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Gauteng |
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Province:
Gauteng |
Capital
City: Pretoria
Languages:
English, Afrikaans, SeSotho
Population:
8, 000 000
Total % of
Population of South Africa:
Area
Size: 17 000 sq km
Total
% of Area of South Africa: 1,4% |
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Welcome |
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Gauteng - South Africa's smallest
province is dominated by a low ridge that the early
pioneers named the Witwatersrand (the 'ridge of white
water') in whose rock strata the world's richest deposits
of gold were bedded.
The Sotho word, Gauteng, meaning "Place of Gold",
is the new name of the Pretoria - Witwatersrand - Vaal
Triangle, one of the largest industrial regions in the
southern hemisphere. A more fitting label would be hard
to find. Vibrant, exciting Johannesburg, the provincial
capital of Gauteng offers visitors a large selection
of recreational, cultural and historical attractions.
Situated some 50 km north of Johannesburg, Pretoria
is renowned for its colourful gardens, shrubs and trees,
particularly beautiful in spring when jacarandas envelop
the avenues in mauve.
Gold powered the early development of South Africa's
secondary and tertiary industries and gave rise to an
arc of settlement which stretched from Randfontein in
the west to Springs in the east; today the fulcrum centres
around Gauteng's sprawling city of Johannesburg, the
economic heart of the country.
It was in this region many millions of years ago that
nature laid down a fine carpet of gold particles along
the shores and floor of what was either a vast lake
or river delta.
The particles were carried in the silt brought down
by a river, or rivers, which drained from the north
and northwest. In time, the gold became locked into
the surrounding sedimentary rocks.
When gold was discovered along certain creeks and ridges
of the eastern Escarpment in the 1880s, prospectors
widened their search for the precious metal to the Highveld
of the then Transvaal.
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1886, prospector George Harrison stumbled upon a small
weathered outcrop of gold-bearing sedimentary rock.
He immediately staked his claim, but, strangely, did
nothing to develop it.
Instead Harrison sold it for a mere £10, thereby
turning his back on an opportunity to acquire fabulous
personal wealth from what became one of the world's
richest treasure chests.
Speculators, prospectors, fortune-seekers and adventurers
arrived in the area from the ends of the earth, and
the pastoral landscape changed almost overnight.
Gold rush shantytowns sprang up and were rapidly transformed
into modern concrete cities, Johannesburg became "The
Gold Capital of the World", and the entire country
was catapulted into an economic boom. The revenue generated
from gold, most valuable of South Africa's exports,
has enabled the country to develop its impressive industrial,
commercial and financial strength. Today, in a great,
still growing concrete sprawl, Gauteng comprises the
commercial heart of South Africa. But much of the region
has escaped industrial development. In dozens of quiet
retreats and leisure resorts, city-dwellers find relaxation
and a welcome respite from day-to-day routine.
To get to Gold Reef City, take the M1 south towards
Bloemfontein. It's about six kilometres from Johannesburg
in Alamein Road, Ormonde. Kyalami, about half an hour's
drive from both Pretoria and Johannesburg, is the venue
for the fabulous Lippizaner shows on Sundays. Also on
Sundays, Zulu dances are presented at Heia Safari Ranch
(about 45 km from Johannesburg at Honeydew).
Game-viewing drives are conducted in the adjacent game
reserve, where hippo, buffalo, zebra, kudu, giraffe
and springbok can be seen. From Johannesburg and Pretoria,
it's about an hour's drive to the countless leisure
options of the Magaliesberg. East of Pretoria at Cullinan,
from Monday to Friday you can join a guided tour of
the Premier Diamond Mine (still in operation)
Search the Restinations database
for accommodation establishments in the Gauteng Province
by clicking on any of the below accommodation category
names, or alternatively, view the e-cards below for
members found in the Gauteng Province. |
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Accommodation Types |
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| * Click on the accommodation type above for a quick search |
Accommodation in Gauteng, Bedfordview |
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| Self-Catering
> Self-Catering Cottages / Chalets |
| Gauteng |
Bedfordview |
| Tel:
+27 (0)11 - 622 2126 |
Fax:
+27 (0)11 - 622 3551 |
Currently we only do long term accommodation, however, we will be in a position to offer short term accommodation in the not to distant future.
Set in a relaxed and peaceful estate in Bedford... |
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| Price Range:Budget - R50.00 - R500.00 |
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MORE
INFORMATION  |
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Johannesburg |
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The history of Johannesburg extends
back to 1886 when George Harrison discovered gold on
the farm Langlaagte. Gold Diggers and fortune hunters
arrived in droves and soon a tent town had sprung up,
which later became the city that is now South Africa's
main commercial centre.
Gold was the catalyst which brought Johannesburg into
being, and the city's identity will always be closely
linked with gold. In the heart of the city, mine dumps
are constant reminders of the city's origins. Appropriately
enough, iGoli, the Nguni name for Johannesburg, is derived
from the word "gold".
The city is high voltage nouveau rich territory; fast
paced, fun, a modern cosmopolitan metropolis packed
with vitality and verve. Apart from an exciting pleasure
repertoire, superb hotels, restaurants and shopping
centres pander to people with five-star tastes. In quiet,
leafy suburbs, baronial mansions in manicured gardens
lined with limousines testify to the fact that Johannesburg,
at the top of the super-tax bracket, is a very affluent
society.
In the central business district, fortunes are made
by the astute on the Stock Exchange each day. Skyscrapers
tower over chic boutiques, aromatic Indian bazaars,
and African muti (medicine) shops where traditional
healers dispense advice and herbal remedies. And jets
from near and far soar overhead en route to Johannesburg
International Airport; the major gateway to South Africa. |
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Pretoria |
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The city developed at a more sedate
pace than Johannesburg, and the town planners had the
foresight to include an abundance of open spaces. Pretoria
has more than 100 parks, including bird sanctuaries
and nature reserves.
Large numbers of Voortrekkers arrived in the region
in the 1850s, and an air of history pervades much of
central Pretoria, especially Church Square, around which
the city has grown. The square was the site of the first
church, the first markets and the first shops.
Progress has brought to Pretoria high-tech shopping
centres, museums, art galleries and multi-culinary restaurants.
The city has four universities and a number of scientific
institutes, including the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Onderstepoort Veterinary
Research Institute, both internationally renowned. Within
easy reach, day walks provide a relaxing introduction
to the region's natural habitats, many inhabited by
indigenous animals and birds. |
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Airports |
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| A bus service between Johannesburg
lnternational Airport and Sammy Marks Centre, operates
daily from 05:30 to 20:00. Phone (012) 323 1429/(011)
974 6561. A daily pick-up shuttle service also operates
between Sammy Marks Centre, Pretoria hotels and the
airport between 07:00 and 19:00. Phone (012) 323-1222. |
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Gauteng Map |
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[
click for map ] |
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