Current Research

Antony Kaminju

Every year, two of South Africa’s biggest soccer clubs, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, clash at the Soweto Derby held at the FNB Stadium, Soweto. The mood on the day of the derby resembles that of an unfolding carnival. But what stands out are the fans from the two teams. Their theatrics and performances within and out of the stadium are unique. The two clubs have a huge fan base that seems to easily overfill the 95,000 seats at the stadium. These images are a highlight of Antony Kaminju’s ongoing research of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates fans during the Soweto Derby that takes place every year at the FNB Stadium Soweto. This research is in two tiers: The making of a documentary and a written thesis. For more of his work: www.photohadithi.org

Daniel Lee

This chapter explores the social and cultural practices of queer Sowetans in the period following the 1976 Soweto Uprisings, up until the 1990s. Beginning with a conceptual framework which empahsises the translocality and participatory nature of queer nightlife scenes, this chapter argues that the Soweto scene was maintained less by a specific set of queer shebeens, and more by a collection of critical social practices which motivated broad-based community building across the province of Gauteng.  Through the construction of province-wide social networks, and the eventual migration of many queer Sowetan’s into Hillbrow – an area which has previously been written to have been a statically white queer nightlife district – the Soweto scene ultimately expanded into a transformative social world which increasingly staked a claim to inner-city Johannesburg in the dying years of urban apartheid. More than this though, this chapter provides, for the first time, a history of the many queer shebeens, dancehalls, pubs and social networks which constituted the black, Soweto-facing queer nightlife scene in both Soweto and Hillbrow.

Dr Ali Hlongwane

Dr Hlongwane is currently conducting two projects. The first is a biography of Khabi Mngoma, the legendary music teacher and educator. The second project is a biographical profile of Ingoapele Madingoane, popularly known as the “Poet Laureate of Soweto”.

Kasonde Mukonde

Kasonde Mukonde’s research looks at resistance theatre from the 1970s until 2000 in Soweto. He uses a variety of archives including the Amazwi Museum, National Archives, the private archives of theatre practitioners and oral history interviews. His key contribution to the SHAP project are the oral history interviews of little-known theatre practitioners.

Laurence Stewart

Laurence Stewart is interested in what is termed urban nature, or urban environmental histories. His focus on Soweto aims to understand the multiple facets of Soweto’s environment from 1904 to the present. Some key questions are related to environmental injustice and the histories of environmental organisations.

Lungile Butu

This essay entitled: “Ingenious Architects: Pimville’s Improbable  Business Origins”  looks at the milkmen of Pimville.  They operated in close proximity and collaborated while competing. Their story is told through verbal accounts of a 100-year-old lady, children and neighbours. The narrative is interested in the background history of the entrepreneurs: where their parents came from, what they did and why and how they came to the urban area of Johannesburg. The narrative will assess how the British and later the National Party tried to throttle early African entrepreneurship. The essay explains how the entrepreneurs whirled around these laws and thrived.

Nhlanhla Manana

From Township Grooves to Cultural Movements: A Journey through the History and Significance of Jazz Appreciation Societies in Soweto.

This research project aims to explore the history and significance of jazz appreciation societies in the vibrant township of Soweto. Jazz, as a genre, has played a pivotal role in the cultural and social fabric of Soweto, and it is crucial to understand the influence and impact of these societies and venues on the development and preservation of jazz music within the community.
The study will employ a historical research approach, utilising archival materials, oral histories, and interviews with key stakeholders in the jazz community of Soweto. By delving into the past, this research aims to uncover the origins of jazz appreciation societies and venues in Soweto, their establishment, growth, and their contributions to nurturing local talent and promoting jazz culture.
The project will also investigate the socio-political context in which these societies emerged, highlighting the challenges faced by jazz musicians and enthusiasts during apartheid-era South Africa. Additionally, the research will examine the role of jazz appreciation societies in fostering community engagement, cultural exchange, and the preservation of jazz heritage in Soweto.
The findings of this research project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the historical significance of jazz appreciation societies in Soweto. The insights gained from this study will not only shed light on the evolution of jazz in the township but also provide valuable knowledge for the preservation and promotion of jazz culture in Soweto and beyond.

Noor Nieftagodien and Ishmael Sehlwane

Ishmael Sehlwane and Noor Nieftagodien are doing research on the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in Soweto.

Sekibakiba P. Lekgoathi

Hostels have been an integral part of the urban black working class in South Africa for many decades. These institutions were established by the municipalities to accommodate black migrants from the rural areas who saw themselves as transient workers destined to go back home in the countryside upon retirement. This project explores the history of hostels in Soweto from 1945 to the 2020s. It seeks to probe the political and social relationships between the hostels and surrounding milieus in the township. These dormitories were established as part of the apartheid government’s social engineering project of ethnic separatism, of keeping large sections of African workers (mostly males) in the country as “temporary sojourners” in “white South Africa”, with nominal access to single-sex rental accommodation for as long as they ministered to the needs of the white urban economy. The hostel dwellers were to remain politically and culturally rooted in the rural reserves-cum-Bantustan areas.

Sifiso Mxolisi Ndlovu

Sifiso Mxolisi Ndlovu is professor of history at the University of South Africa, and executive director at the South African Democracy Education Trust. He has an MA in history from the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, and a PhD in history from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is co-author of the book Public History and Culture in South Africa: Memorial- 37 isation and Liberation Heritage Sites in Johannesburg and the Township Space (2019), and editor-in-chief of The Road to Democracy in South Africa multi-volume series. His work for the SHAP! project is entitled “The History of Vista University, Soweto Campus”.