Soweto

Soweto is a township in southwestern Johannesburg with over one million residents spread across roughly 200 square kilometers. Streets lined with small houses alternate with informal settlements, while the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital serves as one of the continent's largest medical centers.

The government forced black residents to relocate here from the 1930s onward as part of racial segregation. In June 1976, the student uprising began when young people protested against Afrikaans as the language of instruction and police opened fire.

Regina Mundi became a symbol of resistance, its ceiling still bearing bullet holes from 1976. Kwaito emerged here in the 1990s as a music style that blends township life and dance rhythms.

Metrorail trains connect the township with central Johannesburg, the journey taking around 30 minutes. Organized tours lead to key sites such as the Mandela House Museum and the Orlando Towers.

Two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, lived on the same street in Orlando West. The former cooling towers of a power station were converted into an adventure sport center where visitors can bungee jump from the top.

Location: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality

Inception: 1963

Elevation above the sea: 1,632 m

GPS coordinates: -26.22278,27.89000

Latest update: December 4, 2025 11:00