5 hours Days
South Africa // Pretoria
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Soweto Tour
 

Soweto Tour
Travel past Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Regina Mundi Catholic church and visit Vilakazi Str. where houses of former Noble Prize winners Mandela and Tutu are situated. Visit the inspiring Hector Peterson memorial and museum.
  • Soweto is an urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city’s mining belt in the south. Its name is an abbreviation for South Western Townships.
  • The history of South African townships south west of Johannesburg that would later form Soweto was propelled by the increasing eviction of Black South Africans by city and state authorities.
  • Black South Africans had been drawn to work on the gold mines that were established after 1886. From the start they were accommodated in separate areas on the outskirts of Johannesburg, such as Brickfields (Newtown).
  • In 1904 British-controlled city authorities removed Black South African and Indian residents of Brickfields to an “evacuation camp” at Klipspruit municipal sewage farm (not Kliptown, a separate township) outside the Johannesburg municipal boundary, following a reported outbreak of plague. Two further townships were laid out to the east and the west of Johannesburg in 1918. Townships to the south west of Johannesburg followed, starting with Pimville in 1934 (a renamed part of Klipspruit) and Orlando in 1935.
  • Industrialization during World War I drew thousands of black workers to the Reef. They were also propelled by legislation that rendered many rural Black Africans landless. Informal settlements developed to meet the growing lack of housing.
  • Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital The Imperial Military Hospital Baragwanath, named after Cornishman John Albert Baragwanath, was built in 1941 during the Second World War to serve as a British Military Hospital. Field-Marshal Jan Smuts noted during the opening ceremonies that the facility would be used for the area’s black population after the war. This grew into the Baragwanath Hospital (as it became known after 1948), reputedly the world’s third largest hospital.
  • Government policy from 1948 After the Afrikaner-dominated National Party gained power in 1948 and began to implement apartheid, the pace of forced removals and the creation of townships outside legally designated white areas increased.
  • The first hostel to accommodate migrant workers evicted from the inner city in 1955 was built at Dube. The following year houses were built in the newly proclaimed townships of Meadowlands and Diepkloof.
  • In 1963, the name Soweto (South Western Townships) was officially adopted for the sprawling township that now occupied what had been the farms of Doornkop, Klipriviersoog, Diepkloof, Klipspruit and Vogelstruisfontein. Soweto Uprising Soweto came to the world’s attention on 16 June 1976 with the Soweto Uprising, when mass protests erupted over the government’s policy to enforce education in Afrikaans rather than English.
  • As the state forbade public gatherings, church buildings like Regina Mundi were sometimes used for political gatherings. Demographics It has been estimated that 40% of Johannesburg’s residents live in Soweto. However, the 2008 Census put its population at 1,3 million (2010) or about one-third of the city’s total population. Soweto’s population is predominantly black.
  • All eleven of the country’s official languages are spoken, and the main linguistic groups (in descending order of size) are Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, Venda, and Tsonga.
  • Housing The area is mostly composed of old “matchbox” houses, or four-room houses built by the government, that were built to provide cheap accommodation for black workers during apartheid. However, there are a few smaller areas where prosperous Sowetans have built houses that are similar in stature to those in more affluent suburbs. 
  • Hostels are another prominent physical feature of Soweto. Originally built to house male migrant workers, many have been improved as dwellings for couples and families.
  • Many parts of Soweto rank among the poorest in Johannesburg, although individual townships tend to have a mix of wealthier and poorer residents. In general, households in the outlying areas to the northwest and southeast have lower incomes, while those in southwestern areas tend to have higher incomes.
  • Soweto was meant to exist only as a dormitory town for black Africans who worked in white houses, factories, and industries.
1/2 Day: Morning or Afternoon (± 3 hours, departure times may be changed to suit customers )
Clients will be picked up at the OR Tambo Airport (Johannesburg) or their accommodation in Johannesburg or Pretoria.
NB.: an additional R350 per vehicle for each pick-up/drop-off in Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport/Sandton.
Lunch is not included.

Included:  
  • Guided tour in Air-conditioned vehicle, conducted by a SA Tourism registered guide.
  • Entrance fees, fuel
Tour Info:            
  • Tours are generally conducted in English. Surcharge applies for foreign language guides.
 
In your booking requests kindly provide us with the following info:
1. Number of persons in your group (no minimum number, published tours are priced for 4 participants)
2. Start date (Safaris start daily)
3. Place of departure (early morning, from Pretoria/Johannesburg)
4. Number of nights preferred
5. Optional Bush-walk or Night Game Drive
 
CAN ALSO BE COMBINED AS A FULL DAY TOUR WITH:
Johannesburg City Tour         
Apartheid Museum    
Liliesleaf Farm
Constitutional Court   
Gold Reef City
Pretoria City Tour
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