Abstract
This study explores the relationship between memory, identity, and homeland travel within the Portuguese diaspora in South Africa with reference to Gauteng province. It investigates how members of this long-standing European diaspora construct and maintain transnational connections to Portugal while simultaneously integrating into South African society. The study is positioned within the emerging field of diaspora tourism, where travel to ancestral homelands functions not only as a leisure practice but also as a process of cultural remembrance, identity negotiation, and socio-economic exchange. Guided by a multidimensional theoretical framework, the research draws upon concepts from diaspora and transnationalism theory, social capital and network theory, assimilation and generational theory, and the interrelated concepts of memory, personal identity, and place attachment. A qualitative research design was employed to capture both historical and lived dimensions of the diaspora experience. Data were gathered from two primary sources: (1) an extensive archival analysis of O Século de Joanesburgo (1971–2007), a Portuguese-language newspaper that served as a transnational communication platform; and (2) in-depth semi- structured interviews with 31 members of the Portuguese diaspora including one key institution, Novo Mundo Travel Agency. Findings reveal that the Portuguese diaspora in South Africa evolved through three main migration waves, from Madeira, mainland Portugal, and later Angola and Mozambique, each contributing distinct social and economic imprints. Over time, the community developed a dense network of institutions including churches, sports clubs, businesses, and travel agencies that collectively function as diaspora infrastructures, sustaining transnational connectivity and cultural continuity. Homeland travel emerged as a central practice through which identity and belonging are expressed and remembered. Visits to Portugal were found to evoke powerful sensory memories, reinforcing emotional attachment to the homeland while simultaneously affirming hybrid ‘Portuguese South African’ identities. The study concludes that the Portuguese diaspora exemplifies a mature transnational community capable of balancing integration with cultural resilience. Homeland travel operates as a ritual of belonging that reconnects generations to their ancestral roots while reflecting their contemporary realities as South Africans. The research extends the scope of diaspora tourism studies by illustrating how institutions, memories, and networks function together to sustain transnational life.