Map of Soweto, South Africa

Soweto is a city in Gauteng, South Africa, with a population of about 1,695,047. It lies at 26.2678°S, 27.8585°E. Soweto is about 67 km (42 mi) southwest of Pretoria, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Roodepoort, 12 km to the north.

Soweto at a glance

Where is Soweto?

• The 5th largest city in South Africa by recorded population.
• The 3rd largest city in Gauteng on this site.
• Located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 10 h 29 min on the shortest day to 13 h 47 min on the longest day (around 21 June and 21 December).

Cities near Soweto

• Roodepoort — 12 km north
• Randfontein — 18 km northwest
• Johannesburg — 20 km east
• Westonaria — 22 km west
• Krugersdorp — 22 km north
• Randburg — 24 km northeast
• Alberton — 26 km east
• Germiston — 32 km east
• Edenvale — 33 km northeast
• Boksburg — 40 km east

Largest cities in Gauteng

• Johannesburg — 9,418,183
• Pretoria — 2,112,693
• Benoni — 605,344
• Tembisa — 511,655
• Vereeniging — 474,681
• Boksburg — 445,168
• Krugersdorp — 378,821
• Randburg — 337,053
• Roodepoort — 326,416
• Brakpan — 305,692

Largest cities in South Africa

• Johannesburg — 9,418,183
• Cape Town — 4,772,846
• Durban — 3,338,026
• Pretoria — 2,112,693
• Port Elizabeth — 1,050,078
• Pietermaritzburg — 839,327
• Benoni — 605,344
• Bloemfontein — 556,637
• Tembisa — 511,655
• East London — 478,676

Map of South Africa and all its cities →

Sources: place names, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0, data retrieved October 2026). Population figures are the latest values recorded in GeoNames; depending on the country they refer to the city proper, a municipality or a wider urban area, so they can differ from census or metro-area figures. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.