Khayelitsha means "new home". Like many other black townships, it was created during the apartheid era as a dormitory area for the working class.
It was established in 1984 during the tribal war outbreak in K.T.C and Crossroads informal settlement. Khayelitsha is the biggest and the youngest black township to emerge on the Cape Flats.

When entering Khayelitsha from Mitchell's Plain there is the Lookout Hill tourist facility, which gives a good view of the whole area. This lookout area, currently under construction, will be developed to be a permanent tourist attraction with a restaurant, art, craft and drama studios.

For a different gastronomic experience try Gugu le Africa restaurant (African pride) on Spine Road offers traditional African meals. Crafts, pottery, fabric paintings produced by the local people are made available on sale in Khayelitsha Craft market in the St Michael church opposite Steve Biko and Spine road.

Monwabisi Park is an informal settlement on the outskirts of Khayelitsha, part of Cape Town’s Metro South East Region commonly known as Cape Town’s poverty trap. Key challenges are poverty, overcrowded living conditions, unemployment, and a high level of HIV/AIDS/TB, linked to the deterioration of the physical living conditions.

Since 1996 only basic services have been provided for the Monwabisi Park community – namely electricity and a few communal taps. There is no organised sewerage system, no paved streets, street lights or formal housing. People live in appalling conditions in homemade shacks and shanties. Added to extreme levels of poverty, approximately 45% of the population is HIV positive, and 70% are unemployed.

The Shaster Foundation is one of a handful of NGO’s working to improve living conditions for the people of Monwabisi Park. Working closely with the local street committees and residents, we have since 2005 developed a set of public facilities to serve the residents of Monwabisi Park, a neighbourhood of some 5,000 families living in informal housing.