About 20 minutes east of Pretoria is the small mining town of Cullinan. This is home to the third richest diamond mine producer in South Africa. But perhaps its biggest claim to fame is the discovery of the world’s largest diamond. On the town’s outskirts, is Refilwe - a treasure which remains largely undiscovered. This is something that Peterson Mahlangu, the founder of Fundani Tours, is slowly changing with his walking tours.

A sad irony resides in its name. In SeSotho, Refilwe means “We have been given /blessed”. Yet it’s not immediately evident what it is that its people have been blessed with. The township is a far cry from the leafy mining village up the road. But soon this “gift” reveals itself. We visit the family hostels and we’re invited into people’s homes. We’re warmly welcomed and even overwhelmed by the hospitality.

Wide-eyed kids affectionately scream the words lekgoa (white person) as we head to the next place of interest. And even though we stick out like a sore thumb, we’re never made to feel out of place. Refilwe is predominantly made up of people from the northern province of Limpopo. And despite all the different languages at play in the township,there is a harmonious multiculturalism that we pick up on from the moment we arrive. We hear the words Thobela (hello) said to us by everyone, everywhere we go.

We pass Sedibeng Primary School, the first school to be built in Refilwe. And as we continue walking the township, we also notice that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Refilwe. Small businesses are everywhere. We pass by street vendors, several backyard tuck shops, and restaurants people have started in their cleared out garages. We stop at one of the local restaurants, Chakula Pub and Restaurant, where we place an order and go off to No.7 Mine Dam, while our food is being prepared. No.7 is the slime damn created by the debris from the diamond mine. But Peterson informs us that unlike the water that flows from gold mines, this water isn’t hazardous at all.

We make a U-turn back to Chakula for lunch. When we get back we pool some money together to get what’s referred to as i-plate. If there were a local equivalent of a supersized meal this would be it. I-plate is made to be shared and consists of braai (barbequed) meat, pap and a selection of salads, and for a little extra we buy a 1.25l bottle of Fanta.

We tear ourselves away from Chakula and visit the famous Big Mamma’s Tavern. This is unlike any township tavern we’ve ever seen. This is a slick establishment kitted out with the latest hi-tech entertainment system and even a VIP section.

We end our tour with a visit to a place that’s a little less glossy, but a lot more spirited. At the Tsephong Multi-purpose Centre, women from the community use the premises to, amongst other things; grow vegetables to sell to grocers, and to give to the less fortunate. It’s this generosity and spirit of Ubuntu we concluded, that is the true gift of Refilwe.