How did apartheid shape the locations of Soweto, Alexandra, and Lenasia?

Under the apartheid system, the South African government utilized the Group Areas Act of 1950 to enforce racial segregation and dictate where residents could live based on their designated "race group". This policy of social engineering fundamentally shaped the geography of Johannesburg.123

• Soweto: An acronym for South-Western Townships, this area was developed as a sprawling complex 10 miles southwest of the city center. It grew from early shantytowns and government-planned housing projects intended to consolidate Black residents on the urban periphery, effectively serving as a dormitory for the city's Black labor force.143
• Alexandra: Originally an enclave for Black residents, Alexandra was surrounded by white northern suburbs. Despite its proximity to the city, it remained a distinct, densely populated township that the apartheid state sought to control through forced removals and strict influx regulations.13
• Lenasia: This township was specifically established in the 1950s as an "Asiatic" area. It was created to accommodate the Indian population who were forcibly removed from the city center to comply with the government's mandate for racially segregated residential zones.1

These forced relocations were often justified under the guise of sanitation or urban planning, but they served the primary goal of maintaining white supremacy by restricting nonwhite populations to designated, often underserved, areas.32