Soshanguve is a township within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. The primarily rural area is situated about 100 km north of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was established in 1974 on land scheduled to be incorporated into a tribal reserve for local, indigenous black inhabitants. The name SOSHANGUVE is derived from the first letters of the four major tribes in the region: Sotho, Shangaan, Nguni and Venda.

 

The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality covers an extensive geographic area (3200 sq. km), stretching for almost 60 km east/west and 70 km north/south. The municipal area includes Pretoria, Centurion, Akasia, Soshanguve, Mabopane, Atteridgeville, Ga-Rankuwa, Winterveld, Hammanskraal, Temba, Pienaarsrivier, Crocodile River and Mamelodi. The total area is inhabited by approximately 2.2 million people.

 

Eleven years into democracy, the teeming townships of South Africa are places where people suffer from poverty and living conditions are not always easy. But inhabitants of townships feel a strong sense of community; after midnight, many areas overflow with the sound of laughter and jazz, and busy marketplaces are common gathering spots on Saturday mornings. Despite the poverty, the sense of vibrancy cannot be equaled. Townships like Shoshanguve foster the soul of South Africa.