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Guide To Visiting Soweto

 

Soweto is essentially known to the outside world for being a poor South African slum that the late Nelson Mandela lived. It's true, but there may be far more history than that. Soweto’s name was derived from South West Township and was created by the federal government a century ago as an space to displace the Black inhabitants from the most important urban areas. It is likely one of the largest townships within the country (townships are essentially slums) and for most of its history, it has served as an space of segregation, extreme poverty, and most significantly, as a middle for apartheid resistance documented by the Soweto Uprisings.

 

 

Nowadays, this place has fully changed. I, like any foreigner, had perceptions of what this "township" can be like; dirty, old, poor, dangerous etc. Oh how I was wrong. Sure there are still many parts of Soweto that resemble the national geographic images of poverty in Africa. Nevertheless, with the submit Apartheid surge in the South African economic system, there's a large and fast growing Black middle class. Soweto has come a protracted ways since its preventing days.

 

 

Driving around, I noticed good cars all over the place, new buildings, folks dressed in good clothing. I didn’t really feel threatened at all. Also, throw in the Maponya Mall which rivals that of the nicest malls I’ve seen, and I begin to wonder to myself what’s all the fuss about when it involves Soweto? This place will not be all bad! While culturally, it’s seen as desirable to "make it" and leave the township, people will still come back right here to show off their possessions and how they’ve made it in life, also a sign of how far the country has come economically in the last 20 years.

 

 

Nevertheless, compared to Sandton with its immense wealth, Soweto is still incredibly poor and you may clearly see it. There are still shanty towns everywhere like the image here. I’m not sure if these areas even have electricity. To show how a lot Soweto has come up in recent times, a couple of blocks down the road from these shanty towns will be proper houses in proper neighborhoods. Nonetheless, Soweto is way closer to foreigner’s perceptions of Africa than a city like Sandton.

 

 

To further showcase that Soweto shouldn't be the dangerous, poor, dirty stereotype that its given, it is actually one of many top vacationer attractions in Johannesburg. There are many companies that do day tours to Soweto and plenty of tourists sign up. For about 600R, an organization will pick you up and go for a half day touring Soweto, visiting all the sites, and even visiting one of the poorer areas. There are even bike excursions available now.

 

 

I’ve never performed one among these excursions because why go on a tour with vacationers once I can have my own private tour with some locals who occur to be friends? The main vacationer sights listed here are Mandela’s old house (not a historical site), Vilakazi avenue, the Apartheid Museum (not in Soweto but shut by), and some monuments dedicated to the those who misplaced their lives in the course of the uprising in the Apartheid era. For something not culture related, there are the Orlando cooling towers which is home to the Soweto bungy bounce! At 100m, it’s less than half the height of the bungy at Bloukrans so I never bothered.

 

 

The one good thing about having South Africa friends is I can roll up into a locals hangout and never feel completely out of place. While Vilakazi avenue has loads of bars, this is nowadays, a very touristy part of town and is a place that foreigners flock to and locals return to Soweto to show off how far they’ve are available in life (check out the good cars right here). For a more native expertise, the place you’ll likely stand out and garnish looks from the locals (not bad looks, just curious looks), head to Panyaza or Chaf-Pozi by the Orlando Towers. The booze is affordable, and there's always a braai taking place where you can purchase your meat on the spot.

 

 

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