Soweto

Soweto is South Africa’s most famous township and home to some three million inhabitants. It was originally a temporary settlement for migrant workers working in the goldmines but was declared a formal settlement in 1923. Although the name Soweto sounds very African it is actually an acronym for “South Western Township”.  This ever expanding town continues to attract migrants in search of the elusive “egoli” (gold).

Soweto is a city of extreme contrasts with luxurious mansions, owned by South Africa’s new elite, standing side by side hundreds of matchbox houses and tin shacks.  As you drive through the streets with an expert tour guide you will notice how the manicured green grass of the Soweto Country Club and beautiful streams give way to piles of rubbish, side walk muti stalls and sprawling taxi ranks filled with hundreds of dented minibuses and makeshift mechanics “workshops”. Drive a little further and you will come across a newly developed shopping mall where 107 stores cater to an affluent clientele.

Despite its turbulent history, high levels of unemployment and deprivation, you can expect a warm and friendly welcome from the locals. It is a vibrant and enterprising place with a strong sense of community. You will be touched by the incredible sense of optimism around you, children laughing and playing despite their uncertain financial future.

You will visit Freedom Square in Kliptown, the former home of Nelson Mandela and the place where the Freedom Charter was drawn up. Visit the Mandela Family Museum which houses an eclectic assortment of memorabilia.  Other visitor attractions include the Hector Peterson Memorial Site, commemorating the Soweto uprisings in 1976 and the Regina Mundi church that was home to many anti-apartheid organisations.

A visit to Soweto is incomplete without stopping for lunch at the infamous Wandis Place, a cosy little shebeen in the suburb of Dube that has become as popular with tourists as it has with the locals. You will experience “Ubuntu” – traditional African hospitality and enjoy a selection of delicious traditional African meals in the form of a buffet.

A tour of Soweto is a good way to while away the hours whilst waiting for your international flights after a wonderful South African safari.