South Africa 2025
The BAMIT crew embarked on an incredible Journey on July 6th, 2025. This trip took us through South Africa with additional stops in Zimbabwe and Zambia. A few of us had an additional tour through Chobe National Park in Botswana.
Cape Town
Cullinan Hotel Chandelier
Cape Town view from Table Mountain
Stellenbosch University Sign
BAMIT Team Enjoys Lunch at Kleine Zaize Wine Estate
Our tour began with an orientation dinner in the lovely and charming Cullinan Hotel in Cape Town. We proceeded the next day to visit the Cape Town area including St. George's Cathedral, District Six, Table Top Mountain, V&A waterfront and the Bo Kapp and Camps Bay neighborhoods. We learned about the origins of Cape Town and its place in South African history. On Day 2 we toured Stellenbosch University and its nearby wineries.
We gained insight on the origins of Apartheid and the Stellenbosch's attempts to diversify. We also heard about the difficulties students face who attend this university and come from the townships. On the way back to the hotel we gained our first glimpses of the conditions faced by Black townships such as Khayelitsha and Langa. The next day we toured the University of Western Cape and learned how it was set up in the bush to be a vocational institution for Blacks during the '60s. We spoke with faculty about their attempts to transform the university into a leading academic institution granting the largest number of PhDs in the region and their struggles to be viewed as such by the communities they attempt to serve. We concluded our day with a visit to Tygerberg Hospital and the children's ward there.
Day 5 was all about visiting Langa township. We visited a cultural center, a home and visited an under construction after school center, where we got to hear the South African National anthem and viewed a dance show prepared by the students. Our tour guide provided more history of South Africa including the sense of pride Steven Biko established and the efforts of Olivier Tambo’s explanation of Xhosa and Zulu, conflicts between the Dutch and the British and the creation of the townships through forcible removal in other regions such as District 6.
On Day 6 we toured Parliament and learned about the structure of the South African government including the National Assembly and the Council of Provinces. We learned how some of the customs and traditions such as the Mace were transformed to reflect the multicultural society South Africa continues to strive to become. We concluded our day with a interactive session and workshop with youth from different racial groups at the Eternal Flame Church. We got to hear the struggles first hand of youth and local business people of unemployment, violence, crime, and lack of opportunity.
The MIT crew had dinner at the famous Gold restaurant. We were treated to a variety of African dishes including Ostrich and Venison dishes from Nambia and Venison and Xhosa corn bread. The highlight of the show was drumming and face painting. Our final day in the Cape region included a tour of the Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, Boulder's Beach and its penguins. Our tour guide told us stories about how black women helped in the struggle for Apartheid and helped us understand some of the struggles immigrants from Zimbabwe and Malawi face.
Langa Community Center, Parliament, and Gold Restaurant
BAMIT Travelers in the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Johannesburg
The next stop on our tour was the Johannesburg region in Gauteng (derived from Sotho-Tswana gauta, meaning gold) province. After landing at OR Tambo airport and getting acclimated, we dined in Nelson Mandela Square.
The next day, we visited the Apartheid Museum. This was a powerful experience illustrating and educating about the tragedies and tactics suffered under Apartheid and the will of the people to upend it.
The next stop on our tour was Soweto township. Our tour guide Lerato informed us how large Soweto was with its 4 million inhabitants.
We visited Regina Mundi Catholic Church and learned about the 1976 uprising and how police shot at people INSIDE the sanctuary. We then toured the neighborhood in Soweto where Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived. Lerato treated us to a wonderful lunch featuring chaka-laka made in her own kitchen. We concluded our tour visiting the area where Hector Pieterson, was killed in 1976. This uprising started after an attempt to mandate the use of Afrikaans in Black Schools.
Kruger National Park
The next day we took a bus from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park. Half of us received a relaxing massage and had a Night Safari. We woke up at 5AM the next day for the Day Safari. It did NOT disappoint. We saw 4 of the Big 5 that next day (lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo), kudu (type of antelope), wildebeest, zebras, hyenas, hippos, and a lilac-breasted roller bird. We got a view of the countryside from some of the hills, as well as views of the Limpopo Mountain Range in Mozambique. After a long day, the other half of our tour group got their massage and we had a wonderful dinner at the Kruger gate lodge.
Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana
The next day took us on a flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. It was wonderful to be able to see the mist from the falls on the horizon as we were arriving at the airport. We settled into our hotel Azambezi which is located on the Zambezi River upstream from the falls. We dined on some tasty crocodile stir-fry. The next day our tour guide Cosmos took us to visit the oldest Baobab tree in the area (over 1000 years old). Then we started touring one of the Worlds Seven Wonders - Victoria Falls ("Mosi-oa-Tunya", which means "The Smoke That Thunders" in the Lozi and Tswana/Sotho languages. It was an amazing display of nature's power as the falls drop over 400 feet vertically but extend over a mile wide. Although we were not at the peak of falls volume we could not see the center of the falls because of the amount of mist that was produced. Luckily, we had raincoats to keep from getting so wet!
BAMIT in front of Victoria Falls Bridge
After the tour of the Falls we did a tour of the Victoria Falls Bridge and some of us walked the catwalks on the underside of the bridge and we were able to see the double rainbows created by the mist. It was a wonderful and unique experience. We finished the day with a lovely sunset cruise on the Zambezi River.
Sunset on the Zambezi River
Chobe National Park
The final day of touring featured a trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana. We took a unique boat safari on the Chobe River (one of the Zambezi River’s tributaries), pulled up along side a sleeping crocodile, saw some hippos, drifted across the boarder into Namibia before returning for lunch. After lunch we embarked on a land based safari and were treated to seeing the aftermath of two lion brothers that had feasted on a giraffe. After the land safari we drove back to Zimbabwe and were confronted with a horde of baboons blocking the roadway for a few minutes. We returned to the hotel and had a fabulous buffet dinner that also featured drumming.
The next day we headed back to Victoria Falls airport and flew to Johannesburg and parted ways on our subsequent journeys home.
BAMIT bids Farewell from Victoria Falls Airport
Ghana 2024
Exploring Ghana: A Journey of Culture, Collaboration, and Cross-Cultural Connections
In the summer of 2024, a group of 14 MIT alumni and their guests embarked on a transformative 12-day journey to Ghana. This was the second BAMIT cohort to Ghana. The trip was more than just a cultural immersion—it was an opportunity to foster cross-cultural understanding, explore potential collaborations, and gain valuable insights that could enhance organizational strategies.
A Cultural and Educational Exploration
Our journey began in the bustling capital of Accra, where we dove headfirst into the vibrant culture and history of Ghana. Visits to iconic landmarks like the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum, the Presidential Palace, and the Kwame Nkrumah National Park and Mausoleum offered deep insights into the country’s rich heritage and the legacy of its leaders.
Engagement with educational institutions was a central focus of our trip. We visited local schools, conversed with students and administrators, and gained a profound understanding of Ghana’s educational landscape. These interactions laid the groundwork for potential partnerships and collaborations, particularly with Ghanaian MIT alumni eager to form a local BAMIT (Black Alumni of MIT) chapter.
Building Bridges and Memories
Throughout the trip, we had the privilege of networking with MIT alumni in the African diaspora, creating lasting memories while bridging cultural gaps. One of the most poignant moments was our visit to the Cape Coast, where we toured the historic Elmina Castle and Cape Coast Castle.
These fortresses, which once held enslaved people in dungeons before their forced journey across the Atlantic, served as powerful reminders of our shared history. A visit to the Assin Manso River, where enslaved people took their last “bath” before marching to Cape Coast, added an emotional depth to our experience.
Immersed in Tradition and Nature
Our journey took us beyond the cities and into the heart of Ghanaian tradition. In the city of Kumasi, we toured the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, renowned for its cutting-edge research and academic excellence.
One of the trip’s highlights was a traditional naming ceremony in the village of Bonwire, famed for its Kente cloth weaving. Here, each of us received an African name, symbolizing our connection to the land and its people. We also embarked on a hike to a breathtaking waterfall, experiencing Ghana’s natural beauty up close.
Our adventure concluded at the serene Zaina Lodge, where we visited a local Muslim village and embarked on a safari. These final days were a fitting end to a trip filled with discovery, reflection, and the forging of new relationships.
A Future of Collaboration and Connection
The Ghana trip was a resounding success, achieving its primary objectives of fostering cross-cultural understanding, identifying collaboration opportunities, and enhancing organizational strategies. The connections made and the experiences shared will undoubtedly enrich BAMIT members and their guests, paving the way for future initiatives that bridge cultures and build lasting partnerships. As we look to the future, the formation of a Ghana BAMIT chapter seems not only possible but inevitable, fueled by the enthusiasm and commitment of the alumni we met along the way.
Ghana 2023
Connecting with the African Diaspora
Group picture at Zaina Lodge in Mole
This was our inaugrual trip. We did it!! After several months of planning, organizing and recruitment, the BAMIT Travel Subcommittee under the auspices of the Board of Directors Program Committee led a group of twenty-nine BAMIT members and their guests on a sojourn through Ghana July 23 – August 3, 2023. The majority of the group selected the ten-day option during which we traveled across the country, beginning in Accra, through the traditional city of Kumasi, and ending with a two-day African safari in Mole National Park.
Dressed in Kente Cloth for the Namimg Ceremony
Save Dungeon at Cape Coast
The group had the opportunity to visit and network with our MIT Ghanaian alumni brothers and sisters. Our BAMIT travelers and BAMIT Ghana hosts were able to share entrepreneurial endeavors in science and engineering, secondary and tertiary education, business, the arts, and government that demonstrated the strength and purpose of their MIT education.
Our experiences ranged from the awe of Jubilee House, the seat of Ghana’s government, to the history of W.E.B DuBois’ second home in Ghana, to our painful trek through the slave dungeons on the Cape Coast, to the joy of being “welcomed home” in a traditional naming ceremony.
Use this link to download the testimonials and additional pictures of our travel. Also, while visiting the Slave River, Samuel Nixon '77 represented the group for an interview on ATINKA TV in Ghana. See the video here.
Hopefully, you will be inspired to join us on our next planned BAMIT trips connecting us throughout the African Diaspora. We had spots available for our planned Ghana 2024 trip mid-July 2024 AND South Africa in 2025. Experience the leopards in Kruger or the mighty Victoria Falls!
Once registration opens, seats will fill quickly, so don’t delay.
Akwaaba BAMIT!