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62
/ 100

Soweto

Moderate

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Township 100,000+
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Worth shortlisting Based on 7 scored dimensions
Best reasons
82
Schools — 178 schools within range
74
Transport
Trade-offs
32
Amenities — 42 amenities mapped nearby
Is Soweto right for you?

Soweto stands out for schools nearby and good public transport, with the trade-off of higher crime and high prices for local incomes.

What is good here

  • There are more schools within reach than in most areas.
  • Public transport is good, so a car is optional.
  • There are lots of places to eat, parks and things to do.

Things to weigh up

  • Crime is higher than in most areas, so read the safety section before deciding.
  • Homes are expensive compared with local incomes.
  • Shops and everyday services are thin on the ground.

Who it suits

  • Families with children Less suited

    Schools nearby, but higher crime and fewer shops and services.

  • Young professionals and renters Could work

    Good public transport and plenty to do, but fewer shops and services.

  • Retirees and a quieter life Less suited

    Higher crime and fewer shops and services.

  • Living without a car Could work

    Good public transport, but fewer shops and services.

  • Buying on a budget Less suited

    High prices for local incomes.

Compared with nearby areas

In Johannesburg In South Africa
Safety Among the lowest Among the lowest
Affordability Among the lowest Among the lowest
Schools About average Among the best
Transport Better than most Among the best
Amenities Below most Below most
Lifestyle About average Among the best
Property Confidence About average About average
What's happening
Local & city news, notices and alerts
South Africa Olympic gold medallist Smith to swim for Netherlands The Manila Times
JOHANNESBURG — Double Olympic Games women's swimming gold medallist Tatjana Smith said on Tuesday she is switching her international allegiance from South Africa to the Netherlands.
1 day ago Read article
No time to breathe for South Africa-bound Tigers The Daily Star
Bangladesh's record in South Africa makes the challenge particularly daunting. Across eight Tests between 2002 and 2022, the Tigers have lost all eight, including five by an innings. They will begin their campaign at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, where they are yet to play a Test.
1 day ago Read article
Local AI trained on gut microbe data could help African livestock withstand heat Phys.org
In a study published in Agriculture, researchers from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) propose a policy roadmap for an AI-driven precision farming approach to further improve indigenous and other livestock breeds' abilities to withstand extreme conditions in farming operations of all sizes and types.
1 day ago Read article
South African rand steady ahead of jobs data MarketScreener
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 10 - South Africa's rand held steady ahead of labour market data expected to show a modest rise in unemployment as a challenging operating environment weighed on economic activity in...
2 days ago Read article
Vodacom half-year profit surges 25.7% on Africa-wide growth, Safaricom deal MarketScreener
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 10 - South African mobile telecoms operator Vodacom Group reported a 25.7% jump in half-year profit on Tuesday helped by growth across its markets and a fuller contribution from...
2 days ago Read article
Data confidence
High coverage
95

Coverage confidence reflects geographic matching, source authority, freshness, record coverage, and demographic alignment. It is not a liveability score.

geography
25 pts
source authority
20 pts
freshness
20 pts
record coverage
25 pts
demographic alignment
5 pts
Verified schools
7 inside · 171 nearby
Data sources
Report incorrect data
Official school register
School · verified 2026-10-06
Source
Score dashboard
SAPS 2022-2023 · OSM Nov 2026 · Stats SA 2024
61
Safety
About average
2022-2023
64
Affordability
About average
Stats SA 2024
82
Schools
Good
2020
74
Transport
Good
Nov 2026
32
Amenities
Weak
Nov 2026
56
Lifestyle
About average
Nov 2026
68
Property Confidence
About average
RPPI 2010-2023
What these scores mean for Soweto

Each score is out of 100. Higher is better for you: a high affordability score means cheaper relative to local incomes, and a high safety score means less crime. Comparisons are with other areas in the same country.

Safety: 61/100 · About average
Scores 61 out of 100, which is about average and lower than 87% of areas in South Africa. What it measures: How safe the area is, from reported crime adjusted for population, with burglary and robbery counting most. How it is worked out: Severity-weighted reported crime per 1,000 residents vs the urban benchmark. Burglary and robbery are weighted heavily. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: SAPS crime statistics (SAPACR 2008–2023) (2022-2023).
Affordability: 64/100 · About average
Scores 64 out of 100, which is about average and lower than 99% of areas in South Africa. What it measures: How average rent compares with what households here typically earn. How it is worked out: Average rent as a share of median monthly income. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: Stats SA income & rental index (Stats SA 2024).
Schools: 82/100 · Good
Scores 82 out of 100, which is good and better than 73% of areas in South Africa. In practice, there is a good choice of schools nearby. What it measures: How many primary and secondary schools are within reach. How it is worked out: Real schools within range by phase (primary/secondary/pre-primary), weighted toward secondary. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: DBE National Masterlist of Schools (2020) (2020).
Transport: 74/100 · Good
Scores 74 out of 100, which is good and better than 94% of areas in South Africa. In practice, it is easy to get around without a car. What it measures: Access to public transport stops, stations and main roads. How it is worked out: Density of public-transport stops and stations. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OpenStreetMap transport nodes (Nov 2026).
Amenities: 32/100 · Weak
Scores 32 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 63% of areas in South Africa. In practice, you may need to travel for everyday shopping and services. What it measures: Everyday places nearby, such as shops, pharmacies, clinics and banks. How it is worked out: Daily-convenience density: shops, food, healthcare, community. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OpenStreetMap & Google Places (Nov 2026).
Lifestyle: 56/100 · About average
Scores 56 out of 100, which is about average and better than 88% of areas in South Africa. What it measures: Places to eat, relax and spend free time, such as restaurants, parks and gyms. How it is worked out: Parks, food culture, and community sentiment once reviews accrue. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OSM green space + resident sentiment (Nov 2026).
Property Confidence: 68/100 · About average
Scores 68 out of 100, which is about average and lower than 52% of areas in South Africa. What it measures: How much reliable property data we have and how stable prices look. How it is worked out: Directional year-on-year price movement — not a valuation. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: Stats SA Residential Property Price Index (RPPI 2010-2023).
Full scoring method
Flood & earthquake history
🌊 Flood: None on record
🌍 Earthquake: None on record
See details
AI neighbourhood summary
AI-powered

Is this area good for families?

Soweto scores 82/100 for schools and 61/100 for safety — the two factors families weigh most. Its strongest areas are schools and transport. Be mindful of weaker amenities scores before committing.

Generated by AI · 2 months ago

Population (Census 2022)

City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality — for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

4,694,290 people in City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
Black African 85%
Coloured 5%
Indian or Asian 3%
White 7%
Other 0%

Source: Stats SA Census 2022.

Municipal service delivery

Real Stats SA General Household Survey (GHS 2022) — based on 1,285 households surveyed in City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Flush toilet access
88%
Pit/bucket toilet (backlog)
10%
Has electricity
91%
Regular refuse removal
83%
Water interruptions (past yr)
45%
Less happy than last year
43%
What residents are complaining about

% of households reporting each problem as present in their area.

Illegal rubbish dumping 17%
Littering 40%
Water pollution 27%
Air pollution 26%
Land degradation 34%
Noise pollution 30%

Source: Stats SA GHS 2022.

Households (Census 2022)

Real Stats SA Census 2022 — full count, based on 128,969 households. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Piped water inside dwelling
73%
Flush toilet
90%
Bucket toilet (backlog)
3%
Electricity for lighting
91%
Regular refuse removal
88%
Home internet access
18%
No internet access
14%
Owns a motor car
30%
Food security

% of households reporting hunger at least sometimes in the past year.

Adult hunger 22%
Child hunger 20%

Source: Stats SA Census 2022.

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Local services in Soweto

No verified local businesses serve Soweto yet.

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Tips from residents

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Visiting Soweto

No attractions near here have been checked and published yet.

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Load-shedding
No load-shedding
National status
✓ No load-shedding
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Data via EskomSePush · Updates every 15 minutes
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Related guides
Is Soweto safe? Safest in Johannesburg Most affordable in Johannesburg Best for families in Johannesburg

NeighbourhoodIQ is an information service, not legal or financial advice. Scores are computed from public data and are indicative only. Crime data: SAPS. Demographics: Stats SA. Amenities: OpenStreetMap contributors.

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