For an interesting South African historical and cultural experience, a visit to Soweto, an urban area located in Johannesburg, is a must.

The 19th century gold mining boom attracted thousands of workers to Johannesburg and it was the area south west of the city that the largely black migrant population settled in 1886. You can still see the tailings dump of the mine bordering Soweto.

Soweto gained worldwide notoriety in the 1970s to 1980s as a place of conflict between blacks and the governing whites and reminders of this are still dotted around Soweto. The Hector Pieterson Memorial commemorates the Soweto Uprising of 1976 when Hector Pieterson, a 12 year old, was killed. He has since become a symbol of youth resistance to apartheid. The memorial was built in the early 1990s and is situated in Khumalo Street, a few hundred meters from where he was shot. You can also visit a museum which houses photographic and audio-visual displays of the struggle of the youth against the injustices of apartheid.

It is in Soweto that you can visit the street where former president and Nobel Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, resided. Mandela was a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement.

Soweto is a diverse area where both the fortunate and poor live side by side. The people here have a lot of resilience and still smile, despite the challenges they face that many of us will never have to deal with.

According to Soweto’s website, “Soweto is a symbol of the New South Africa, caught between old squatter misery and new prosperity, squalor and an upbeat lifestyle, it’s a vibrant city which still openly bears the scars of the Apartheid past and yet shows what’s possible in the New South Africa.” (www.soweto.co.za)

Soweto’s checkered history is making way for a hopeful future and if you want an insight into South Africa’s massive shift as a nation, Soweto is the place to visit.

For more information and to start planning your trip, visit the South African Tourism website at www.southafrica.net