Cape Town- Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will undertake an official visit to Southern Africa between Monday 23rd September and Wednesday 2nd October.
This will be their first official tour as a family.
The visit will serve as an opportunity for The Duke and Duchess to highlight many of the causes they have been involved with for many years, and also demonstrate a modern UK-Africa partnership in action.
Throughout the tour, Their Royal Highnesses as President and Vice-President of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, will meet young leaders working to address socio-economic and environmental challenges.
Throughout this ten-day tour, The Duke and Duchess are pleased to raise awareness of the positive partnerships with the United Kingdom, particularly in advance of the UKAfrica Investment Summit in London in 2020.
The first day of the tour will begin in a township in Cape Town where Their Royal Highnesses will view a workshop that teaches children about their rights, self-awareness and safety and which provides self-defence classes and female empowerment training to young girls in the community.
Their Royal Highnesses will later tour the District Six Museum to learn about their work to reunite members of the community forcibly relocated during the apartheid era. The Duke and Duchess will join a community cooking activity with former residents of District Six at the nearby Homecoming Centre.
District Six Museum. Picture: Matthew Jordaan/African News Agency (ANA) Archives
The following morning, Their Royal Highnesses will travel to Monwabisi Beach to learn about the work of ‘Waves for Change’, an NGO which trains and supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to young people. The Duke and Duchess will also see the work of The Lunchbox Fund, one of four charities to benefit from the generous donations made by the public on the occasion of the birth of their son Archie Mountbatten Windsor.
The Fund provides nearly 30,000 meals every day to ‘Waves for Change’ programmes and schools in South Africa’s townships and rural areas.
The Laureus programme, Waves for Change, at Muizenberg beach. Waves for Change uses its surf therapy methodology to alleviate psychological challenges in the townships of South Africa – where 33% of children suffer from psychological challenges. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency(ANA)
Through the provision of surfing, psycho-education and the creation of safe spaces, Waves for Change promotes wellbeing in children and youth from unstable domestic and/or community situations. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency(ANA)
They will also meet Dr Thomas Maes, who is leading the Commonwealth Litter Programme launched at the London Commonwealth Summit in 2018, in support of the Commonwealth Blue Charter. The programme funds research and action to tackle plastic waste in six Commonwealth countries, working with support from the South African Department of Environmental Affairs to tackle plastic waste and educate communities on the impact of micro plastics in oceans.
The Duke will then join the City of Cape Town Marine Unit to travel by boat to Seal Island, Kalk Bay, to learn about the important role they play in combatting the poaching of abalone, considered one of South Africa’s most significant illegal wildlife trade concerns which have reached critical levels. The UK has been supporting South Africa’s work in this area.
As Captain General of the Royal Marines, His Royal Highness will be accompanied by two members of the Royal Marines who have been providing capacity building and skills training to the Marine Unit.
In the afternoon, The Duke and Duchess will visit the Bo Kaap area to mark Heritage Day, a celebration of the great diversity of cultures, beliefs and traditions that make up the rainbow nation of South Africa. Their Royal Highnesses will visit Auwal mosque, the oldest mosque in the country, where they will meet representatives from different faith groups to hear about the strength of interfaith dialogue in Cape Town.
Afterwards, The Duke and Duchess will visit local residents who will host them for a cup of tea in their home. Bo Kaap was named a South African Heritage Protection Site earlier this year, ensuring that its unique characteristics are preserved for future generations.
The Bo-Kaap. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency
Their Royal Highnesses will conclude the day by attending a Reception at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, where they will meet inspiring opinion formers and young future leaders, underlining the rich and diverse nature of the UK’s modern partnership with South Africa.
On day three of the visit, Wednesday 25 September, The Duke and Duchess will meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation. The Duke last met Archbishop Tutu in 2015, when he presented him with an honour in recognition of his services to UK communities and international peace and reconciliation.
From here, Their Royal Highnesses’ programme will split – The Duke will travel onwards to Botswana while The Duchess remains in South Africa.
On the afternoon of 25th September, The Duchess will visit the Woodstock Exchange to meet female entrepreneurs and investors working in technology. Her Royal Highness will highlight the benefits of networking between aspiring female entrepreneurs and successful female role models.
The Duke will begin his working visit to Botswana on Thursday, 26 September, first travelling to Chobe Forest Tree Reserve, where he will join schoolchildren to plant trees and raise awareness of the fragility of these vital ecosystems.
On Thursday 26th, Her Royal Highness will take part in a private “Women in Public Service” breakfast at the High Commission in Cape Town. Women have played an important role in South Africa’s socio-economic and political development. Invited guests have all played a key role in the development of South Africa’s institutions: in Parliament, Government, education and healthcare and continue to advocate for women’s rights and education, as well as gender equality.
Meanwhile, on the 1st October, Her Royal Highness will attend a roundtable discussion with the Association of Commonwealth Universities in Johannesburg. The Duchess will meet academics and students to discuss the challenges faced by young women in accessing Higher Education.
Her Royal Highness will then visit a school to learn about the work of a local charity, which receives UK Aid funding for its work to raise awareness of and tackle sexual violence in schools. Following The Duke of Sussex’s arrival from Malawi later that evening, Their Royal Highnesses will resume their joint programme in Johannesburg.
On the final day of their tour, Wednesday 2nd October, Their Royal Highnesses will visit a township near Johannesburg where they will meet with inspiring local youth, entrepreneurs and view skills initiatives addressing the rising unemployment challenge faced by young people in South Africa.
Later that day, they will meet with Mrs Graça Machel, widow of the late former President Mandela. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel in South Africa in 2015.
The Duke and Duchess will together attend an afternoon Reception to celebrate the UK and South Africa’s important business and investment relationship, looking ahead to the Africa Investment Summit the UK will host in 2020. Their Royal Highnesses will meet representatives of the British and South African business communities, with a particular focus on entrepreneurs and the creative industries.
To close the tour, Their Royal Highnesses will attend an audience with President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife Dr Tshepo Motsepe.
Their Royal Highnesses will depart for London that evening.