Soweto

American  

[suh-wee-toh, -way-] / 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).

---

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)

---

Soweto Cultural  

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

---

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 eyes of the rugby world now turn to Soweto.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

In interviews Adetshina said she was born in Soweto - the South African township next to Johannesburg - and grew up in Cape Town.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 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

One night our crew got invited to dance in Soweto against another crew.

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---