Orlando Towers
Soweto, short for South Western Townships, is a notable settlement with historic happenings. The Bungee-jump from Orlando Towers is a fascinating creation. Orlando Towers consists of two massive cooling towers, known for their brightly drawn exteriors that are seen from miles away. Adrenaline junkies visiting Soweto can take the opportunity to bungee-jump or free-fall from the silos.
The two cooling towers are a prominent landmark in Soweto. They were built in 1951 to supplement the spray pond cooling system as this source of cooling was running at its capacity.
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Both towers are painted, one functioning as an advertising billboard and the other containing the largest mural painting in South Africa. The towers are also used for bungee and BASE jumping from a platform between the top of the two towers, as well as, a bungee swing into one of the towers.
Planning for the construction of Orlando started in 1935, as the electricity demand of Johannesburg was rising faster than what could be met with the existing City Generating Station located in downtown Johannesburg.
In 2006, work was started to transform the site of the power station into an entertainment and business centre.
