Giant polluter Orlando Power Station now a tourist attraction

ONCE an efficient power supplier in South Africa, Soweto's Orlando Power Station is now one of the township's top tourist attractions.

Attraction ... a thrillseeker rides the power swing at Orlando Power Station in Soweto, South Africa / AAP

ONCE labelled the most efficient power supplier in South Africa, Soweto's Orlando Power Station is today one of the township's top tourist attractions.

The whole area is towered over by two electrical cooling silos, which showered Soweto with pollution as they supplied electricity to the white suburbs.

For years Soweto had no electricity and blacks were not permitted to own houses in urban areas. And even today people string illegal wire from the electric poles to their rooms at the hostels.

Work on the iconic facility began in 1939, during demand for extra power, with the two cooling towers added in 1951 as extra mechanisms to cool the steam from the landmark's boilers.

The power station, which was also the largest municipal power station in the southern hemisphere, operated until 1998.

In 2007 entrepreneur Bob Woods came up with the idea of using the former facility as an adventure centre to share the amazing view of Soweto from the top of the towers with tourists.

The towers, once a dismal grey, were painted colourfully with designs, including a smiling Nelson Mandela, by the community to depict township life. Today Orlando Towers has up to 400 bookings per month.

Thrillseekers who brave the power swing ride 100m on the lift to the top of the towers, and swing out towards the Orlando Dam between the pair.

It has the first ever swing inside a cooling tower - aptly called The Abyssa – as well as the abseil and rap jump.

By the end of May adrenaline junkies will also be able to bungee jump between the two towers.