Famous or notorious, Soweto is a former township from the times of apartheid. It is about 15 km away from the centre of Johannesburg, and about two million people live here in a collection of houses ranging from tin shacks to houses of the more affluent in better suburbs. It started life as a temporary place for mine workers to live, but it stayed, and in 1923 was declared a black ghetto. It has great problems of overcrowding, poverty and violence, but Soweto is struggling hard to improve. A tour to see this huge town is a real eye-opener, and you can even choose to stay the night here.