IN CONVERSATION WITH MBALI, JOZI MY JOZI
Loading player...
As South Africa approaches the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto
Uprising, attention is once again turning to Soweto not only as a historic site of
resistance, but also as a living, evolving economic and cultural hub.
The initiative known as “76 Hours in Soweto”, led by civic organisation Jozi
My Jozi in partnership with tourism bodies, local businesses, and community
structures, is a four-day commemorative programme set to run from 13 to 16
June 2026.
The programme aims to honour the legacy of June 16, 1976, while also using
heritage tourism as a driver for local economic development, job creation, and
township entrepreneurship.
Events will include community film screenings, youth expos, cultural markets,
intergenerational dialogues, guided heritage walks, and a symbolic
commemorative march tracing historic student routes through Soweto.
At the centre of this initiative is a key question:
Can remembrance be transformed into real, measurable economic opportunity
for the communities that carry this history?
Supporters argue that Soweto’s global heritage status is still underutilised as an
economic asset. Critics, however, often raise concerns about whether such
initiatives truly benefit residents or risk turning historical trauma into
commercial activity without long-term impact.
Today we unpack whether heritage tourism can meaningfully shift Soweto’s economic
landscape — or whether this is another well-intentioned programme that will
struggle to deliver lasting change.
Uprising, attention is once again turning to Soweto not only as a historic site of
resistance, but also as a living, evolving economic and cultural hub.
The initiative known as “76 Hours in Soweto”, led by civic organisation Jozi
My Jozi in partnership with tourism bodies, local businesses, and community
structures, is a four-day commemorative programme set to run from 13 to 16
June 2026.
The programme aims to honour the legacy of June 16, 1976, while also using
heritage tourism as a driver for local economic development, job creation, and
township entrepreneurship.
Events will include community film screenings, youth expos, cultural markets,
intergenerational dialogues, guided heritage walks, and a symbolic
commemorative march tracing historic student routes through Soweto.
At the centre of this initiative is a key question:
Can remembrance be transformed into real, measurable economic opportunity
for the communities that carry this history?
Supporters argue that Soweto’s global heritage status is still underutilised as an
economic asset. Critics, however, often raise concerns about whether such
initiatives truly benefit residents or risk turning historical trauma into
commercial activity without long-term impact.
Today we unpack whether heritage tourism can meaningfully shift Soweto’s economic
landscape — or whether this is another well-intentioned programme that will
struggle to deliver lasting change.
