The 1991 population of Soweto was 596,632. Apartheid policies sought to minimize the black population in and around South African cities and regarded blacks as only temporary urban residents. This led to deliberate reductions in Soweto's housing construction rates in the 1960s and 1970s, resulting in today's acute housing shortages and overcrowding.
The government also attempted to segregate blacks of different ethnic groups from one another through zoning. With the lifting of apartheid, nearly all segregation ended, except in hostels. Today Soweto has one of the most ethnically mixed populations in South Africa, with large numbers of Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, and Sotho people, as well as smaller numbers of many other black ethnic groups. Most Sowetans speak some English and Afrikaans as well as their home languages and often one or more other African languages. English is widely used at major gatherings. Many residents are Christians or practice a combination of Christian denominations and traditional African religions.
