Literally, pantsula translates from Zulu as "to walk like a duck". It's an energetic, syncopated urban dance that originated in Johannesburg townships during a traumatic period of apartheid in the 1950s, and is today seeing a resurgence among the black youth (as well as some whites) of South Africa. 

To experience and understand it, we travel to the streets of Joburg's Tembisa township, where pantsula is part of day-to-day life, with many dancers showing off their skills in the middle of the street and in broad daylight. They stop the traffic and attract the attention of passers-by as they move to the rhythm of carefully planned and extensively rehearsed choreography. The music is played by one of the city's most famous DJs, and it seems like they have the rhythm in their blood.

Read more in our post Pantsula, the Cool Dance of South Africa´s Urban Youth.


South African Tourism