Why go
The 1886 gold discovery explains the city’s rapid growth and many of its social divisions. Soweto’s history connects labour and apartheid-era segregation to the wider metropolis, while the Constitutional Court gives a different lens on the democratic state. That contrast helps make sense of a visit.
What to look for
- The Witwatersrand gold story underlies Johannesburg’s growth.
- Soweto developed from townships on the city’s outskirts.
- The Constitutional Court connects the city to constitutional democracy.
Useful to know
- Give Soweto its own time rather than treating it as a quick detour from the centre.
- Plan the gold-rush and constitutional themes as separate stops to see how the city changed.