Join one of our Soweto guides on a tour of one of the most famous cities in the world.
A name which along with words like apartheid, Sharpville, Biko and Mandela is instantly recognised in most parts of the world. It is a city with no highrises, no downtown area, no luxurious shopping malls, no elegant or fashionable parks yet with the possible exceptions of Cape Town and Johannesburg - people are more likely to recognise the name Soweto than any other in South Africa.

To find out how the events of June 16th, 1976 influenced a nations history and how some of the more famous of Soweto's inhabitants helped lead a country to freedom, browse this website and then join us on Soweto tour

Soweto Half Day Tour
R 450.00 per person

Strictly based on a minimum of 4 pax.
Groups of 8 or more will be quoted separately

09h00 - Pick up: Rosebank Area
Meet your friendly and very experienced local Sowetan tour guide.

• Soccer City Via Diepkloof Ext:
  We pass by Soccer City the amazing football Calabash style stadium under construction. This venue will play host to the opening of the game and final of the 2010 Football World Cup as well as other fixtures. You will have an opportunity to take photos of the development

• Diepkloof Hostel & Ekukhanyeni
  We visit this large hostel nearby which has been transformed from migrant labour to informal family accommodation. Be treated to a dance by some of the local children and view the Ekukhanyeni crèche which is a shipping container transformed into a functional “edutainer “, this Soweto.co.za initiative provides much needed pre-school education for the local community.

• Baragwanath Taxi Rank
  Into the Baragwanath area and stop off at the huge taxi rank. Here we walk about and get the feel of Africa in the raw, soak up the sites, sounds and "smells" of Africa at close quarters - informal open air butcher shop, herbalists, barbers and market etc.

• Kliptown Squatter Camp & The Roots and Shoots Youth Programme
  We stop off at the squatter camp in the Kliptown area and meet some of the locals who are happy to show you around their basic home structures. We then meet Thulani a local resident who will show you around Soweto.co.za’s latest development project involving food gardens, sports activities and arts and culture.

• Hector Pieterson & Vilakazi Street
  The trip continues to neighbouring Orlando West and the Hector Pieterson Memorial, the site of where the student uprisings of ‘76 began. We visit the fascinating museum, which is a state of the art multi media centre depicting scenes leading up to the student uprising of June 16th 1976 and the eventual transition to democracy in South Africa.

• Mandela House and Visitors Centre
  We then visit the newly revamped Mandela House and Visitors Centre in famous Vilakazi Street which is filled with many interesting artifacts and memorabilia pertaining to South Africa's greatest icon.
  

• 12h30 - Depart Soweto
  The group returns back having experienced the township life in its many forms.

Note: if this extra option is included then some of the original tour programme will have to be taken out so we can fit in with time restraints.

Soweto Full Day tour
R 700.00 per person

Min 2 people - for up to 7 people in a micro bus
Groups of 8 or more will be quoted separately

09h30 - Pick up: Rosebank Area
Meet your friendly and very experienced local Sowetan tour guide

• Soccer City Via Diepkloof Ext:
  We pass by Soccer City the amazing football Calabash style stadium under construction. This venue will play host to the opening of the game and final of the 2010 Football World Cup as well as other fixtures. You will have an opportunity to take photos of the development

• Diepkloof:
  Enter Soweto via the up-market area called Diepkloof Ext where some of the houses can cost in the millions.

• In complete contrast we visit a large hostel in the area, in days gone by the notorious hostel system was used as single gender accommodation for migrant laborers, it is now used as informal lodgings for family units.

• Ekhukhanyeni Crèche:
  We visit some of the local families as well as the Ekhukhanyeni Crèche, which is a shipping container transformed into a functional “edutainer “, a Soweto.co.za project and a beacon of hope for the young pre-school children growing up under these very trying conditions. We meet Sylvia the teacher and the little kids who will entertain with some of their songs.
  

• Baragwanath:
  Into the Baragwanath area and stop at the huge taxi rank for a walk about. Soak up the sites, sounds and "smells" of Africa at close quarters - informal open-air butcher shop, herbalists, barbers and market etc. Enjoy a ‘Smilies’ breakfast (the meat of a cow or sheep’s head) and sip on an Omqombothi (traditional beer) at on of our local shebeens.

• We pass Baragwanath Hospital, the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere.

• Twin Towers:
  Drive through the Kliptown Squatter camp, on the ‘Old Potchefstroom’ road, where the twin towers will be found. These towers used to supply electricity to the north of Johannesburg.

• The tour takes us past the beautiful mall, which was recently opened by Soweto’s first millionaire “Richard Maponya”.

• Kliptown Squatter Camp:
  Clients get a chance to walk around the Kliptown Squatter Camp, as Thulani gives a tour about the area.
  The squatter camp was developed in 1903, but still today, the residents are living in a poverty stricken environment.

• Kliptown Museum:
  Spend some time exploring the Kliptown Museum where clients will learn about the history in the area.

• Regina Mundi & Thokoza Park:
  Our last stop will be Regina Mundi Church. This is one of the biggest Catholic churches in South Africa. The Reginal Mundi Church is the focal point of much of the struggle in the 70's and 80's and home to the famous Black Madonna and Child painting. This church is also known as “The Parliament of Soweto”

• Lunch:
  A highlight of a visit to Soweto is a delicious lunch at one of the well run restaurants patronized by both tourists and locals alike, offering typical "township" favourites including dombolo (steamed bread), morogo (spinach), Umngqusho (Xhosa samp and beans-Nelson Mandela's favourite dish), Mogodu (tripe-not for the faint hearted!) and a variety of meats, salads and vegetables. Desserts and drinks are not included.

• Hector Peterson museum:
  After lunch the trip continues to the neighbouring suburb of Orlando West & the Hector Peterson Memorial. Here clients can spend some time wandering through the museum, learning about the student uprising of 1976.
  Visit the fascinating museum which is a state of the art multi media centre depicting scenes leading up to the student uprising of 1976 and the eventual transition to democracy in South Africa.

• Mandela House and Visitors Centre
  Visit the newly revamped Mandela House and Visitors Centre in famous Vilakazi Street which is filled with many interesting artifacts and memorabilia pertaining to South Africa's greatest icon.
  "An additional charge of R60pp will be levied for this item."

• Rotso's Shebeen:
  Then on to Rosto's Place, a traditional house shebeen, with a great atmosphere here you can enjoy a drink and get a chance to play pool with some of the friendly locals.

• Vilakazi Street:
  The tour bus will drive through Vilakazi Street, which is the only street in the world where two Nobel Prize winners lived: Nelson Mandela & Desmond Tutu.
  We will visit more suburbs and housing types and styles before reluctantly leaving Soweto with a feeling of hope for the future. All of our clients, both South Africans and from elsewhere comment on how welcomed and safe they felt and how friendly the Sowetans are.

Additional Extra (full day tour)

Live music experience
For an additional R80.00 per person we can offer the following live music experience:
We visit the home of Duduzile who is a jazz singer from Soweto. (dependent on at least 5 people being on the tour) Duduzile, together with her talented musical family will entertain us to some well known and own compositions of typical jazz music. At the same time we take the opportunity to tell a story about the origins of Soweto in the era of discrimination and apartheid, reinforced by songs which complement the message.

Note: if any of these extra options are included then some of the original tour programme may have to be taken out so we can fit in with time restraints.