Township grid
Tightly packed blocks of small plots cover most of the map. Each township has its own arrangement of straight and curving streets.
Minimalist map poster · South Africa
Soweto Map Poster & Print
26.2678° S / 27.8585° E
A vast grid of township streets south-west of Johannesburg, edged by mine dumps and marked by two painted towers.
- What you see is exactly what you get
- Up to 7,200 × 10,800 px · 300 DPI
- PNG + print-ready PDF
- No watermark
One city, five moods
Soweto in every style
Tap a style to see it on the wall. Every style costs the same — printed, framed or as HD files.
Actual pixels · 24 × 36″ print filePrint-sharp
Every street in Soweto, razor sharp
This is a 100% crop of the real print file. Every poster — printed, framed or downloaded — is rendered on our servers at 300 DPI, up to 7,200 × 10,800 pixels, so even the smallest lanes stay crisp on a 24 × 36″ print.
On the wall
Soweto at home
The map
About this Soweto map poster
Soweto takes its name from South Western Townships and lies south-west of central Johannesburg, separated from the city by mining land and old mine dumps. On a map it appears as a huge, continuous field of small blocks and closely spaced streets. It is divided into many named townships, such as Orlando, Meadowlands, Dube and Pimville, each with its own street pattern.
Soweto is central to South Africa's modern history. The 1976 student uprising began here. Vilakazi Street in Orlando West is known as the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, once lived. The painted Orlando Towers, former power-station cooling towers, are a landmark visible across the area.
A Soweto map poster shows the scale of the place, with curving roads between townships, open spaces around schools and sports grounds, and the Klipspruit valley running through. Apartheid-era segregation shaped the plan, and so did the communities that made Soweto home and turned it into one of the country's most recognised places.
- Population
- 1.7 million
- Coordinates
- 26.2678° S / 27.8585° E
- Elevation
- 1632 m
- Time zone
- Johannesburg
- Region
- Soweto, South Africa
Vilakazi Street
This short street in Orlando West is now a place of pilgrimage for visitors. The former homes of Mandela and Tutu stand close together along it.
Klipspruit valley
A green corridor of wetland and parkland follows the stream through the townships. It is one of the few breaks in the otherwise continuous urban pattern.
Make it yours
Frame your part of Soweto
Add a date, a name or a line of your own, switch style, size or orientation.
The free preview is low-resolution with a watermark. Prints and HD files are rendered at 300 DPI, up to 7,200 × 10,800 px, without a watermark.
Why Soweto
A map that means something
Soweto matters to people well beyond Johannesburg, and for those who grew up in Orlando, Dube or Diepkloof the map is also a family record. The dense grid makes a strong, graphic print that holds its own on any wall.
Add a township name, a family name or a significant year to the title and subtitle, and set the coordinates to a particular street. Choose Classic black & white, Noir, Paper, Blueprint or Sand, as a $9 download or a printed poster.
Order the Soweto posterWhat's in the HD download300 DPINo watermarkPNG + PDF
| Print size | Resolution | Files |
|---|---|---|
| 30 × 40 cm (11.8 × 15.7″) | 3,543 × 4,724 px | PNG · PDF |
| 29.7 × 42 cm (A3, 11.7 × 16.5″) | 3,508 × 4,961 px | PNG · PDF |
| 42 × 59.4 cm (A2, 16.5 × 23.4″) | 4,961 × 7,016 px | PNG · PDF |
| 45.7 × 61 cm (18 × 24″) | 5,400 × 7,200 px | PNG · PDF |
| 50 × 70 cm (19.7 × 27.6″) | 5,906 × 8,268 px | PNG · PDF |
| 61 × 91.4 cm (24 × 36″) | 7,200 × 10,800 px | PNG · PDF |
For comparison, the free preview is 900 px wide, watermarked and meant for screens. The HD files have up to 8× the resolution in each direction and print cleanly at full poster size.
Soweto map poster — FAQ
How do I order the Soweto poster?
Pick a style at the top of the page, then choose Printed Poster — a size and, if you like, a frame — or Digital HD Files. Checkout takes one step, and your order page updates as soon as the payment goes through.
What is the printed Soweto poster like?
It is printed on premium 200 gsm matte paper in one of six sizes, from 30 × 40 cm to 24 × 36″. Printed posters start at $39, shipping included.
Can I order the Soweto poster framed?
Yes. Choose a solid wood frame in black, white, natural oak or dark wood. It comes with shatterproof glazing and is ready to hang. Framed posters start at $99, shipping included.
How long does delivery take, and what does it cost?
Shipping is free worldwide. Each poster is printed by the nearest of our print partners in 30+ countries and usually arrives in 3–7 business days. You can follow the status and tracking under My Orders. A few countries take 2–5 weeks, and where we don't ship yet, the site tells you before you pay.
What if my poster arrives damaged?
Send us a photo within 14 days of delivery and we will reprint it for free or refund you.
Can I add our names or a date to the Soweto poster?
Yes. In the editor on this page, change the title, the subtitle and the coordinates line to anything you like, and pick a style and size. Printed, framed and digital orders all use exactly your design.
What do I get with the digital HD files?
For $9 you get 300 DPI PNG and print-ready PDF files in all six sizes, without a watermark, to print anywhere. Not sure yet? Download a free watermarked preview first.
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