bins, but in other places, nothing. The people say the papers on the ground have blown there, but I believe a recycling mindset can be ingrained in people’s consciousness for environmental sustainability.
I am also upset by segregation. Although I am slowly starting to see more coloured and black people touring all over – at olive farms and the Winelands (which is great) – I’d like to see locals learning more than two languages. Events such as Open Streets Langa are helping to open communities. Now you see people who don’t live in communities visiting for coffee.
I love the mountains and have been hiking since I was seven, when I trained barefoot. My grandma used to speak about the different colours of the soils of the mountains. I look at Table Mountain and I see the history of the whole city. I have tried to take tourists on hikes there, but they arrive in inappropriate attire. Flip flops for hiking?
I am always a tourist. I travel with my wife because she hasn’t travelled like me. For our honeymoon we did a round trip of South Africa. Before I married I lived in Tamboerskloof, but afterwards we had to move – my apartment was too small for my wife’s shoes…
l This holiday season the Cape Argus, in partnership with Cape Town Tourism, will introduce a fascinating character in tourism every week, who will relate his or her story. This is part two of the series.
Cape Argus