A Guide to the Provinces
Northern
Province
Capital: Pietersburg.
Population: 4.128m.
Area: 123,910 sq km.
African
bush veld, Drakensberg escarpment and lowveld environments combine
to make this a superb destination. Wild life, private reserves,
Baobab trees, tropical fruits, mountain scenery and fascinating
cultures of the northern Sotho and Venda people. Central and northern
Kruger National Park. Gateway to Zimbabwe and Botswana through
the scenic Soutpansberg and Venda regions.
Mpumalanga
Capital: Nelspruit.
Population: 2.646m.
Area: 79,490 sq km.
Lowveld
game reserves, scenic mountains, highland trout fishing and world
renowned game and bird viewing. The Southern Kruger National Park
and numerous private game reserves offer an exceptional wildlife
experience. The dramatic Blyde River Canyon is one of the scenic
wonders of South Africa. Gold mining history at Barberton and
Pilgrim's Rest where visitors can pan for gold in the escarpment
creeks. Gateway to Mozambique across the southern Mpumalanga lowveld.
Highland trout fishing.
North West
Capital: Mafikeng.
Population: 3.043m.
Area: 116,320 sq km.
Sun
City and the Lost City set against the Pilanesberg National Park
are a major attraction to the area. Further west, the town of
Mafikeng which was besieged during the Anglo -Boer War. To the
south the gold mining centres of Klerksdorp and Stillfontein.
Major agricultural region.
Gauteng
Capital: Johannesburg.
Population: 7.717m.
Area: 17,010 sq km.
The
heart of South Africa. Both Johannesburg and Pretoria offer a
window into the gold mining past. Visit Gold Reef City, a restored
gold mining village, or tour the shebeens and monuments of Soweto.
Sterkfontein caves offer incredible insight into the evolution
of modern man in Africa. Military History Museum, art galleries
and zoos. Excellent night life casinos and restaurants. To the
south the Vaal River resorts.
Northern
Cape
Capital: Kimberley.
Population: 0.746m.
Area: 361,830 sq km.
A
vast and beautiful desert and semi desert region of outstanding
appeal. The regional slogan reads "The great sky and the
silence". Kimberley, the regional capital, is a diamond mining
centre dating back over 100 years. A number of important Anglo
Boer War Battlefields near the city have been opened up to mark
the centenary of the War. To the west, huge deserts and rugged
mountain scenery to the wild flower reserves on the west coast.
A number of challenging 4 x 4 trails. Kalahari Gemsbok National
Park in the north west of the province.
Kwazulu
-Natal
Capital: Pietermaritzburg / Ulundi.
Population: 7. 672m.
Area: 92,100 sq km.
Excellent
scuba diving and game reserves in the north moving south through
the battlefields of the Zulu War to the dramatic mountains of
the Drakensberg. Across the midlands the battlefields and historical
sites of the Anglo - Boer War of 1899 -1902. On the coast, fine
beaches both north and south of the exciting coastal city, Durban.
Interesting Zulu history and culture at the Zulu War Sites and
the Shakaland Cultural Village near Eshowe. Mountain resorts across
the Drakensburg range offering hiking trails.
Free
State
Capital: Bloemfontein.
Population: 2.470m.
Area: 129,480 sq km.
Golden
Gate National Park in the eastern highlands with outstanding mountain
scenery. Cherry and fruit picking in season near Ficksburg. Bloemfontein,
the regional capital offers interesting historical and military
museums. Gold mining and extensive agriculture across vast rolling
highveld plains.
Western
Cape
Capital: Cape Town.
Population: 4.118m.
Area: 129,370 sq km.
The
vineyards and mountains of the western Cape, Table Mountain, the
Cape Peninsula, Robben Island. Outstanding beaches, coastal drives
and Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens. The Garden Route starts
in Cape Town taking in the beautiful coastal resorts of Hermanus
where whale watching is a feature, through to George, Knysna and
Plettenberg Bay. Inland, the ostrich farms and Cango Caves around
Oudtshoorn. Further inland the vast Karoo hinterland.
Eastern
Cape
Capital: Bisho.
Population: 5.865m.
Area: 169,580 sq km.
Features
some of the finest beaches in the country with outstanding coastal
scenery. The Garden Route either starts or ends at Port Elizabeth,
the largest city in the region. Interesting rural cultures f
the Xhosa people. Fascinating history, particularly across the
hinterland, through the towns of Grahamstown and Somerset East
and Graaff-Reinet.
