Soweto, South Africa is a fascinating and important place, historically. If you’re of a certain age, you may remember it due to its turbulent past. But things have changed and it’s time to see what the new Soweto is.
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The name Soweto was first used in 1963 to describe the groups of townships to the south west of Johannesburg and is an acronym for South Western Townships. These townships were originally established after an outbreak of bubonic plague in the inner city slums of Johannesburg in 1904, but under the apartheid government, many black South Africans were forcefully relocated from the city and its suburbs to Soweto and other townships.
Soweto has come a long way since the dark days of the 1980s. Good housing, roads, street lights, and shopping malls greet the visitor and much of Soweto is a long way from the informal shacks and squalor many imagine.
In our tour, below, discover the history of Soweto, where political icons lived during Apartheid, fighting against the regime. Explore the everyday life, meet the locals, taste local cuisine and get an authentic experience with a Sowetan native guide.
Soweto is one of the only places in the world to have raised two Nobel Prize winners. Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have residences on Vilakazi Street in Orlando West.
Did you know? The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is the largest hospital in the world with over 3,000 beds.
