Winston Fani: Blind Cape Town Tour Guide

Blind tour guide, sensory storyteller and advocate for inclusive travel

Personal Journey & Identity

Winston, can you begin by sharing your personal story? What was your early life like, and how has your journey shaped who you are today?

I grew up in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha. As a child, I was very energetic, and growing up blind didn’t affect me much — mainly because I had a very supportive family and group of friends. Because of that support, blindness was never something that defined me negatively. It was simply part of who I was.

You were born partially sighted and lost your vision at 13. How did that transition affect your sense of identity, opportunity, and purpose?

Growing up blind didn’t hinder me; in fact, it opened doors, because I’ve always been a go-getter. In business, there’s a phrase about turning threats into opportunities, and that’s exactly how I approached my life.
I took what many people perceive as the threat of blindness and transformed it into a unique opportunity — one that ultimately led me to become Africa’s first qualified blind tour guide. It gave me drive and motivation to become who I am today.

You often say, “I’m not disabled, I’m differently-abled.” What does that phrase mean to you?

When I say I’m differently-abled, I mean that as a blind person, I can do just about anything a sighted person can do — just in a different way. Sighted people use their eyes to navigate the world; I use my white cane and my other senses.
I rely on sound, touch, and awareness of my surroundings. It’s a different way of moving through the world, but it’s just as effective.

Becoming a Tour Guide

You are recognised as Africa’s first qualified blind tour guide. What sparked that ambition, and how did you take the first steps?

My journey into tourism really took shape during my studies. I was the only blind student at my institution, and my lecturer, Scott Hommel, challenged me to create something truly different from my peers. That challenge pushed me to think creatively about what I could offer that hadn’t been done before.

Your pioneering street-art tour in Cape Town’s Salt River district is now widely celebrated. How did that tour come to life?

The street-art walking tour in Salt River didn’t exist before — I had to create it. It had never been done by a blind person, and I developed it as part of my formal assessment. From the beginning, the aim was to design something innovative and inclusive.

How did you design the tour to be accessible to both sighted and visually-impaired guests?

Accessibility was central to the design. We integrated QR codes at every artwork along the route. Each station includes braille, but also allows visitors to scan the code with their phone to access a full audio description and interpretation of the piece.
This ensures the tour accommodates everyone — people who read braille, and people who don’t. Inclusion was always the goal.

Sensory Storytelling & Street Art

Your tour uses braille touchpoints and audio interpretation to make street art accessible to everyone. How did this concept develop?

The concept developed naturally from who I am as a blind tour guide. I’m also working collaboratively with Cape Town Tourism on the Limitless campaign, which focuses on inclusion and creating space for people living with disabilities in the tourism industry.
Through that work, it became clear to me that accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought — it should be built into the experience from the start. I wanted to create a tour that would be suitable and meaningful for people with my type of disability, while still engaging for everyone else.

You’ve said, “I can take people through my way of seeing things.” What is your way of seeing?

When I say I take people to see things my way, I mean experiencing the world through a blind person’s eyes — or more accurately, through the absence of sight.
We take away the visual element and invite people to use their other senses instead. Sound, touch, spatial awareness, and imagination become the guides. By removing sight, people are encouraged to experience places and artwork in a completely different way.

Can you share a memorable moment when a guest’s perspective shifted because of your sensory approach?

I remember the very first time I took a group on my Salt River tour. Everyone was sighted, but once I explained how I use my senses to navigate, their understanding changed.
There was a woman from Australia who really committed to the experience. I asked her to close her eyes, follow my footsteps, listen carefully, and create a mental map. I encouraged her to repaint each mural in her mind instead of looking at it.
She did exactly that, and she understood what I meant by seeing without sight. She experienced the beauty of the artwork without using her eyes at all.

Inclusive Travel & Accessibility

What does truly accessible tourism mean to you — beyond physical infrastructure?

Accessible tourism is about genuine inclusion of people who are differently-abled, regardless of their disability.
It goes beyond ramps and signage. It’s about how people feel on the inside — how they perceive the tour as I’m guiding and explaining it to them. True accessibility lives in the attitude and emotional space you create.

What barriers still exist for blind or low-vision travellers?

One of the biggest barriers is that not every tourism site is truly accessible. Many places don’t have QR codes or braille, which means blind and low-vision travellers are excluded from fully engaging with the experience.
Accessibility needs to be built in, not added later.

Looking Forward

What’s next for you — new routes, new collaborations, or new forms of sensory storytelling?

My next step is to expand accessibility beyond blindness and low vision to include other disabilities, especially the deaf community.
I’m currently working with a sign language interpreter, Luyiso Matshibane, who interprets everything I communicate to my guests. On the 18th of November 2025, we hosted our first tour for a deaf group on the Salt River route, and it was very well received.

How do you envision the future of accessible and immersive travel?

I believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel for accessible travel. If we commit to creating tourism sites that are accessible to people with every type of disability, then there is a brighter future ahead.
What we’re seeing now is just the beginning.

What legacy would you most love your work to leave?

I would love my work to leave a positive legacy, especially for my disabled guests. It’s not about sight, and it’s not about what disability you have.
What truly matters is your inner strength and how positive you choose to be about life.

Human Details

Can you share a moment of connection or laughter from a tour that has stayed with you?

One moment of laughter that stayed with me was when I was telling people to look at the mural of Imran Haron at the Community House building — even though I wasn’t facing it.
I joked and said, “I can see it from every angle.” I explained that I don’t need to face the mural to see it. My guests laughed and teased me, but they also understood exactly what I meant.

Final Thoughts

What message would you most like people to take away from your journey and your work?

The message I want to share is that we need to have a positive mindset toward people living with disabilities.
Let’s not focus on disabilities — let’s focus on abilities. We all have abilities, regardless of our disabilities. Inclusion begins with how we think and how we choose to see one another.

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