Soweto Cultural Walking Tour With Lunch

It’s a long wonderful journey. Mawenda is smart and articulate and passionate about his craft. He’s knowledgeable and a local. The food is great. I was moved to tears often Take small bills. Spread them around. Be grateful for your privilege. A super meaningful experience for me. I wish I had taken kites or colored pencils or candies for the children. I had a wonderful experience. It was safe and comfortable. As a solo traveler I wasn’t entirely sure about what to expect. Do this. It is a memory I will treasure.

Maweza was the most informative guides we could have asked for. His tour came from a place of knowledge and empathy for his community. The best part was meeting the children in the housing community. I wish I had known to bring candy. I had a few pieces from the hotel but there were so many children asking.

Maweza was an amazing guide. He lives in Soweto and has deep knowledge of the culture, history, and area. The tour itself was not well designed. It was 3-4 hours but could easily have been 45 minutes. We spent a good amount of time seeing a very poor slum community and it was an awkward time because we didn’t do anything to help them but just walked around and saw their small shacks, and then had to deal with souvenir stands and aggressive vendors before continuing on our trip. Our guide was amazing, but the tour needs to be altered.

An unmissable, fantastic tour in Soweto made so unforgettable by the knowledge, 5 star professionalism, personal experience and warm personality of Maweza. The experience gave us a whole new understanding of Soweto and Sowetans. We were moved by the charm and friendliness of everyone we met along the way. We fully recommend this tour.

Soweto cultural walking tour was incredible. Our guide, Moweza, has so much knowledge and passion about the history and has beautiful connections with people living there, giving you a real experience and a glimpse into how life is in Soweto and the different areas people live in

Maweza was a fantastic guide and provided many unbiased stories from a local perspective. Great way to spend a few hours

This tour was fantastic! Lawrence is very knowledgeable and took the time to educate us on South African history and the historical context of Soweto before the tour began. We had the opportunity to visit Nelson Mandela’s home and neighborhoods across the economic spectrum. The history and culture is rich. Lawrence took the time to explain it all and fielded all sorts to questions. Midway through there is a tasty lunch. Most of the tour is in flat paved roads, so it’s not too strenuous, though one portion is uphill and tough to navigate if you’re out of shape. Otherwise, the walking tour is manageable and totally worth it.

Excellent cultural experience. I believe our guides name is Mawawe. He was amazing..very knowledgeable, professional & kept every one engaged.

Maweza is a fabulous guide. He is very well read on history and both sides of the Apartheid story - he is also excited to share his knowledge with his tour groups. It was very easy to get an Uber to the starting point, and back from the finishing point. I definitely recommend this tour.

I had my Soweto tour on a rainy day but despite that, my tour guide Maweza made the morning so wonderful. He was super knowledgeable about the community and its history. He filled in gaps in knowledge I still had after the Apartheid Museum. I really appreciated that he took the time to share additional details at every stop at the tour as well as photo reminders. Plus, he even provided me with extra books and movies I could look into after the tour. I learned so much more than I could have on my own or even if I was doing a bus tour.

it was not only the tour itself that was rich in terms of information and locations visited but also the agency "One Day Africa'' is great. They contacted me a day before to provide all necessary information and on top of that there were so kind to give me some tips about tourism in Joburg that were irrelevant with the tour. All communication was smooth via WhatApp that is really practical. Maweza, our guide, is so nice and well informed about Soweto's history . We were also in touch via whatsApp and he sent me his live location in order to ensure that i will reach him safely to the pick up spot. The walking tour was great and I did felt like i had a local friend walking me through sports that only locals could know. The lunch was an experience as well. definitely worth it ! After the tour Maweza kindly shared additional references for further reading about the history of Soweto and south africa. Definitely enjoyed it and recommend it !

Maweza was our guide for the tour and he was excellent! Gave us the history of Soweto before the walking portion started. Took us to areas not all tour groups go to. He is very passionate about sharing Soweto with visitors. This tour was a great end to our South African trip.

Teboho was a very warm and welcoming guide. We got a lot of information, also personal experience. Highly recommended!

Amazing knowledge and enthusiasm Our guide was determined that we should see and experience the real Soweto

Maweze is an excellent guide. Very informative. He took us on an adventure explaining all about the history of Soweto. I highly recommend this tour.

Maweza our guide gave us great insight into the township as such and went to places with us that I would otherwise never have entered (wear comfy closed shoes). He has great rapport with the community and therefore I always felt safe. Maweza also shared his views on past and present developments within Soweto and told us some interesting results of his research regarding Apartheid and the Healing Years. Maweza was very well spoken and fun to listen to. We were asked for dietary requirements and accordingly offered the vegetarian version of the local dish which was also a good experience to have. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in the history and future of Soweto.

Visiting Soweto was an eye opening experience, and I’m so glad I chose to do so with this walking tour! It was a good way to experience the area up close, with my guide Maweza who truly knew the place and shared deep and detailed history and information as walked around. I ended up being the only one on this tour when I went, but that turned out to be a fantastic experience as it became almost like just taking a long walk while taking about the places we were in. Which is perfect if you ask me! And as a solo female traveler I didn’t for a single moment feel unsafe or uncomfortable, as people had been warning me I might do. Overall a fantastic experience, informative and respectfully done, would absolutely recommend!

Maweza was phenomenal! He was incredibly easy to talk to, engaging, and deeply knowledgeable about Johannesburg’s history, culture, and people. Because he was born, raised, and still lives in Soweto, everything he shared felt personal, honest, and alive. What made the experience especially memorable was how well known he is throughout the community. Everywhere we went, people greeted him and stopped to chat. Walking through Soweto with Maweza genuinely felt like being with a local celebrity, and it added so much joy and authenticity to the experience! This tour was insightful, joyful, and full of heart. If you are visiting Johannesburg, this is an absolute must. I would recommend Maweza to every visitor!!

Fantastic tour with the guide Maweza- a moving history book himself on the movements of Soweto. His story telling style on the subjects is very compelling and spirited. I would highly recommend this walking trip with him. I have been visiting SA for past 12 years and this was my first trip to SOWETO and I am glad that I could finally do it.

Yesterday my friends and I did the Soweto walking tour with Maweza and Teboho, and it was absolutely incredible. Maweza’s depth of knowledge about South African history—especially Soweto—was truly remarkable and added so much value to the experience. The tour was insightful, fun, humorous, and incredibly engaging. As Kenyans, we learned so much about South Africa that we were never taught in school. What also really stood out was the thoughtfulness and consideration shown by both Maweza and Teboho throughout the tour. They constantly gave us options and made sure everyone in the group was comfortable, well taken care of, and had their needs met. It was such a rich and memorable day, and I genuinely can’t thank the two of them enough. I highly recommend this tour—it has been a major highlight of my trip, and I will definitely be back.

This was the best tour for me. The tour guide is well versed in the history of South Africa and was able to articulate that history so well. I have ranked this Soweto walk as the highest on the list of the activities I did during my visit to Johannesburg.

If you are wondering whether to visit Soweto but are worried about awkwardness or seeming exploitative, stop wondering and book this tour! Maweza was an excellent, welcoming and highly knowledgeable guide who gave us a full picture of the city of Soweto, as an important historical site and a vibrant present-day community. We visited the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Mandela House, of course. But we also walked through the variety of neighborhoods and saw the diversity of income levels, schools, places of worship, shops and housing. The Kota lunch was delicious and definitely something we only could have had in Soweto. Walking was a great way to visit the community rather than getting off and on bus. Through it all, Maweza kept us informed and put what we saw into historic and current context. We were lucky that it was just the two of us on the walking tour that day, though this is a tour that would also work well with their typical small group. Absolutely book this tour!

Maweza was our guide and is very knowledgeable. He made us realize Soweto is not really like what people depict it to be in the bad aspect, we interacted with the people and kids and even got them sweets and shared and the kids loved it, you should give it a try

Great experience through the traditional points, additionally they take you to the unknown points, as you wish, granting a deep and real experience in the largest township of Africa. Also an excellent guidance

Our guide was very knowledgeable about Soweto as he grew up there. He showed us some of the local places that perhaps some of the more commercial tours may not have. We found the tour very interesting and insightful and we covered quite a lot of ground. It is a walking tour so it’s all done on foot; make sure you wear comfortable footwear. Lunch was ok; it was a Soweto style chip butty! It would have been nice to be able to have a choice of what to eat for lunch as some of the things I saw other people eating looked quite nice too! Overall, it was a great tour and I would recommend it.

Mawesa was my guide along with his partner (I'm apologize I can't remember his name). It was a wonderful tour. He shared so much deep knowledge and history about Soweto and its people. It was a vigorous and thorough tour as well. Highly recommend Mawesa. He was kind, hilarious and very easy to talk to.

Interesting expirience and understanding of the history of Soweto. Representative walk, good guide!!!

Probably the best walking tour I have ever done. Our guide, Maweza, was the most knowledgeable guy and could tell us everything about the town he grew up in. Also felt completely safe the whole time, if that is something you are concerned about: don't be! So grateful we got to experience this while in Johannesburg. Honestly an experience I would recommend to everyone.

Very informative and professional tour guide. I really appreciate the share history and how passionate the guide tour is. You have to do this tour to get a sense on how this area developed.

This tour was great! We had a very nice guide and he showed us all about Soweto. It helped to take our fear about Townships away and replaced it with appreciation and respect for the locals. If you want to see different sides of South Africa, you should do this tour!

We really enjoyed the walking tour, and our tour guide Maweza was amazing! He is very knowledgeable, very friendly, and great personality. He shared so much history and information with us. He was great! Thank you for the service.

What a fantastic afternoon! So fun to meet local people and even party with them. They could even organize vegan lunch for us. Definitely recommend!

Taking this tour is a visual picture of the world you hear and it will grow on you. Just feel it. Maweza, our guide, is a wonderful person. His guide makes you more deeply interested in the city. When you come to Johannesburg you should taking this tour.

This is a can't miss experience. Maweza, the guide for most of the tours, is an experienced, articulate, outgoing, and attentive Soweto native. He has educated himself to provide information beyond what even top level tour guides offer. And his personal and family experiences in the township add an authentic, rich dimension to the tour. As a local, he knows everyone and greets them using the street language spoken mainly by the young Soweto men. Ypu walk through the Beverly Hills areas of Soweto as well as some of the poorest areas with tin shacks served by porta-potties across the road. Maweza is well-read and has a sophisticated understanding of S African history, politics, culture, social programs, and current conditions, and books by S African notables. His knowledge of other countries is also extensive, enabling interesting comparisons and conversation. The tour of Mandela's house is not included but there is time to take it, and is suggested for additional info about Nelson and Winnie Mandela. It was so much fun to end the tour with a delicious Kota burger (included) at a local outdoor eatery where you can relax and mine Maweza's extensive knowledge to learn even more about this fascinating country and its struggles to recover from its horrific past.

Our tour guide did a wonderful job showing us the history and viewing Soweto. He had a young guide shadowing him and she was great too. We enjoyed our tour but wished there was a little time to stop at vendors. I learned so much that I would not have gotten on my own. There came a time in the tour when we could go to the shanty town and he offered us to not go. My husband and I decided to go (which was our choice) but I felt awkward because it felt like a “hood safari”. No fault of the guide but something didn’t feel right when a member of the tour was taking pictures of little kids in tough conditions like animals in Kruger. It felt exploitative so maybe we shouldn’t have attended that part of the tour. If you do go to this part, make sure you have cash ahead of time to donate to them. We didn’t have much to give bc we needed an ATM.

The guide was native from Soweto. He was informative about history of Soweto and its historical importance in South Africa in the struggle of the past and present.

Our guide Moweza did a phenomenal job of our walking tour with lunch in Soweto. He was extremely knowledgeable and paid closer attention to important dates in history. I highly recommend

Mawza is a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. He took the time to explain everything clearly and shared his own personal stories and history about aparetede. Three walk through Soweto was very interesting, safe and a highlight.

This should be at the top of your list of things to do whilst in Joburg. Maweza was a fantastic host. He was passionate, full of interesting facts and stories, and extremely personable as well. Walking is the best choice for a tour like this and allows you to really take it all in. Lunch was a treat and definitely not something I would have found on my own. I highly recommend Maweza and this tour if you are looking for the best way to see and understand Soweto and its history.

We went on this excursion from our Pretoria base. We were part of a bus tour which I recommend as the guides know where to bring you. We toured around Soweto with the high light bein Nelson Mandelas home house. Everyone was emotional with this tour and insight into Nelson Maddela. I really recommend this trip to hear about the history and struggles of the South African people

This was one of the best tours I have been on. The tour guide, Maweza, was truly outstanding. Very informed by his lived experiences as a resident of Soweto and his extensive study of the history of South Africa, Apartheid, and Soweto. Gives a very interesting perspective and we learned so much. His candid discussion of the many issues surrounding the Apartheid era, and South Africa of today were so appreciated. Lunch was included on this tour, and highly recommend doing a tour with lunch. Trying the kota, a Soweto street food, really adds to the experience as well. I cannot more highly recommend a tour.

This was a lovely, relaxed and friendly experience that helped me get a better understanding sense of Soweto and South Africa in a way that was respectful and fun. Loved that it was walking. The museum is also a must-see. Thank you to the lovely guide (since it’s been a year I’ve forgotten everyone’s names - apologies)

Our guide Mawezo (and apologies if I spelled the name wrong) was very knowledgeable and had known the area and the locals very well. The tour was very informative - would definitely recommend !

The Soweto walking tour was excellent. Our guide, Maweza, was incredibly knowledgeable and gave a very full and well rounded tour. We felt safe throughout and had an amazing time!

A great and iteresting Tour and Maweya was an exceptional guide, he could tell the storz of each corner in a passionate way; I really enjoied the tour! Thank you Maweza

Maweza did a 5* job of showing us around Soweto and really provided a lot of history and context. He also went above and beyond waiting for everyone to get into their arranged transport.

Maweza the guide is a smart, articulate and charismatic young man. He greeted everyone in his path and even a visiting tourist party. He is an “A+” guide and person. Water, umbrellas and lunch were provided. Good exercise and had the opportunity to absorb history and community. Followed with visit to the Apartheid Museum, making a wonderful, wonderful day!

What a great tour made even more memorable by the tour guides, Maweza and Sibusiso, are very knowledgeable and took great time in explaining the history of the different neighborhoods we explored.

The guide was quite good and it has been a proper tour… (I do not know why they have this min 100 character limit, I wrote the last sentence to fulfill the limit)