Soweto

[ suh-wee-toh, -wey- ]
/ səˈwi toʊ, -ˈweɪ- /

noun

a group of townships in NE South Africa, SW of and administered by Johannesburg: constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s to provide housing and services for black Africans. 26 sq. mi. (67 sq. km).

Example sentences from the Web for soweto

British Dictionary definitions for soweto

Soweto
/ (səˈwɛtəʊ, -ˈweɪtəʊ) /

noun

a contiguous group of Black African townships southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa: the largest purely Black African urban settlement in southern Africa: scene of riots (1976) following protests against the use of Afrikaans in schools for Black African children. Area: 62 sq km (24 sq miles). Pop: 858 649 (2001)

Word Origin for Soweto

C20: from so ( uth) we ( st) to ( wnship)

Cultural definitions for soweto

Soweto
[ (suh-wet-oh, suh-way-toh) ]

Collective name for a group of townships inhabited by black Africans, located southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa.

notes for Soweto

Soweto was the site of severe racial violence before the dismantling of apartheid.