Soweto

American  

[suh-wee-toh, -wey-] / səˈwi toʊ, -ˈweɪ- /

noun

1. a group of townships in northeastern South Africa, southwest of and administered by Johannesburg: constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s to provide housing and services for Black Africans. 26 sq. mi. (67 sq. km).

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Soweto British  

/ səˈwɛtəʊ, -ˈweɪtəʊ /

noun

1. a contiguous group of Black African townships southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa: the largest purely Black African urban settlement in southern Africa: scene of riots (1976) following protests against the use of Afrikaans in schools for Black African children. Area: 62 sq km (24 sq miles). Pop: 858 649 (2001)

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Soweto Cultural  

1. Collective name for a group of townships inhabited by black Africans, located southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Discover More

Soweto was the site of severe racial violence before the dismantling of apartheid.

Etymology

Origin of Soweto

C20: from so ( uth ) we ( st ) to ( wnship )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Soweto

The Soweto Uprising was a protest by school children and students against black schools being ordered to teach in English and Afrikaans, languages mainly used by the country's white population.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Acclaimed jazz performers Soweto Kinch and Bobo Stenson have wowed audiences.

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

Fugard once told Mann she took more trips to Soweto in a single month than he did in his entire lifetime.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026

Substitute Yanela Mbuthuma scored twice to give Orlando Pirates a 3-1 win at Golden Arrows on Wednesday, keeping the Soweto outfit three points behind South African Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025

The story of Soweto is the story of the driveways.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah