GAUTENG

Gauteng is one of the great cities in the world. Whatever you are looking for in South Africa, you would probably find in this activity and business filled hub.

Gauteng is a cosmopolitan area in South Africa, boasting with people from different cultures, different walks of life and in fact, literally from all four corners of the world. With all the different people groups and nationalities present in Gauteng, it is no wonder that this city is such a great place to visit, with many museums, theatres, galleries, cultural precincts and craft markets.

For the tourist, there are the two big cities in Gauteng, namely Pretoria and Johannesburg. A visit to these cities will bring you in contact with the true South Africa, what it is like to live here, to be a South African!

Geographics:

Gauteng has summer rainfall and mild dry winters. In the summer, rainstorms often occur during the afternoons, while in the winter, there is occasional early morning frost on the Highveld.

Maximum temperatures in Gauteng during the summer months ranges from about an average of 25º C in Johannesburg to about 27º C in Pretoria, although mid summer can easily reach highs of 30º C +! During the winter months, the temperatures ranges from about 18º C in Johannesburg to about 22º C in Pretoria.

Layout:

There are two main cities, namely Pretoria and Johannesburg. Johannesburg is laid out more like a puzzle piece, and Pretoria more like a square block. The province houses from poor, rural people living in squatter camps to the rich and famous, living in mansions. Those would be found in areas such as Sandhurst in Johannesburg and Waterkloof in Pretoria.

Surroundings:

There are many beautiful surroundings to Gauteng, of which some includes the Magaliesburg mountain range, several large game farms, Rietvlei dam nature reserve, Roodeplaat Dam, Cullinan mine (where the famous Cullinan diamond was found) and many many monuments in and around the province.

Travel information:

To visit Gauteng, one should be packed with enough summer clothes to wear. Even in the winter, temperatures can get high. In the summer, shorts and a t-shirt should be sufficient, while as in the winter, it is a good idea to have a pair of Jeans and a warm jacket, with something light underneath for mid day when it gets hot. Always bare in mind that Johannesburg is a bit colder than Pretoria.

Airports:

Gauteng houses one of the large International airports in South Africa. Johannesburg International Airport provides you with travel agents, flights right across the world, many restaurants and much much more.

Attractions:

Gauteng has many attractions. Do make sure that you make use of at least two of the many restaurants around the city.

Also go visit Gold Rief City, where the kids can go off and play at the adventure park while you explore the history of the gold rush in Gauteng!

The Voortrekker monument is a great place to see some history of the Voortrekkers (settlers).

The union buildings provides you with the opportunity to see some of the government buildings in Gauteng, where the president of South Africa has his office.

While you are here, make sure you visit the Krugers Dorp lion park, the Pretoria Zoo and the Botanical gardens!

There are many more attractions. To find out more about them, please go to the Pretoria and Johannesburg pages respectively (soon to be added).