Imizamo Yethu (Xhosa for "Our Efforts") is a township that grew up in the Hout Bay valley from the 1990s onward, home to tens of thousands of residents. Known locally as IY or Mandela Park, it represents the economic reality behind Hout Bay's attractive surface — the fishing and hospitality industries that sustain the valley depend on workers who live here.
Guided tours of Imizamo Yethu run from the waterfront market and offer an honest look at daily life in the township, covering the housing situation, the community organisations, schools, and small businesses operating within the settlement. The guides are residents and the tours are run with community involvement. It is a more instructive use of a few hours than another beach walk, and the context it provides for understanding modern Cape Town is considerable.