Soweto

About Soweto

Soweto's name is an abbreviation of South Western Townships, but few places on earth carry a heavier load of history. Built up through the 20th century as segregated housing for Black workers on the edge of Johannesburg, it grew into the country's largest township and became the beating heart of the struggle against apartheid.

On 16 June 1976 schoolchildren marched here against being taught in Afrikaans, and the police shooting of students, including young Hector Pieterson, shook the world. Today that day is South Africa's Youth Day, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and nearby Vilakazi Street, once home to both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, draw visitors from around the world. In Kliptown, the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955, and Regina Mundi Church still bears the scars of police raids.

Soweto is also a lively, proud place with a life of its own: busy shebeens and restaurants, football at Orlando Stadium, the striking Soweto Theatre, a bungee jump between painted cooling towers and warm welcomes. A local guide adds stories no book holds.