8 Interesting Soweto Tourist Attractions that Aren’t on Vilakazi Street
 
Soweto is one of Joburg’s most popular tourist attractions. But the vast majority of Soweto’s tourists don’t stray far from Vilakazi Street, the tour-bus-choked former home of Nelson Mandela.
 
Soweto is a massive city within a city, home to millions of people, and there are interesting things to see and do all over the area. Here are eight great places to visit in Soweto that aren’t on Vilakazi Street.
 
1) Walter Sisulu Square
Walter Sisulu Square is in Kliptown, the oldest and most historic township in Soweto. South Africa’s Freedom Charter was written and adopted here in 1955, and today there is a beautiful monument to the Charter in the centre of the square. There’s also a bustling market that provides excellent people-watching, a convention centre, and a small Freedom Charter Museum (open only sporadically).
 
The Soweto Hotel, the only 4-star hotel in Soweto, is on Walter Square. If this hotel were anywhere else it would feel like any Holiday Inn, but the Soweto Hotel’s location makes it special. Staying there is an experience.
 
Walter Sisulu Square is at the corner of Klipspruit Valley Road and Union Road. Kliptown.
 
2) Trackside Creative
Trackside Creative — which is unsurprisingly next to the train tracks — is a “creative hub” in Orlando West hosting musical and visual arts performances and serving as a collaborative space for artists. Trackside hosts street art workshops (the walls outside the buildings are covered with graffiti) and some of Soweto’s best local music. Follow Trackside’s Facebook page for updates.
 
Trackside Creative is at 8364 Twala Street, Orlando West.
 
3) Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers, which is a short drive from Vilakazi Street, was South Africa’s first black-owned backpackers and remains the most popular place to stay in Soweto. Lebo’s is best known for its Soweto bicycle tours, but the backpackers offers a huge variety of other activities, including walking and tuk-tuk tours, storytelling evenings, children’s reading events, cooking classes, and camping weekends. Lebo’s can also be booked for lunch or dinner and is one of the best places in Soweto to eat an authentic South African meal.
 
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers is at 10823A Pooe St, Orlando.
 
4) Regina Mundi Church
Regina Mundi, which means “Queen of the World” in Latin, is the largest Roman Catholic Church in South Africa and an awe-inspiring historical site. Built in 1962, Regina Mundi served as a shelter for anti-apartheid activists. During the Soweto uprising in June 1976, police stormed into the church in pursuit of student protesters and shot live ammunition into the church’s walls and alter. Those bullet holes remain in Regina Mundi today, alongside beautiful stained glass windows illustrating the history of the Struggle.
 
Regina Mundi Church is at 1, 149 Mkhize St, Soweto.
 
5) June 16 Memorial Acre
Opened in 2015, the June 16 Memorial Acre is a museum and memorial to the 1976 Soweto Uprising. The museum is located adjacent to Morris Isaacson High School in White City, where the original student marches began on 16 June 1976. An interesting alternative to the more well-known Hector Pieterson Museum near Vilakazi Street, the June 16 Memorial Acre focuses specifically on the events that occurred on the day of the Soweto Uprisings.
 
The June 16 Memorial Acre is on Mputhi St, Mofolo Central.
 
 
6) The Soweto Theatre
The mammoth Soweto Theatre is a sight to behold, with avant-garde architecture resembling children’s building blocks. Besides hosting top South African and international musical and theatre performances, the Soweto Theatre is home to a monthly arts and crafts fair and is worth a visit simply to walk through and admire the building.
 
The Soweto Theatre is at the corner of Bolani Road and Bolani Link, Jabulani.
 
7) Orlando Towers
These huge cooling towers once stood next to the historic Orlando Power Station, which tragically collapsed in 2014. The Orlando Towers are now brightly painted with colourful South African adverts and serve as a huge tourist attraction, with a bungee-jumping platform between the towers and Chaf Jozi, a classic shisa nyama braai restaurant, on the premises.
 
The Orlando Towers are on Chris Hani Road, Klipspruit.
 
8) Eyethu Lifestyle Centre
The Eyethu Lifestyle Centre is a chic arts and events venue, well known for its wonderful wine cellar, the Eyethu Cellar Door. Eyethu hosts regular art exhibitions and wine tastings and is simply a great place to see and be seen. The historic Eyethu Theatre, closed since the 1990s, is just across the way and boasts a beautiful display of local street art.
 
The Eyethu Lifestyle Centre is at 651 Tshabalala Street, Soweto.