Who We Are

Xolani Maseko (Philanthropic Guide)

Xolani joined the Uthando team in November 2012 and became an integral part of the company’s fabric. Xolani was born in Cape Town on September 9th, 1984, having grown up in the rural part of South Africa, Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape. This province, formerly known as the Transkei, marks the burial site of South Africa’s past president, Nelson Mandela.

Xolani moved between the two cities for educational purposes and stayed in Gugulethu township just outside Cape Town. Growing up in both the rural and urban environment, he developed a deep love for community empowerment and development. In 2015 Xolani obtained a Higher Diploma in Education, Training, and Development qualification from the University of Western Cape and now holds a postgraduate qualification, Advanced Diploma in Education, Training, and Development. A certificate in Site Guiding successfully combined his passion for community development and his deep love of South Africa.

A specialist guide, Xolani is dedicated to the values of responsible tourism, working hand-in-glove with community initiatives. By showcasing their work, he helps to empower populations living in the previously disadvantaged neighborhoods around Cape Town. Xolani is a Lilizela Tourism Awards nominee in the category of Culture Guides (2015) and received 3rd runner-up award in 2017. These awards recognize and reward tourism players and businesses who work passionately and with pride to deliver a world-class service to their guests. Through storytelling, Xolani communicates South Africa’s narrative, past, present, and future, sincerely and with empathy. Xolani is an optimistic young man believing in his abilities, knowledge, and expertise and being part of a team to assist with the growth of the country’s economy through tourism initiatives.

A family man with a wife and three children, Xolani is a humble and approachable human being, passionate, caring, and deeply rooted in culture. Xolani loves and enjoys sports, reading, and the outdoors.

Lydia van der Merwe (Project Manager)

Lydia van der Merwe is a seasoned marketing and advertising professional with an accomplished career and proven track record in the industry spanning many years.

She began her journey in the marketing division of Old Mutual, where she developed a strong foundation in corporate communications. From there, she moved to the advertising agency, Young & Rubicam, where she managed high-profile brands such as Wella SA, Unifruco, Metropolitan Life, and Leisure Books.

In 1998, Lydia embarked on a new path as an independent freelancer, launching her marketing consultancy, The Executive Connection, offering a comprehensive range of services, including virtual assistant services encompassing all elements of the marketing, advertising, project management, and event planning sectors.

Over the years, Lydia has successfully engaged in many varied projects for several clients, including UthandoSA, The Heart of Cape Town, Claremont Improvement District Company, Harfield Village Association, Groote Schuur Improvement District, and Cavendish Square, as well as several independent smaller businesses.

Her career is marked by a dedication to professionalism, attention to detail, and a creative, resourceful approach to problem-solving. Lydia has built a solid reputation for putting her clients first, consistently delivering innovative and effective solutions.

Outside of her professional life, Lydia has a holistic approach to life and is passionate about connecting with nature, animal welfare, and engaging in eco-friendly practices such as recycling and creative upcycling.

“It has been deeply rewarding for me to be involved in both Uthando SA and the Heart of Cape Town projects, as they closely align with my personal values of community, compassion, and making a positive impact.”

Thulani Nxumalo (Guide and Ambassador)

Born in the city of Maseru, Thulani Nxumalo, has been a resident of Cape Town since 1998. He began working for the District Six Museum in 1999 and in 2001, completed the UCT African Studies department Oral History course with then Dr. Sean Field at UCT. Thulani went on to complete the UCT, UWC & Robben Island Museum ‘African Museums and Heritage studies’ post graduate Higher Certificate programme, graduating from UWC in 2004. Tourism was one of his majors, which he studied under Prof Leslie Witz. With a passion for people and community-building Thulani has run youth and led community development organisations in the community of Langa, in Cape Town since 2007, instilling confidence in, and helping, youth of Langa to develop, through the arts, their self-esteem and emotional intelligence.

The first of several organizations he helped to institute and run in the community, was the ‘Umbon’ Omhle youth development’ in 2007. This organisation was home to hundreds of youths from most of Cape Town’s townships who participated and grew through a range of activities and artistic expressions such as excursions, cook outs, dance, music, film, photography, drama, debate and gardening programs, which were facilitated by passionate and skilled Langa youth. In 2009, the organization successfully carried out the Langa Women of the year awards, in partnership with several institutions such as loveLife and a bed&breakfast entity amongst others. In 2011, we once again successfully hosted the Langa Community Activist of the year event, which entailed a range of products, which a dedicated team of Langa youth executed. We all lived in one house for most of that year, including my co-producer Mzolisi Pitolo.

Umbon’ Omhle youth development was never registered, formally, as an entity, and tethered down, finally closing its doors in 2015, almost a decade later, after having gone through a range of transitions. The organisation is remembered for its trips up Table Mountain, community uniting events, Audio Drama and music shows/ events throughout the community of Langa. There were video programs developed together with some decent products, some of which were facilitated through a partnership the npo Cape Codes which went on to a produce comic series, and created some notable video products. These were led by audio drama-tist Brother Anthony Sloan who now resides in Alice, and Mr. Mzolisi Pitolo, an amazing special effects video compositer who led and directed our video projects. This area of video documentation gave rise to the narrative to have township voices in the creation of video pieces, and today we can boast that the most upstanding, professional entities currently operating in our community have been groomed by our institutions and it is great to see the willingness to continue to grow together.

All the while, Thulani had been employed for 13 years at the District Six Museum D6M, an iconic Museum in the City Centre The District 6 Museum was a popular museum which at the time was second in popularity after the Robben Island Museum. Working at the D6 Museum from 19 August 1999 initially as an assistant audiovisual archivist (later AV Archivist) during that time, Thulani assisted in the curation of the exhibitions in the Museum as the archive team reconnected with, visited and held life history interviews with ex-residents of District Six. Today you might find a picture or two of him on the Museum walls. During his period of working at the D6M, Thulani created a link between the Museum and some residents in parts of Langa, thereby instituting several platforms for youth to perform in City Centre events held at and often in partnership with the Museum. Many an elderly and young were to form relationships with various institutions in the City including the Cape Cultural Collective and its monthly programs, also establishing active bonds with UCT Hiddingh Campus, the Labia Theatre and Iziko City Museums.

Opportunities through these links opened opportunities for exchanges, including visits between youth of Cape Town and Sweden. Today, a lot of that youth are adults who run a range of local institutions that focus on mobility, educating, theatre, events, film making, tourism, community builders and so much more. Thulani went on to partake in community structures, taking on for extended period roles as Chairpersons of School Governing Bodies, Community Street Committees, Community advice programs, and Performance Arts programs. These moments spoke to opening our community to visitors from all over the world, taking visiting youth from Denmark, the US, Sweden, and Germany on generally unbeaten tours through the community and bringing expression to new parts of the community which sometimes even today still find they do not fit into the popular tourist narratives of the community.

In 2016, he co-ran the Langa Cultural Plan program where cultural practitioners, especially arts and crafts practitioners were sat down and histories of residents participating in developmental initiatives were interviewed and brought together to unite artists in the community. The Cape Town Arts and Culture Branch continues to take this work forward to other communities having successfully pioneered it in Langa. Thulani continues to work in the NGO /NPO /NPC world for formal employment, though forever participating in, challenging and shaping the civil participation component of the community, starting gardens, and inspiring a range of community growing practices.