JOBURG has done much since its formation in 1996 to foster economic activity in Soweto, moving it away from its status as a dormitory township of Johannesburg.

To ensure sustainability, projects are aimed at commercial, retail and tourism related activity.

The largest of the projects is the R1-billion Orlando Ekhaya development, where Soweto's landmark power station and twin cooling towers will be redeveloped into a retail and entertainment centre.

There are also plans to build 700 housing units within the development, as well as lakeside flats - a first for the township.

Orlando Ekhaya should be complete by 2008 and will cover 300 hectares of land including the Orlando Power Station, the Orlando Dam and the Sontonga Koppie on the University of Johannesburg's Soweto campus.

It will be managed by the Johannesburg Property Company.

To improve mobility in an out of the township, the City has created the Baragwanath Public Transport Facility and Traders Market, informally known as Baralink.

The project will see the building of two new taxi ranks and market stalls for informal traders at the main loading area of the Soweto taxi rank, opposite Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

Toward final stages of the project, work will be done of pedestrian bridges, lighting along Old Potchefstroom Road and the installation of CCTV cameras to increase safety.

To increase tourism into the township, the Johannesburg Tourism Company, in partnership with the private sector, has established the Soweto Tourism Information Centre.

The centre, a one-stop shop for tourism and hospitality related issues in the township, is situated within the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown.

The centre consists of a visitors' area, a fully equipped conference and meeting room, a curio shop, a call centre, an internet café and a cafeteria.