Our Community

The Soweto Hotel & Conference Centre is located in the heart of one of the oldest communities which pre-dates Soweto’s existence – called Kliptown.

Kliptown, a suburb of the former black township of Soweto in Gauteng, South Africa, located about 17 km south-west of Johannesburg. The population of Kliptown is between 38,000 and 45,000 (City of Johannesburg official web site). Kliptown is the oldest residential district of Soweto, and was first laid out in 1891 on land which formed part of Klipspruit farm. The farm was named after the klipspruit (rocky stream) that runs nearby. From 1903 the area was home to informal settlements (squatter camps), and the area now contains a mixture of purpose-built housing and a large number of shacks and other informal homes which form the Chris Hani and Dlamini settlements
Cardboard Monument Project
Kliptown, Soweto, Johannesburg is one of the oldest, but also the poorest communities in Soweto. In 1955, the famous Freedom Charter gathering was held in Kliptown. The Freedom Charter gathering brought together people from all races and creeds, in order to establish a charter according to the rights and needs of the people. This charter formed the structure for the Post- Apartheid constitution.

For this reason in 2005, the South African government celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the Freedom Charter by building a very large monument complex. The development cost 11 million euro to build, and was initially intended to consist of many community inspired nodes to incorporate interesting spots in the area, as well as to attract tourists. Unfortunately the full extent of the plans were never realized, and today the centre comprises of a large brick tower with the Freedom charter etched into stone on a round tablet, 5-star hotel, a large convention hall, complete with kitchens and catering facilities, as well as a shops for rent. The space has not become the central node as was hoped and today the tourists who dare to visit the area, and usually arrive in bus tour groups, still find themselves isolated in the Soweto hotel, away from local residents. Kliptown, once known as a buzzing market area for local people, has now been re-located to the outer parts of the monument square.

Cardboard Monument project aims to investigate and reactivate public memory, through a workshop and temporary monument building process in collaboration with Funda Community College.

For more in this collaboration between Kliptown Artist’s Impact & the cardboard monument project visit: www.cardboardmonument.net.
Artist Impact Youth Art Competition
A group of artists from Soweto, Soweto Post 77 Media have assembled to create a visual representation of the past 5 decades in South African History. This collage of art will be represented across the ten (10) pillars on the left boundary of the square (the side of The Soweto Hotel & Conference Centre).

Artists will be invited to work with a combination of art-forms to create a vibrant artwork, with the winning artists’ work presented.
Government and Business are be given an opportunity to sponsor each pillar. This sponsorship will be acknowledged with a mosaic representation of the organisation’s logo and identity strategically placed across each pillar.

If you are interested in this sponsorship opportunity or would like more information,
please contact us on 011 527 7300
Kliptown Community Groups
  • Soweto Kliptown Youth (SKY) – is a community of youth located in Kliptown, opposite the hotel. This organization can be found on www.sky-basement.com
  • Other community groups that the hotel introduces to interested guests and parties wishing to make contact with local community groups include:

    P.U.S.H. – Persevere Until Something Happens www.push.org.za

    Noah’s Ark – Rose Care Day Center in Eldorado

    The Harvey Cohen Day Care Center for mentally and physically handicapped children of Eldorato, established by Dr. Donato “Don” Mattera

  • The hotel’s markets packages that include local bicycle tours, with tour guides identified from SKY and trained by Fair Trade In Tourism South Africa (FTTSA). These bicycle tours are the brainchild of Lebo (surname) of Lebo’s Soweto Bicycle Tours. Lebo is in partnership with the four youth trained by FTTSA and assists by providing them with his bicycles whenever guests of The Soweto Hotel & Conference Centre request a bicycle tour of Kliptown.
  • Locally identified tour guides are called upon by the hotel to provide authentic tours of Kliptown. David Bloom, affectionately known as Oom Bolo is one of these unique tour guides who provides walking tours of Kliptown that include a visit and guided tour of the Kliptown Museum, the Walter Sisulu Square and Heritage monument and heritate and historical sites in Kliptown. Custom-made tours include an architectural, religious, environmental or social.
  • A community trust, Mus’ukulinda Amathuba Trust has been set up by the shareholders of the hotel. Once the hotel shows dividends the trust will benefit. We aim to support, women’s groups, churches, disabled and youth organisations. As trustees we will also actively seek grants, donations and bursaries from other organisations,” says Sangweni-Siddo.