Soweto South Africa & Is Johannesburg Safe?

Johannesburg to Soweto

Soweto South Africa is a place that will humble you in an instant

First, let’s chat about arriving in South Africa. From the moment I landed, I knew that I had arrived somewhere that was intriguing but unsettling. I flew into Johannesburg South Africa because the price was hundreds of dollars less than flying into Cape Town. I quickly realized why. Johannesburg was not a safe place at all. I’m very hesitant about making generalizations because every city visit is different for every person. With that being said I have not met many tourists that said Johannesburg South Africa was amazing. It is a city that has a vibe about it that is quite nerve-racking. The uBer drivers run right through red lights and stop signs. They always have the doors locked and advise you to look ahead and not out the windows because that will draw attention to you.

I’ve been to many places that I didn’t feel 100% comfortable for a multitude of reasons but Johannesburg takes the cake thus far. Leaving the airport and heading to the hostels wasn’t very difficult but once I arrived at the hostel my outlook changed. There was a 4 block barricaded area around the hostels. Concrete blocks and orange cones were used to show the areas we should not cross. This was no joke, we were instructed to not go outside the barricaded area without proper supervision. Stories were told about people that had left and been robbed before. 

Hostels in Johannesburg

The hostels were nice and there were some local cuisine restaurants that were tasty but that is about it. There was absolutely no night-life outside the hostel either. This was the summer of last year, 2019, so be aware that these are current descriptions not years ago. It was a bit of a shocker but I was determined to make the most of my time.  The bottom line is that Johannesburg is another world entirely. Research and prepare and you will be fine.

Soweto Saves the Day

Soweto is a township of Johannesburg. It could be thought of like a town within a city. What makes this town unique is that there are over 1.3 million people in this township. Furthermore, this township was the home to Nelson Mandela, the former South African president. The Mandela house was in an urban area that had sidewalk dancing, small market places, and food stands. This area is aimed at tourists and helped the local economy stay afloat. It was a very interesting tour and I encourage you to check it out next time you are in Soweto South Africa.

Soweto Volunteer Program

A really amazing program that I came across in Soweto was the South Africa Soweto Children’s Orphanage Project. This program allows you to work with the children of the Soweto area. The children were so nice and loving. They were super intrigued by everything I said and did. I had them doing pushups and trying to dunk basketballs the first day I was there. This experience was terrific in so many ways. I would go back to Johannesburg just to hang out with the local people. Their smiles could light up a room for days. Check out the pictures and you will surely be smiling as well. If you get a chance to go to South Africa be sure to book a tour to Soweto, you’ll be quite happy you did.

So, in conclusion Johannesburg was not safe in my opinion but Soweto was an experience that could open anyways eyes. The children had so little but had so much joy and passion. This is something I think many people could use in their lives these days. Hopefully, we can all learn something from them and smile today just because you can. 😀

Next, Be Sure to Check Out Cape Point Campground, Wild Monkeys & South African Penguins”