Soweto

Soweto, an acronym for South Western Townships, was founded in 1904, when city councilors used an outbreak of bubonic plague as an excuse to move black people outside the town. Today it's home to about a million residents. What it lacks in infrastructure, it more than makes up for in soul, energy, and history. The largely working-class population knows how to live for today, and Soweto pulsates with people, music, and humor. Bus tours of Soweto are offered by various companies, but we suggest hiring a private guide or joining a smaller group tour because you'll get one-on-one attention and be able to ask any and all questions.

Between downtown Johannesburg and Soweto lie several suburbs less affluent than their northern counterparts, including Ormonde, where Gold Reef City and the Apartheid Museum are. Both are well signposted from the N1 highway going both south and north.