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Map of Johannesburg |
Gauteng
Province, South Africa:
If
money makes the world go round, Gauteng is one of its major axes. Meaning
'the place where the gold is' Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of Africa.
It is South Africa's smallest, wealthiest and most frenetic province. Everything
moves fast - cars zoom down the highways, people walk fast through the
malls and offices, and new buildings spring up on the drab brown Highveld
like so many glass and chrome mushrooms. |
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whole place buzzes with the energy of making money and spending money.
Johannesburg
and Gauteng are virtually synonymous but there's more to this province
than the hectic Jozi. Pretoria is a laid back city with some lovely
old buildings and a wealth of cultural attractions. The restored mining
village of Cullinan is worth a visit for its lovely old buildings as well
a mine tour and the opportunity to buy diamonds on site.
There
are a number of small nature reserves where you could go for walk, or even
a horse ride, and see some game. |
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Map of Pretoria
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| You
could go hot air ballooning, paragliding or skydiving. Or take a flip in
a vintage plane. A tour of the Cradle
of Humankind, which is a world heritage site, offers a new way of looking
at human history and prehistory.
Being
such a small province, Gauteng is virtually a hub, with easy access to
attractions in neighbouring provinces, most notably the Free
State and North West Province. |
 Johannesburg
Information:
Johannesburg is about
money. It's a city built on dreams of great wealth - literally built on
gold. And while the gold mines are now on the outskirts of the city itself,
it is money that drives this vibrant city that is widely accepted to be
the economic powerhouse of Africa.
Not many visitors actually
put Johannesburg on their itineraries but most end up spending a day or
two here anyway, as it is the main air traffic hub of southern Africa -
in fact, of Africa. And guess what? After initially whingeing to their
travel agents about having to spend a whole day here, many want to stay
longer. Johannesburg has had very bad press. Sure - it's not Utopia, and
it's a city where you need to keep your wits about you and preferably not
much else, but it's not the criminalised war zone that's been portrayed
in the media. And it's a truly vibey place... read
more
Pretoria (Tshwane) Information:
Affectionately known as the
Jacaranda City for all the purple blossom-bedecked trees, which line its
thoroughfares in summer, Pretoria is an elegant, quiet city that's a perfect
contrast with its more frenetic neighbour, Johannesburg, just half an hour
away.
Pretoria has a long, involved
and fascinating history - first as the capital of the independent Boer
republic of the Transvaal, then as one of the three capitals of South Africa,
it became an international synonym for apartheid.
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 But
that all changed in 1994. With Nelson Mandela's inauguration, the Union
Buildings morphed overnight from a symbol of white, neo-colonial domination
to one of true unity. And it's only one of the many landmarks in this cultural
city.
The Transvaal Museum boasts
excellent natural history displays and is the home of Mrs Ples, the
australopithecine fossil found at Sterkfontein in the Cradle of Humankind.
Artefacts from the Iron Age state of Mapungubwe are exhibited at
the Mapungubwe Museum at the University of Pretoria. The famous golden
rhino, golden sceptre, golden bowl and various gold, ivory and copper ornaments,
trade beads and Chinese ceramics are on display.
Also worth visiting are the
Cultural History Museum and the Smuts Museum, in Irene, just outside Pretoria.
The fact that the iconic Voortrekker Monument still stands is a tribute
to the inclusiveness of the new regime in South Africa.
More adventurous travellers
could do a short horse trail at the Voortrekker Monument or through the
Premier Game Reserve, taking a careful look at some white rhino and a number
of eland. Or perhaps a tandem skydive or a first jump at the Pretoria Skydiving
Club, which is the largest in the country.... read
more |
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