Tour Soweto, Johannesburg and Pretoria

Soweto is the very symbol of the African's struggle for freedom in South Africa. During the last troubled decades of the twentieth century Soweto represented the struggle against apartheid. This tour also offers you insight into the daily lives of the people of Soweto, the origins of ?Matchbox City? and its complex relationship with greater Johannesburg.

Soweto itinerary

We shall drive through affluent suburbs. Compare the different houses: matchbox
houses, elephant houses and informal settlements.

  • On route to our first stop, view structures reminiscent of South Africa’s Apartheid past. Stop at the old mine compounds.
  • Visit the Regina Mundi Catholic church. This church was mainly used for political meetings and gatherings during the apartheid era. The church used to be a safe haven for children escaping police brutality. Funeral services of many political victims were held here, hence its historical importance.
  • Join your guide for a short guided tour of the Baragwanath taxi ranks and markets. Experience general urban life and culture in a black township. Some of the things you may see include: colourful markets, ladies carrying goods on their head, the local barber shop, “spaza” or informal shops, ladies doing their washing, donkey carts carrying coal, local home made beer brewing, traditional restaurants, traditional medicine and traditional healers, taxi commuters using local sign language to communicate with the driver, etc.
  • You will get a chance to meet the people of Soweto. Your guide will stop at Motswaledi or Kliptown informal settlements.
  • We shall then take a drive to the suburb of Orlando. You will be able to view famous black activist’s houses during the apartheid years. See the houses of Winnie Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu. Then on to our famous previous president, the house where Mr Nelson Mandela lived before he was imprisoned in 1964. We shall go on a guided tour of his former house.
  • Your guide will point out sites of the student uprisings that started in 1976.
  • A guided tour of the Hector Petersen Memorial Square and Museum. The Hector Pieterson memorial and museum has been established to preserve the history and memory of all those who were involved in the Soweto uprising of 16 June 1976. The museum is named after 13 year old Hector Pieterson, who was among the first student victims to die from police shootings. The memorial to Hector Pieterson is situated a few hundred meters from where he was shot. The museum houses photographic and audio-visual displays of the struggle of the youth against the injustices of apartheid.
  • Visit a shebeen. Enjoy a traditional African buffet meal. Most tourists retire to a shebeen for some refreshment and gossip. Shebeens were born during the period when the apartheid government denied African people the right to consume liquor unless they could prove they had passed 10 years of schooling. They might then apply for a permit for no more than six bottles of beer and a bottle of spirits a month. This action saw shebeens formed by professional bootleggers. In 1988, shebeens were granted licences to sell liquor and are now run as taverns and nightclubs.

    • In Pretoria we shall visit the following locations: (Same as Pretoria itinerary.)

    Union Buildings

    The Union Building with its imposing colonnades, occupies a commanding position on Meintjieskop, east of the city.

    The Union Building overlooks Pretoria, the administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa. Considering its history and symbolism, no other building in Pretoria could be more suitable to house the Office of the State President of the Republic of South Africa.

    Church Square

    In the heart of the city is Church Square with its statue of Paul Kruger. Clustered around the Square are several historic buildings built in the late 1880’s and 1890’s. Among them the impressive Palace of Justice, the Raadsaal, or House of Parliament and State Bank and Mint. You will embark from your vehicle at Church Square and your guide will take you on a guided tour of the Square. Time allowing you may enjoy a cup of coffee at Café Riche, an old Dutch coffee shop.

    You will then drive past the old Synagogue, where Nelson Mandela was tried for treason.

    Voortrekker Monument

    The solid shape of the Voortrekker Monument on a hill outside of the city dominates the skyline towards the south-west. The monument is a tribute to the Voortrekkers (early pioneers) who carried western civilization to the interior of South Africa during the Great Trek. The Great Trek started in 1835/36 and eventually some 6000 white people (mainly stock farmers and their families) left for the interior of South Africa with all their possessions. These pioneers were of Dutch, German and French descent and some were of the 1820 Settlers from Britain. The dramatic events during the Trek (which culminated in the establishment of two independent states in the interior of South Africa in 1852 and 1854) and the way of life of the Trekkers, are depicted in the frieze in the hall
    of fame of the monument.

    Your tourist guide will explain each of the seventeen sculptured friezes in the Hall of fame. This monument provides excellent photographic opportunities.
    Learn more about the Afrikaner and their culture.

    The Melrose house Museum

    Melrose House is generally regarded as one of the best examples of Late Victorian architecture in South Africa. It represents a picture of the way an affluent family lived towards the end on the nineteenth century.

    Designed for Mr George Heys by a British architect, W T Vale. Most of the furniture, carpets, silver, porcelain and household objects were bought in the period between 1886 and the Anglo-Boer War in 1899. The current appearance of the house is much as it was when used as a residence by the Heys family.

    OR

    Kruger House Museum

    The Kruger House was the home of S. J. P. Kruger, President of the South African Republic, who lived here with his family during the last sixteen years of the 19th century. The Museum bears witness to the forceful personality of the man Kruger, who was the leader of a small Boer republic in South Africa that was engaged in a struggle against British imperialism. The Museum consists of the original house, two display halls and Paul Kruger’s State Railway Coach.

    Transvaal Museum

    Among the city’s numerous museums are the Transvaal Museum. It is a natural history museum that houses, amongst others, a fascinating archaeological display, and the Austin Roberts Bird Hall, with its extensive bird collection. This museum will only be visited if guests request visiting the museum at the time of booking the tour.

    City drive

    We shall take you on an educational drive through the city. You will be able to see the City Hall and the Railway station. We shall also take you on a scenic drive that encompasses embassies, beautiful parks and garden suburbs.

    Tour Duration

    (4 Hours)
    Depart: 8:00am - 5.30pm

    Book this tour

    1 Person - R 1300.00

    2-4 Persons - R 800.00ea

    5 or more Persons - R 720.00ea

    Price includes ALL entrance fees. Prices are subject to change without notice. Please confirm via email or cellphone for a formal quotation. We provide transport to other locations as well, eg. Limpopo, Namibia, Botswana, Maputo and other destinations in SA. Call/Email for Quotations. ALL QUANTUMS ARE FITTED WITH LATEST NAVIGATION AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS STATE OF THE ART ENTERTAINMENT