Alexandra Township

area, Johannesburg, South Africa

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June 18, 2026

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Alexandra Township is a densely populated area within Johannesburg, South Africa, covering approximately 20 square blocks. It was established as a township for Black Africans under the Group Areas Act of 1950, a key piece of urban apartheid legislation. Despite the repeal of this act in 1991, Johannesburg, including Alexandra, remains highly segregated. The township houses nearly half a million people, functioning as a dormitory city for those working in Johannesburg. Conditions within Alexandra vary, with some areas experiencing a lack of basic services like water and electricity.1

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Johannesburg
The city layout
Alexandra township, a 20-square-block enclave carved out of Johannesburg’s white northern suburbs, houses a population of nearly half a million. At least three times that number live in Soweto (South-West Townships), a sprawling urban complex 10 miles southwest of the city. Johannesburg’s small Coloured population…
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Alexandra township, a 20-square-block enclave carved out of Johannesburg’s white northern suburbs, houses a population of nearly half a million. At least three times that number live in Soweto (South-West Townships), a sprawling urban complex 10 miles southwest of the city. Johannesburg’s small Coloured population…
Read More