Tour Guide of Modern day Soweto

  

Tour Guide of Modern day Soweto

- Soweto was created by the white government in the 1930s on the southwestern fringe of Johannesburg. Apartheid ended in 1994 but change is still going on in Soweto today. In the apartheid era there was no electricity and few paved roads, but today in some parts of Soweto you can often see a Porsche parked outside the road's string of upscale restaurants, says The New York Times. Today, there is even a theater in Soweto that has an annual attendance of about 50,000 people, doubling in the last 3 years. Cafes have also popped up in neighboring districts with one being the Moja Café that had beers that cost more than the country's hourly minimum wage. Some other activities consist of taking a bicycle tour throughout Soweto, visiting their two most popular museums, or even spending time at the Oppenheimer Gardens.

- Some areas are more well off than others, however. One such area is Klipspruit, that still doesn't have many paved roads and with rising housing shortages, has become overcrowded. It has been so bad that, according to New York Times, several weeks in a year residents were forced to use candles when the whole areas power supply was cut off after a high proportion of residents defaulted on their electricity payments. If these aren't problems enough unemployment has been at almost the same high it was in 1994 but has gotten better over the years. Even though Soweto is still experiencing problems, there is still a lot of good going on in the district and there are many new places to visit and experiences to do to help you enjoy Soweto's culture.


These two cooling towers were built in 1951 to supplement the existing spray pond cooling system supporting the newly built power plant (IWC). The power station then was shut down in 1998 and only a short time after they started to become painted. The people of Soweto first painted colorful symbolism of soccer, music, fashion, and historical figures. They were then repainted in 2010 for the celebration of South Africa hosting the World Cup and then in 2013 for the filming of a movie. Today, people use the two towers as a bungee jumping spot.  
https://iwc.co.za/the-history-of-the-iconic-orlando-towers/

Hector Pieterson Memorial 


This is an image from the Hector Pieterson Memorial located at 8288 Khumalo Street, Orlando West (Soweto). This memorial commemorates a South African schoolboy who was shot and killed while he was protesting during the anti-apartheid protests where more than 170 school children were killed. 

Vilakazi street 


This is the well known Vilakazi street, and it is one of the most well known streets in South Africa. 
Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world to have been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners, which includes Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

https://www.getaway.co.za/things-to-do/the-soweto-guide/ 

Map:


Link to video: 


Quotes connected to Soweto:

"As a former trading colony, South Africa has always had a large expatriate community".

"in Soweto, religion filled the void left by absent men". pg. 38

"For the million people who lived in Soweto, there were no stores, no bars, no restaurants. There were no paved roads, minimal electricity, inadequate sewerage. But when you put one million people together in one place, they find a way to make a life for themselves. A black-market economy rose up, with every type of business being run out of someone's house: auto mechanics, day care, guys selling refurbished tires." pg. 40


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