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South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, is the financial and commercial heart of the country, and houses the imposing Stock Exchange building.
But beyond business lies pleasure, and the wealthy suburbs of Sandton, Hyde Park, Rosebank, Marble Arch and Fourways have vast, opulent shopping centres to tantalise avid shoppers. With exclusive boutiques, superb eateries, vibey pavement cafés and themed entertainment complexes, there’s something for everyone.
Two must-sees are the Apartheid Museum, a fascinating record of South African life a few decades ago and, at the other end of the spectrum, our beautiful Constitutional Court, protector of our basic human rights and freedoms. Both bring to life the dark history of South Africa, but end with the positive affirmations of a new beginning.
For an informative taste of a different lifestyle, venture into the sprawling township of Soweto for a tour of the laidback drinking dens known as shebeens, where one can tuck-in to a lunchtime feast of modern local cuisine, share experiences with the people of Soweto and, if luck’s on your side, you’ll be treated to some impromptu live music.
Out in the suburbs, both Randburg and Bruma have created their own unique waterfronts with shops and waterside restaurants, while an hour’s drive from Johannesburg, you’ll find yourself on a charming arts and crafts meander in the tranquil Magaliesberg Mountain area. Gauteng is inordinately proud of its World Heritage Site, the Sterkfontein caves, where the earth’s earliest hominid has been unearthed. The Cradle of Mankind encompasses important archaeological findings of 15 sites, culminating in the discovery at Sterkfontein. At Maropeng, a few kilometres away, is a world class exhibition centre that complements the discovery at Sterkfontein.
Pretoria is South Africa’s administrative capital, is the ultimate city of extremes, where statues and monuments that commemorate the past controversial regime are in the self-same surrounds where Nelson Mandela was joyfully inaugurated as the first black President.
Despite its convoluted past and sad symbolism, the beautiful city of Pretoria is an integral part of South Africa’s history. For visitors, it’s undoubtedly an important step on the path to understanding the complexities of this country. And don’t think it’s all about the past. Pretoria is a city that’s taken the future by storm, with superb shopping, great rest-aurants and a vibrant arts community. The hamlet of Hatfield is the heart of the new, happening sector of the city. At the heart of the city is Church Square, dominated by the huge bronze figure of ‘Oom Paul’ Kruger, generally regarded as the father of Afrikanerdom. High on a hill south of the city is the massive Voortrekker Monument, a shrine to the Afrikaner community.
The most famous of all Pretoria’s landmarks is the magnificent crescent-shaped Union Buildings. It was in 1994 in these terraced gardens, that Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black President, undoubtedly one of the 20th century’s most defining moments. Visit Pretoria in Spring and fall in love with lilac! Seventy thousand cultivated jacaranda trees burst into bloom and soften the edges of this city of multiple statues. It’s a glorious sight!
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