Soweto Tour and Lesedi Cultural Village Tour form Pretoria and Johannesberg

The establishment of Soweto is, like Johannesburg, linked directly to the discovery of Gold in 1885. Thousands of people from around the world and South Africa flocked to the new town to seek their fortunes or to offer their labour. Within 4 years Johannesburg was the second largest city. More than half the population was black, most living in multi racial shanty towns near the gold mines in the centre of the town. As the gold mining industry developed, so did the need for labour increase. Migrant labour was started and most of these workers lived in mine compounds. However other workers had to find their own accommodation often in appalling conditions.

With a population of over 2 million, the township is the biggest black urban settlement in Africa with a rich political history. Soweto was the centre of political campaigns aimed at the overthrow of the apartheid state. The 1976 student uprising, also known as the Soweto uprising, started in Soweto and spread to the rest of the country. Many of the sights on the heritage route therefore have political significance.

Upon arrival at Lesedi, you will be welcomed to the Ndebele village before settling down to a multimedia presentation on the history of South Africa's rainbow nation. You will be then taken on a guided tour of each of the cultural villages, where you will learn the various rituals and folklore of South Africa's people, plus a few key phrases in local languages.

Traditional song and dance rounds off the day's activities, followed by a dinner buffet of African fare fit for a king, hosted in the 200-seater Nyama Choma restaurant, where you can taste impala, ostrich or crocodile meat. The newer restaurant, the Nile Room, serves delectable cuisine from North Africa. At the end of the evening, you are invited to gather around the open fire to listen to tales of African mythology, or be escorted back to their cosy hut by members of their host family.