Change your perspective
Whether you are a traveler, a local or a temporary resident, at LocalPlaces our mission is to change your perspective. To empower you to view South Africa, its cities, people and places with new insight. We do this though captivating storytelling. Whether you participate in a single tour, a multi-day exploration, a storytelling dinner, or an event, we will enlighten and entertain you, while broadening your understanding of this extraordinary country.
We constantly delve into history, searching for untold stories and significant links between events, people and places that have shaped our world. We provide context by analyzing not only local history, but also international developments that have impacted South Africa. We do not glorify the past, instead we learn from the past and use this knowledge to understand contemporary culture.
If you are looking for a lighthearted, Instagram-moments tour or experience, then LocalPlaces is NOT for you. If you want to learn, understand and expand your knowledge in an enjoyable and inspiring way, then LocalPlaces, with its unique brand of storytelling, is certainly for you!
The LocalPlaces team is made up of two exceptional raconteurs with who have an in-depth grasp of the history and culture of South Africa – and specifically its most prominent cities, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Gerald Garner is based in Cape Town and Charlie Moyo in Johannesburg.
We are ready to host you and to help you make sense of this extraordinary place.
We operate in the Western Cape (Cape Town, Cape Peninsula, Winelands and surrounding regions, as well as Gauteng (Johannesburg – including Soweto – and Pretoria).
Explore and learn with us!
Our tours and experiences are available 7-days a week for exclusive, private bookings. Click on the menu tabs to see the options. To check availability for any specific tour, contact us on WhatsApp +27 82 894 5216 (especially if it is short notice) or email us on gerald@localplaces.co.za
Our experiences are available in the following categories:
Walking Tours (Johannesburg, Soweto & Cape Town)
Driving Tours (Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria & Cape Town)
Food Tours (Johannesburg & Cape Town)
Bar Tours (Johannesburg & Cape Town)
Storytelling Dinners (Johannesburg & Cape Town)
Customized Events (wherever and whenever!)
We would ideally want to host you over several days, spreading the stories of South Africa’s amazing spaces, places, cities and people over a range of tours and experiences. While we will tell you as much as we can (and you can process) on any specific tour, you will find it much more enriching to split it over several tours or encounters.
For Cape Town/Western Cape Province, we recommend at least three days:
Day 1: Understanding Cape Town walking tour PLUS Bristling Bo-Kaap or Bustling City of the Future walking tours.
Day 2: Peninsula Overview Full-Day Tour
Day 3: Cape Winelands Full-Day Tour
For Johannesburg/Gauteng Province we also recommend at least three days:
Day 1: Understanding Johannesburg walking tour PLUS Mesmerizing Maboneng or East Town is Alive walking tours.
Day 2: Understanding Soweto Full-Day Tour.
Day 3: Pretoria Overview Full-Day Tour
Contact us:
Please do not phone but send us a WhatsApp or Email instead. We may not respond immediately if we are busy hosting guests, but we will respond as soon as is possible.
WhatsApp: +27 82 894 5216
Email: gerald@localplaces.co.za
Our back story:
LocalPlaces has evolved over time, becoming a thought leader in urban futurism and storytelling. It started off with Gerald writing and publishing a book about Johannesburg in December of 2010, Spaces & Places – Johannesburg. He later republished this as JoburgPlaces. With a background in landscape architecture and journalism (including publishing for the architecture, construction and engineering trades), Gerald had the perfect skills for writing a guidebook to the city that included history, architecture and city landmarks.
Soon after publishing the guidebook, a foreign corporate phoned Gerald and asked him to guide 40 overseas guests on an inner-city walking tour (they had read the book and wanted to see the astonishing place themselves). So was a tourist guiding business born. It grew organically and 14 years later, JoburgPlaces has taken tens of thousands of people on tours and city experiences.
It did not take long before the mesmerizing inner-city captured Gerald’s imagination, making him also venture into property activations. Helping several landlords to renovate historic buildings and open food markets, restaurants and events venues. These included the Sheds@1Fox, Joziburg Lane and Hangout Jozi at 1Eloff, Thunder Walker with Zwipi Underground and later Charlie & Gerald’s Town Treasure on Gandhi Square, and JoburgPlaces Hub at JSE Newtown.
It was at Joziburg Lane where Charlie and Gerald met in 2016. Charlie helped run the event bars and operations. A stellar friendship and business partnership evolved. Charlie’s velvety voice and incredible knack at storytelling simply had to become part of the brand.
Between Johannesburg and Cape Town one can experience so much of South Africa and it just makes sense that Charlie and Gerald host their guests in both cities. They are known for exceptional storytelling, in-depth knowledge and insight into contemporary urban culture.
Charlie Moyo (above) is your host and guide in Johannesburg.
Gerald Garner is your host and guide in Cape Town.
REVIEWS
We have met astonishing people on tour tours, events, storytelling dinners and city immersions. Many of them have become friends and often-returning guests. Below is some feedback from our clients, as well as formal media reviews and references:
Times Live video, 2019
This video link by Time’s Live was shot at our previous restaurant and venue in the heart of Joburg – a historic underground bank vault. Unfortunately, we had to close the venue after the Covid pandemic, but Charlie’s brilliant voice and storytelling can still be enjoyed when you tour with us.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/food/2019-08-20-inside-jozis-hidden-gem-dinner-inside-a-115-year-old-underground-bank-vault/
New York Times recommendation, 2023
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/23/travel/things-to-do-johannesburg.html
Telegraph recommendation, 2023
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/explore-south-africa/local-tours/
Best guided tour
Thanks so much for today, Gerald. Just talking with John now and we both said probably the best guided tour we have done on any of our extensive travels. We will definitely be highly recommending you.”
- WhatsApp message from a guest (May 2024)
Vast historical knowledge
“Charlie is a great tour guide. Very eloquent and has an extremely vast historical knowledge of Joburg and the entire region.”
- TripAdvisor review (May 2024)
Our best tour in South Africa
“We are very glad that we did the tour with Gerald at the beginning of our stay in South Africa. The walking tour was well thought out and provided a lot of useful information. We were able to ask a lot of questions and learned a lot. In terms of content, this was our best tour in South Africa. Thank you very much!”
- Rahael, TripAdvisor (January 2024)
Interactive and immersive
“We did both a half day walking tour and a full day peninsula tour with Gerald – they were the highlights of our Cape Town visit. Gerald’s command of South African history is simply unbelievable but the way he weaves it into stories and discussion makes it interactive and immersive for all. Cannot recommend enough for anyone visiting Cape Town – you will develop a very strong perspective on the complex history and current situation of the country overall.”
- Ben, TripAdvisor (December 2023)
Once in a lifetime experience
“After a long flight to Cape Town from Atlanta, I figured the best way to learn about Cape Town was to book a half-day walking tour. I had read about IkapaPlaces in a NYT article, 36 hours in Johannesburg (even though the article was about Joburg, one of the tour companies referenced was IkapaPlaces – note, I booked the Joburg walking tour as well).
I met Gerald Garner on a sundrenched Saturday, starting along the waterfront, walking our way through the city. Gerald is an excellent storyteller; I learned so much in just a 4-hour time. My wife and I only had 2 days in Cape Town and this was the best way to spend one of those days (the other day was spent going to the Cape of Good Hope/Table Mountain).
The bottom line, if you are looking for a nice leisurely way to learn about Cape Town from someone who can bring the history of South Africa to life, you owe it to yourself to book at tour with Gerald. It was a once in a lifetime experience for me.
Thank you. Gerald.”
- Joseph, TripAdvisor (December 2024)
We will be back for more
“Hi Gerald, thanks again for a wonderful tour on Dec 31. We are leaving SA now, but we’ll definitely be back and ask for more of your tours also recommend you to everyone coming here:)”
- Taira, WhatsApp (January 2024)
You owe it to yourself
“I had read about JoburgPlaces (Charlie Moyo) in a NYT article (36 hours in Johannesburg). After doing some additional research, I booked two walking tours while in Johannesburg, Atonishing Marshalltown Tour (Understanding Joburg) and Soweto by bus. It was a great call. I learned so much from Charlie as we walked around Joburg. My favorite was walking inside the prior Johannesburg Stock Market and then seeing where Mandela/Tambo law offices were located (across street from the shadow boxing statue of Mandela). We then met our driver for the tour to Soweto. Originally, I was going to just do the walking tour, but Charlie convinced me a visit to Joburg without visiting Soweto would miss out on the story of Apartheid South Africa; Charlie was 100% correct.
The bottom line, if you are looking for a full day of meaningful, informative and entertaining insights about South Africa and Johannesburg in particular, you owe it to yourself to reach out to Charlie and confirm a booking. I am so glad I did, a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you Charlie.
- Joseph, TripAdvisor (December 2023)
Mind-blowing day
“Charlie took us on a fantastic tour of Johannesburg. As we had booked a private tour, he had the opportunity to tailor the tour to our interests (as urbanists and housing professionals) and it was a mind- blowing day full of stories and deep history.
Highly recommend! This is the perfect tour for a local, South African or tourist!”
- Claudia, TripAdvisor (December 2023)
Tripadvisor review, 2023
This tour was a fascinating look into the history of Joburg and South Africa. Our family of 10 did this tour in the morning and the Soweto bus tour in the afternoon. Charlie is a wealth of information and everyone could not get enough of his valuable knowledge and insight. Gerald arranged a delicious lunch of local foods in between tours. If possible I highly recommend reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography “The Long Walk to Freedom” before traveling to South Africa.
Tripadvisor review, 2023
This tour was a highlight of my entire trip to South Africa. I learned SO MUCH from Charlie about the history of Johannesburg and how it shaped the city of today. Charlie is an excellent storyteller and kept my mom and I engaged throughout the half-day tour. We felt comfortable asking questions and referenced things we learned from Charlie throughout the rest of our trip to South Africa. I’ll recommend this tour to anyone I planning a trip to Johannesburg.
Tripadvisor review, 2023
This is an awesome tour where you gain a great understanding of Joburg’s history. It was totally made by Charlie Moyo our guide who is so much fun to spend 4 hours with. He is knowledgeable and is a great storyteller. We found him through an article in the New York Times entitled 36 hrs in Johannesburg. Don’t miss this tour. A true appreciation of Joburg.
Tripadvisor review, 2023
This is a fantastic walking tour. Gerald is an encyclopedia of South African & Cape Town history and he is very passionate about sharing it all with you! This tour is the perfect introduction to Cape Town and a great way to visit so many different neighborhoods on foot. Plus after a long day of travel to get to SA, walking around the city for a few hours was just what we needed.
Gerald was patient with all of our questions and super helpful with others suggestions for meals & districts in Cape Town. He was flexible with our speed and offering to stop shops of interest. Our family really enjoyed meeting our first “local” and I cannot recommend this tour enough. Just do it.
