There is a pace and vibrancy unique to Gauteng, the financial heartland and most densely populated province of South Africa, where the provincial capital, Johannesburg, was literally built on gold.
The main reef was stumbled upon in 1886 and within three years the 'city of gold' had become the country's largest. South Africa's gold output accounts for 40% of the global total, with both the world?s largest mine and deepest mine shaft found here.
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Gauteng
Accommodation
Luxury
Hotels
The Michelangelo At The Michaelangelo, on Nelson Mandela Square, unsurpassed luxury, elegance and and service excellence provide guests with standards available only in the world's finest hotels.>>
Illyria House Illyria House is a magnificent colonial manor with sweeping views across the treetops of Pretoria, the Jacaranda City. Set in the tranquil gardens with abundant bird life, Illyria is often referred to as a little paradise.>>
The Saxon Nestled in the exclusive suburb of Sandurst in Sandton, Johannesburg, The Saxon makes a world-class statement of ethnic African elegance, combined with personalised attention to detail.>>
Quality
Hotels
Protea Hotel Balalaika Sandton Set in the heart of Sandton, within easy walking distanceof the main shopping areas of Sandton, and the Sandton Convention Centre. >>
Irene Country Lodge Situated in the quaint village of Irene, surrounded by lush green meadows, near Pretoria and Johannesburg, Irene Country Lodge is 40km from Johannesburg International Airport. >>
Protea Hotel Wanderers Situated in the prestigious suburb of Illovo, Sandton, this Premier Protea Hotel offers the ultimate guest experience through unique facilities. It is 25km from the Johannesburg International Airport. >>
Value
Hotels
Holiday Inn Garden Court Sandton City Situated in the heart of Sandton, the exclusive residential and business area north of Johannesburg, this Garden Court Hotel is 30km from Johannesburg International Airport. >>
Protea Hotel Lesedi African Lodge This African Lodge is situated in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind, about 30km on the R512 road from Randburg to Hartebeespoort Dam. It is 80km from the Johannesburg International Airport. >>
Shongololo Express THIS IS A 'VALUE' RAIL EXPERIENCE Shongololo Express began operations in 1995 to provide a special touring experience for visitors to Southern Africa.>>
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about Gauteng
A most agreeable climate sees the warm and windless summer days, with short but sudden downpours, and dry, cool winter months.
The Johannesburg city centre is a concrete-and-glass jungle of high rise buildings and congested streets. But the city as a whole has its attractions - excellent hotels and restaurants, shopping malls, galleries, museums and theatres, a vibrancy and zest for life that is reflected socially and in business.
Hotels located in the in chic Sandton and other northern suburbs, such as Sandhurst and Rosebank, make ideal bases for exploring all that Johannesburg has to offer.
At Gold Reef City, an evocative reconstruction of pioneer Johannesburg, visitors can descend a min shaft and watch gold being poured. The Randburg Waterfront also has much to offer visitors to the city - here restaurants, bars, cinemas, shops, a market and fairground surround a lake and an illuminated musical fountain.
Natural attractions include the Johannesburg Zoological and Botanical gardens, Kyalami Lipizzaner stallions, Melrose Bird Sanctuary and the Lion Park.
'World-in-one' shopping complexes include Rosebank Mall, the Fourways Mall, Sandton City, (an upmarket shopping mecca) and the adjacent Nelson Mandela Square, where live theatre and a number of good restaurants are to be found. Open-air craft markets include the Organic Market in Bryanston and the Artists Market at Zoo Lake.
A myriad of nightspots lure the visitor to Johannesburg - jazz lovers will enjoy the Bassline in Melville and Kippie's at the Market Theatre Complex; rock and pop enthusiasts should visit the Roxy Rhythm Bar in Melville and Carfax in Newtown; the younger kwaito- and techno-loving generation will enjoy Calabash in Sandton, The Foundation in Rosebank and Warhol's in Orange Grove.
South of Johannesburg lie the enormous urban South Western Townships, more commonly known as Soweto, where a burgeoning 'informal sector' of markets, hawkers and backyard industry flourishes. The local Chris Hani-Baragwanith Hospital is Africa's largest, and The Sowetan newspaper is the country's fastest growing, in terms of circulation. Social life revolves around the football stadiums, shebeens (taverns), community halls and nightclubs, and an organized tour to this vibrant area is highly recommended.
Northwest of Johannesburg one can visit the visually dramatic Wonder Caves and the famed Sterkfontein Caves. Also known as the 'Cradle of Humankind' and a proclaimed World Heritage Site because of it's paleontological importance, this area has a hominid fossil history dating back more than 3 million years. Other attractions include the woodland-beauty of the Magaliesberg Hills, De Wildt Cheetah Research and Breeding Centre, Elephant Sanctuary, Hartebeespoort Dam and Lesedi Cultural Village. Dawn hot air balloon safaris over the Magaliesberg countryside, followed by a champagne brunch, can be arranged.
South Africa's administrative capital is 56km from Johannesburg and very different in character. Older and far more sedate, Pretoria is a handsome city, noted for it's wealth of indigenous flora as well as the lilac blooms of the jacarandas that grace the parks and gardens and carpet the city's streets in springtime.
Pretoria is overlooked by the imposing façade of the government's splendid crescent-shaped Union Buildings. Neoclassical in style and designed by British architect Sit Herbert Baker, they are set in beautifully landscaped grounds that are open to the public. Other attractions include the Voortrekker Monument, Anton van Wouw's bronze statue of Paul Kruger and Kruger House in Church Square, Melrose House, and the National Zoological and Botanical Gardens. The Premier diamond mine in Cullinan, the Tswaing meteor crater, and Loopspruit Wine Estate, South Africa's northern-most producer, are all nearby and worth a visit.
Apartheid Museum TourHalf Day - Approx. 4 hours Visit a stark white building known as the Apartheid Museum. Visitors follow a set route through the museum which takes them on a fascinating, horrifying, humbling and ultimately inspiring journey through the dark days of ‘whites only’ privilege, through to Nelson Mandela’s historic release from prison.
Documentary pieces of film, texts, sound clips and live accounts recapture life in the old South Africa. It is a journey guests are unlikely to forget in a hurry.
Combine this tour with the Soweto Tour for the full day "RISE TO FREEDOM" tour
Golf Reef City TourHalf Day - Approx. 4 hours Visit Gold Reef City – a reconstruction of Johannesburg during the Gold Rush era. Experience the Victorian fun far, brewery, pubs, restaurants and a gumboot dancing performance.
Watch molten gold being poured or take a trip down an old mine shaft.
Johannesburg City TourHalf Day - Approx. 4 hours Panoramic view from ‘The Top of Africa’ at the Carlton Centre in downtown Johannesburg Drive through Downtown Johannesburg passing the Supreme court, Diagonal Street (stock exchange) with its glass walled office towers and De Beers.
Visit Ghandi Square and the vibrant Market Theatre Complex with the MuseuMAfrica. Return to the hotel via Emmarentia Gardens and Rosebank.
Lesedi Cultural ExperienceFull Day - Approx. 8 hours Drive for 40 minutes from Johannesburg to a different world, a fusion of charming, authentic and earthy African cultures. On arrival at the village guests view a multi-media presentation in the Ndebele theatre that sets the scene for a 45 minute tour of the authentic village. View traditional Zulu, Ndebele, Sotho, Pedi and Xhosa villages.
Guests experience and learn about some of the cultural tradtions and myths of each. Guests enjoy a song and dance performance (30mins) in the boma moving them closer to the heartbeat of Africa. An African feast in Nyama Choma follows the performance.
After dinner guest return to Johannesburg and arrive back at the hotel at approx. 22h00
Pretoria City & Diamond TourFull Day - Approx. 9 hours Drive to the Capital City of Pretoria with its imposing museums and monuments. Visit the Voortrekker Monument, Kruger House, Church Square, City Hall and State Opera House.
Visit the architectural masterpiece of the Union Buildings, scene of Nelson Mandela’s emotional 1994 inauguration as President. Lunch in a local restaurant (optional).
Visit the Cullinan Diamond Mine before returning to Johannesburg.
Soweto TourHalf Day - Approx. 4 hours Drive through the sprawling streets of the township of Soweto, scene of the tragic riots in 1976. View informal settlements with their bustling neighbourhood life adjacent to affluent suburbs.
Visit Mandela House, Hector Petersen Memorial and drive by celebrity houses. Visit a shebeen (township tavern) for refreshments with the locals. A fascinating glimpse of this side of South Africa.
Combine this tour with the Apartheid Museum for the full day "RISE TO FREEDOM" tour
Sun City & Pilanesberg TourFull Day - Approx. 12 hours Drive for 2 hours to the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve. Enjoy a guided game drive in search of the ‘Big Five’ and other animals in the reserve. Visit the Sun City complex - casino, Valley of Waves at the Lost City, Entertainment Centre etc.
Enjoy lunch at one of the many restaurants at Sun City (optional). Drive back to Johannesburg (2 hours) and arrive at the hotel in the late afternoon.
Black Eagle Project Roodekrans The Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden was established in 1982 and Black Eagles were found nesting on the cliffs adjacent to the imposing Witpoortjie Falls.
The recording of the information on these eagles started in 1988 and evolved into the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans. The project educates the public about Black Eagles, conserves, monitors and obtains...
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Only 45 minutes from the famous goldfields of South Africa around Johannesburg, nestling in a peaceful rural valley, lies the invaluable and ancient Cradle of Humankind - a place where our ancestors once roamed. Some of these ancestors of modern humans faced extinction many millions of years...
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Music & Dance Recent years have seen remarkable and far-reaching shifts in the SA music world. Although there is still a clear polarisation between European music on the one hand, and African-based ethnic music on the other, there are signs that a process of mutual understanding and acceptance has taken place.
There are jazz clubs in cities and residential suburbs throughout...
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National Arts & Theatre For art lovers in SA, the month of July has become synonymous with the National Arts Festival. Each year the festival is staged for a few days in mid-winter in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.
The festival has grown across cultural, social and political borders to become an important shaping influence on SA arts and culture. Also popular is the annual Klein Karoo...
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Palaeontology-Anthropology The Palaeontology-Anthropology Tour explores places of palaeontological, geological, archaeological, ethnological and historical importance between Cape Town and Pretoria, Gauteng and the Limpopo River, giving participants an overview of the prehistory of the region, the origin and distribution of some of the peoples of South Africa up to recent historical events that shaped...
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Pretoria National Botanical Gardens The garden is situated 8km from the centre of Pretoria and accommodates both subtropical and temperate plants, giving the visitor a glimpse of the beautiful and varied flora of the subcontinent.
This Garden is also home to the National Herbarium. The Garden is 76 ha in size, with 50ha under intensive cultivation using exclusively South African plants. The...
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South Africa Political Political tours generally include Pretoria (Voortrekker Monument, Kruger House, Church Square, City Hall and the Union Buildings); Soweto (the most famous Johannesburg township, which was the centre of the struggle against apartheid. Freedom Square and Vilakazi Street, the street where Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tuti lived); Liliesleaf Farm (secret...
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Visual Arts & Literature The history of SA fine arts dates from the Stone Age when rock artists decorated the walls of their dwellings with murals depicting subjects from their environment. More than 3000 sites containing rock art have been discovered in South Africa.
Apart from township artists, there are many internationally acclaimed artists who experiment with contemporary, foreign...
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Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens Against the backdrop of the magnificent Witpoortjie waterfall, this Garden (previously called the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden) covers almost 300 hectares and consists of both landscaped and natural veld area.
The history of the Garden shows that it was founded in 1982, but has been a popular venue for outings since the 1800’s. The natural vegetation of...
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SOUTHERN AFRICA TRAVEL The Oak Suite, Guardian House,
Borough Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 2AE Tel: 01483 425533 Fax: 01483 860391 The air holiday packages on this website are ATOL protected
by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 4795. Please see our booking
conditions for more information. Click on the ATOL logo above for more information.
Many thanks and credit to the following
photographers whose images have been used in this site: Michael Poliza, Colin
Bell, Dana Allen, David Ross, Nick Melidonas and Wilderness Safaris.
Fill in our Online
Enquiry Form or call us on +44 (0)1483 425 533
Apartheid Museum Tour
Half Day - Approx. 4 hours
Golf Reef City Tour
Half Day - Approx. 4 hours
Johannesburg City Tour
Half Day - Approx. 4 hours
Lesedi Cultural Experience
Full Day - Approx. 8 hours
Pretoria City & Diamond Tour
Full Day - Approx. 9 hours
Soweto Tour
Half Day - Approx. 4 hours
Sun City & Pilanesberg Tour
Full Day - Approx. 12 hours
