In search of South Africa's footballing heart: Cycling through Soweto

By Thomas Burmeister May 11, 2010, 12:40 GMT

Johannesburg - It wasn't that long ago that even the name Soweto would give the average tourist to South Africa goosebumps.

The reputation of what was once one of Africa's largest and poorest settlements on the edge of gold-rich Johannesburg preceded it, with one British TV commentator even going so far as to describe the township as a destination for those tourists 'wishing to be robbed, beaten to death and eaten.'

Today, Soweto can be safely visited by bus - or even better by bicycle - thanks to the burgeoning trade in guided township tours. Organized visits to Soweto will certainly also be available during the World Cup in South Africa, which runs June 11 to July 11.

A trip to Soweto, which is an abbreviation of 'South Western Township,' is a must for any visitor to Johannesburg, not least because of its importance in the fight against apartheid.

During the World Cup, the added attraction of visiting this sprawling area, which is home to 1.3 million people and is made up of 29 districts, is to experience the beating footballing heart of South Africa at close quarters.

'Football was the sport of the blacks and coloureds,' explains Lebo Malepa, who for years has rented out rooms to the more adventurous backpackers. 'The whites preferred to play rugby.'

In recent times, all sorts of travellers have made their way to Malepa's hotel, while the World Cup will even bring with it Soweto's first camping site.

The Soweto Bicycle Tour sets off twice daily at 10 am and 1 pm and has as one of its points of interest the 94,700-seater Soccer City, Africa's largest stadium and location for the opening game and final of the first World Cup on African soil.

Soweto is now also home to a significant number of wealthy black South Africans but tickets for World Cup games are still too expensive for most of the township's inhabitants.

'We still have some locations with big screens where the atmosphere will be magnificent,' says John Mbatha, who comes across the cycling tour in a shebeen, one of Soweto's many formerly illegal bars where home-brewed beer is sold.

The tour passes by hostels where gold mine workers lived in near slavery while sand tracks lead to the shack settlements where the houses are made of corrugated metal and any other material the builders could get their hands on.

Some of the looks from Soweto's inhabitants are angry but for the most part, the tour is welcomed by friendly faces. At certain stops, children surround the cyclists. All are curious and begging is a rare occurrence.

'We enjoy the cyclists,' says one woman holding a baby in her arms. 'You stop and shake people's hands, they talk with us, buy a drink or some nuts. Others drive by in buses as if they are in a safari park.'

The cycling tour stops at Walter Sisulu Square, named after one of Nelson Mandela's closest allies in the struggle against apartheid. During the World Cup, the square will be home to the largest public viewing zone in the Johannesburg region.

A smaller viewing zone will be set up in front of Lebo's hotel.

'We hope that a lot of tourists will celebrate the Soweto football fest with us,' he says. 'Your safety is a question of honour for us.'