Join legendary activist and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu on an eye-opening tour of his homeland. From the rugged outcrop of the Cape of Good Hope to the metropolitan hubbub of Cape Town, in this episode, Tutu begins to unravel the complex and fascinating history, culture, food, fashion and faith of this most beautiful country from the political and cultural centre, the Western Cape.

Desmond Tutu journeys to the Free State, the heartland of South Africa. Famous for its vast sweeping plains, and unblemished and statuesque rock formations, it’s also home to some of the oldest human art in the world - stone-age engravings. In modern times it has functioned as for diamonds and fossil fuels, which made it a central battleground during the fight for freedom from Apartheid.

The ‘cradle of humankind’, the North West of South Africa, was the birthplace of the first humans. In this episode, Desmond Tutu explores the red-earthed ‘platinum province’. Economically dependent on reserves of mineable materials: gold, platinum, uranium and diamonds; it is also home to the controversial (for its hosting of pop stars breaking the cultural boycott of apartheid South Africa) holiday resort, Sun City.

In this episode, Desmond Tutu is in Mpumalanga, the ‘rising sun province’. A place of forests and waterfalls, canyons and the Big Five, this is a place where the circle of life is a daily reality. Tutu visits ‘God’s Window’, perhaps the most beautiful natural vantage point in all Africa, and revisits the work of revolutionary black urban artist Gerard Sekoto.

Limpopo province is the destination for this episode of Desmond Tutu’s revelatory tour of South Africa. Tutu visits the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site, a unique combination of the “works of nature and man”. He finds it a classic evocation of the South African attribute of celebrating natural beauty, while maintaining a healthy appetite for progress and creativity; combining the local and the universal.

Gauteng province: home to Johannesburg - South Africa’s economic powerhouse, Soweto - the country’s largest black township, and Pretoria - the seat of political and juristical power for the North. From its origins in gold mining from 1886, to Nelson Mandela swearing in here as president, to the unified rugby team lifting the World Cup in 1995, Gauteng has a uniquely symbolic place in the hearts of South Africans.

Desmond Tutu continues his journey in the Northern Cape. Vast and harsh, this province covers nearly a third of the country. Tutu visits the Augrabies Falls - the lifeblood of the country, providing vast supplies irrigation and power. He also pays a visit to the controversial Afrikaners-only town of Orania, accused by some of being the last remnant of apartheid South Africa.

“A place of incongruities, where Apartheid neglect allowed the natural splendour and the people’s spirit of resistance to flourish unhindered.” So Desmond Tutu describes the Eastern Cape, perhaps the ‘province of extremes’. Here, traditional villages rub shoulders with modern towns, eccentric artist with old-fashioned farmers, and - most remarkably - sandy semi-desert with snowy ski slopes!

KwaZulu-Natal province is the final stop on Desmond Tutu’s voyage. He explores the mountain ranges of Drakensberg; the museum the first African Nobel peace prize laureate, Albert Lutuli; and iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which spans 280km of coastline linking South Africa with Mozambique. It is a typical example of stunning natural scenery serving as a backdrop to moments of global history, and the setting for a future filled with hope.