Soweto is no longer the collection of shantytowns it was when South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela, took office in 1994.

It is now a center for tourism, culture, and a growing middle-class.

“There is this creativity, there is this dynamism, there is this growth that is taking place," said South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool.

Rasool acknowledged there still are many challenges, including poverty, unemployment and housing problems in Soweto. He noted there is a renewed hope, though, especially among young people who are pushing ahead with astounding speed.

“Soweto has almost moved directly from the drum to the cell phone without too many fixed lines in between. In much the same way it is going from counting on our fingers in Soweto to using the tablets and iPads and all of those kinds of modern technologies. No personal computers in between. I think that this is the energy that you must see,” he said.

Rasool said that Soweto today offers a window to a new Africa - and symbolizes not only resistance, but resilience.