Soweto is a township located just south of Johannesburg. Many tourists who come to South Africa stay in one of the many Johannesburg boutique hotels, and venture out into the various regions that surround the city in order to experience and gain knowledge on the history and the culture of the nations. This was once a city that was set aside for the black population of country during the age of apartheid. This location is the home to much of the struggles and the resistance to the unfair and cruel system of apartheid that is now home to more than two and a half million people. This city of architectural contrast, with home-made shacks sitting next to luxurious mansions. This area is full of interaction culturally, and of business enterprise. Tourists travel to Soweto to attend the Kliptown neighborhood–home of the Freedom Charter, to visit the house of Nelson Mandela, and for the shopping and the restaurants. Soweto is home to the only privately owned health clinic in South Africa, which is one of the largest public hospitals in the world.
The township was settled in the beginning of the 1930′s and the growth of the town from then until now has been phenomenal. Many people throughout the last one hundred years moved from the farmlands and villages to the city of Johannesburg to work in the gold and the diamond mines, most of them moving to Soweto. Many sites in the town are of historical significance making this one of the areas of the country that can define in a very rich and real sense, the struggles and the history of the beginning of apartheid, through the uprisings and protests and victories to the historical end. This is a melting pot of cultures from around the country and each section of the city will vary slightly, giving tourists yet another opportunity to witness the diversity of the nation and her people. The strong sense of community is a vibe that fills the air, and will remain with one in their memory and in their heart, long after their trip to South Africa has ended.
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