The Bongolethu Post Box Route is about using art as a medium to entice tourists to visit the Bongolethu Township. Bongolethu means "Our Pride" in Xhosa and this township is officially the safest township in SA. On a carefully designed route, the development of which is sponsored by Engen Oil, rural hand-made ceramic pieces of art disguised as post boxes, are on display.
Each post box is not only a symbol of communication, but an individual and unique piece of art. The women manufacturing post boxes and other ceramic art works have been trained by the internationally acclaimed artist and ceramist, Thijs Nel.
The aim is to create the biggest open art gallery in the world, an art gallery containing ethnic painted houses, murals, mosaics, sculptures and ceramic post boxes.
Once the tourists are enticed to visit this art gallery in the community, other tourism products and services such as an ethnic Xhosa village, accredited tour guides, Ikhayas (B&B's), arts and crafts, transport services, shebeens, and local music, dance and drama groups will benefit. This is an innovative role model of community-based and community-driven tourism.