Locrate Market x Jozi My Jozi presents Generation Now – 50 years of youth culture, hustle and creativity under one Soweto sky. It is more than a market; it is a live remix of how young people have always driven South Africa forward through music, fashion, art, innovation and business, from Mzukwane’s era to the new school.

As part of the June 16 weekend, the market flips into a launchpad for young entrepreneurs, designers and innovators to sell, test ideas, build plugs and get seen. Since 2014, Locrate has been backing township entrepreneurs and the local creative economy; Generation Now turns that legacy up, creating fresh chances for youth‑led brands while celebrating the restless creativity that keeps Soweto and the country moving.

#WeUprising x Jozi My Jozi turn Day 3 into Solution Sessions – a hard‑hitting afternoon where elders and youth sit at the same table instead of talking past each other. Veterans from the 70s hold space for real umrhabulo, unpacking untold June 16 stories from siblings, friends, bystanders and the unsung heroes history tried to blur out.

Then the mic flips to the new generation, who come with answers not excuses, offering street‑level solutions to the pressures young people face around community building, work and entrepreneurship… all backed by a live artistic performance that carries the message beyond the panel and into the bloodstream.

Led by the 1976@50 Soweto Community Commemoration Group and backed by Jozi My Jozi, Day 4 starts with a charged morning walk that doesn’t just remember the march – it finishes what was started. We trace the 9,1 km route the students of 1976 never got to complete, walking from Vilakazi & Moema all the way to their intended destination, Orlando Stadium, in a physical and symbolic act of continuation.

Along the way, the street becomes a moving stage: live singing, guided narration, poetry and protest theatre turn the route into a living archive of defiance and survival, before the walk closes with a formal programme and entertainment inside Orlando Stadium.

After the morning walk, the energy spills straight onto Vilakazi Street, where local restaurants backed by Jozi My Jozi turn the strip into a full‑blown township street fest. Brunch, lunch and sundowners roll out across more than ten spots, each with its own flavour of live bands, DJs, cultural performances and Youth Day‑only surprises.

A curated market brings together fashion heads, artists, illustrators, makers and small businesses, giving visitors a chance to shop one‑of‑one pieces, meet the people behind the brands and pour their rands directly into Soweto’s creative and visitor economy.

The programme is being developed through partnerships between community organisations, schools, tourism operators, cultural institutions, local businesses, government stakeholders, and heritage practitioners.

A key focus of the programme is ensuring that the stories, voices, and contributions of Soweto residents – past, present and future - remain at the centre of the commemorations.

The organisers believe that the true success of the 50th Commemoration activities will not be measured solely by attendance numbers, but by its ability to leave a meaningful legacy through heritage preservation, youth development, tourism growth, community pride, and
economic opportunity.
 

By bringing together remembrance, tourism, creativity, entrepreneurship, and education, 76 Hours in Soweto seeks to demonstrate how heritage can become a powerful catalyst for inclusive growth and community transformation. As visitors from across South Africa and around the world gather in Soweto this June, they
will not only commemorate a defining moment in the country's history but will also contribute to building the future envisioned by the young people who marched in 1976.