You don't need to have a group tour to go to Soweto, you can arrange a private tour for yourself (or with 1-2 people more). Prices are not so expensive.
My advice is to look for a company working in responsible-tourism sector, that give job opportunities to local people; it is better to avoid that kind of tour where you go to the township looking at poor people from the bus, as they were animals during safari!
Many companies do that kind of tour and they say that it is dangerous to walk around. It is false. If you go with a good "responsible" company and local guides there aren't any risks.
I had a Soweto tour in 2007 and an Alexandra and city centre tour in 2013 with “Taste of Africa”: Cedric - the owner - is skilled and reliable, the guides live in the township, so they are the best guides you can have there.
You can find more here:
http://tasteofafrica.co.za/
https://www.facebook.com/vww.tasteofafrica.co.za
On Tripadvisor you can read 8 excellent review (out of 8), mine included.
Agree with flavia......we had a local guide,and went in his car.Walked around all over,and had a chance to talk to local people,go into their houses etc.Much better thana group bus tour IMHO,and not very expensive.
Thanks for suggesting a private tour to Soweto, but the private tours I saw on the Internet were significantly more expensive for just one person, me, than the group tours--and tasteofafrica wanted me to stay in Melville, whereas I will be at a hotel in Central Johannesburg. Before I received your reply I had booked an afternoon tour with moafrika tours, which, unlike other group tours will permit me to visit Mandela House (and will pick me up at my Central Johannesburg hotel). I also booked a tour to the Cradle of Humankind with them, because it was the only tour I found that guaranteed time at both Maropeng and the caves (and would pick me up in Central Johannesburg).
Thanks. The National Geographic Traveler had an article some time ago on the revitalization of inner city Johannesburg, "Brash and Brilliant," which contributed to my decision to go there and stay in the city center. I'll be taking an all-day tour to Pretoria, where I especially want to visit Freedom Park. (The group tours I've found visit only the Voortrekker Monument and do not include Freedom Park, so it appears that I will have to take an expensive private tour for that.)
If you're there over a weekend, get yourself to Arts on Main and Neighbourhood Goods Market. Some great independent traders and food stalls from all over Africa, well worth a walk around. Like any big city, Joburg requires a common sense approach to safety, but is also buzzing and a great place to explore. Hats off to you for staying in the "real" city and not Sandton. You will get a far more real, and African experience because of this.
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