Gauteng
Gold Reef City a replica of early Johannesburg
Madiba Museum a unique museum dedicated to president Nelson Mandela
Lesedi Cultural Village offers a taste of Africa with a difference
Pretoria South Africa's administrative capital city
Voortrekker Monument an important monument linked to Boer history
Melrose House one of South Africas finest period museums
State Theatre a modern Theatre Complex in Pretoria
Northwest Province
Sun City - South Africa's premier casino and resort complex
Madikwe Game Reserve - the fourth largest reserve, which is malaria-free
Hartebeespoort Dam - watersports centre en-route to Sun City
KwaZulu Natal:
The Drakensberg - South Africa's best-loved and most majestic mountain range
Royal Natal National Park a beautiful mountain park and resort with great walking trails
Giants Castle a popular mountain resort
Battlegrounds many historic battles were fought here
Midlands Meander local arts and crafts are seen on this route
Durban attracts holiday-makers to its warm waters and golden beaches
Zulu Cultural Villages living museums displaying the lifestyle and traditions of its people
Hluluwe-Umfolozi National Park a game reserve that protects the white and black rhino
Kosi Bay Nature Reserve a beautiful reserve near Mozambique
Mpumalanga:
Kruger National Park offers a variety of flora and fauna, including the 'big five'
Blyde River Canyon one of South Africa's gems
Three Rondawels these triplet peaks are part of the Blyde River Canyon
Bourkes Luck Potholes an interesting geological formation formed over centuries by erosion
Gods Window offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Lowveld
Mac-Mac Falls a Scottish-named waterfall with two streams
Lisbon Falls a 92 metre-high waterfall
Pilgrims Rest Gold-rush town
Northern Cape:
The Kalahari Desert - an untamed paradise containing the Kalahari Gemsbok Park
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park part of a vast ecosystem, situated in the Kalahari desert
Augrabies Falls a truly spectacular waterfall
Kimberley Big Hole formed by diamond diggers and fortune seekers
Graaff-Reinet a lovely historical town
Western Cape:
Table Mountain - the pride of Cape Town. Need we say more?
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve - offers stunning views of False Bay, as well as a look at indigenous flora and fauna
Cape Point - the meeting point of two mighty oceans
Kirstenbosch Gardens world-renowned for its beautifull dislays of Cape flowers
Chapman's Peak Drive offers spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean and Hout Bay
V&A Waterfront a very popular tourist attraction, offering a broad range of activities
Robben Island - Former Penal Settlement and Natural Heritage site
Boulders Beach a penguins paradise
Duiker Island enjoy a fun boat trip to view seals and seabirds on the island
Hermanus a popular coastal resort where whales are often sited
Wine Estates produce some of the finest Cape wines, open to the public
Ceres South Africa's greatest fruit and fruitjuice producer
The Knysna Lagoon - a tranquil lagoon surrounded by a small town and close to indigenous forests
Outeniqu Choo-Tjoe Train travels coastline from George to Knysna
Wilderness Nature Reserve a paradise for bird watchers, and much more
Cango Caves has exquisite dropstone formations
Ostrich Farms offering tours and even ostrich rides to the public
Eastern Cape:
Tsitsikamma National Park encompasses some of the most exqisite coastal scenery in the country.
Addo Elephant Park supports the largest concentration of large mammals in the country
Shamwari Game Reserve one of the few reserves where Black Rhino can be seen
Theatres
South Africa has no shortage of theatres, live music venues, bioscopes (cinemas), nightclubs,
and drive-in cinemas (in those places where the weather permits).
Besides having forty places of worship, Grahamstown is both a leading cultural and academic
centre and home to Rhodes University, one of South Africa's top tertiary institutions. Every
year, thousands of people travel to Grahamstown for the annual Standard Bank Arts Festival.
Cape Town also has a number of excellent theatres and art cinemas, including the Nico Theatre
Centre in DF Malan Street. The Nico is the performing arts centre in Cape Town. It has an opera
house, arena theatre, a coffee shop, and undercover parking. Another good bet for great
entertainment is the Baxter Theatre.
The Labia Theatre in Orange Street specialises in the screening of art and festival films.
Maynardville Open Air Theatre has Shakespeare season in January and ballet season in March,
while the Three Arts Theatre, in Main Road, Plumstead has regular rock and pop concerts. For
the more discerning listener, the City Hall has symphonic concerts.
Johannesburg has more than its fair share of theatres and live music venues, the most prominent
are the Alhambra Theatre, the Market Theatre (Newton Cultural Centre), and the Civic Theatre Complex.
Other attractions include the Johannesburg Library's Africana Collection and the
'living museum' of Gold Reef City. Pretoria is the home of the State Theatre.
The centre of Durban’s cultural life is the Natal Playhouse, the City Hall also serves as a
cultural venue for choral and symphonic concerts.
The Sand du Plessis theatre complex is in Bloemfontein in Markgraff Street. It is a main
attraction, not only for the shows and concerts there, but also for the décor and art works
displayed in the foyers.
Gambling
Until recently, gambling was prohibited in South Africa. However, betting on horses has been
legal forever and is a very popular pastime. Since the law on gambling has been lifted, many
small gambling halls have opened, but be careful because not all of these places have proper
licences, so make double sure that you are not caught in a raid in the middle of your holiday.
Rather go to the larger casinos, such as Sun City and the Carousel.
South Africans are keen sporting enthusiasts, rugby, cricket and soccer being the most popular
sports. There are more than 400 golf courses in the country, including a course designed by
Gary Player at Sun City in the Northwest Province.
Rugby
The Danie Craven Museum in Stellenbosch is one of the most comprehensive rugby museums in the
country. In front of the museum is the memorial statue of Danie Craven and his dog, Bliksem,
one-and-a-half times larger than life. Did You Know?
Stellenbosch University's rugby club is the largest rugby club in the world.
The most important rugby stadiums in South Africa are:
Newlands, Cape Town
Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Springbokpark, Bloemfontein
Kingspark, Durban
Telkom Park, Port Elizabeth
The national rugby team is the Springboks and Joost van der Westhuizen is currently the team's captain.
Cricket
Cricket is extremely popular in South Africa. When South Africa plays a five-day test,
almost the whole male South African population comes to a standstill, most of them glued
to the TV or radio, even during business hours.
The main cricket fields of South Africa are:
Newlands, Cape Town
St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Wanderers, Johannesburg
Centurion, Pretoria
Kingspark, Durban
Springbokpark, Bloemfontein
Currently the national team is headed by Hansie Cronje.
Soccer
Soccer is the most popular spectator sport in the black community. The only stadium is the
FNB Stadium. The national team's name is Bafana Bafana, meaning 'young men', and their captain
is Lucas Radebe.
Tennis
South Africa also excels in tennis, our main export products being Wayne Ferreira and Amanda
Coetzer.
Athletics
South Africa has a few very promising sportsmen and women who you should look out for.
These include Lewellyn Herbert (400m Hurdles) and Marius Corbertt (javelin).
Golf
Not only did South Africa produce the world-famous player, now a veteran, Gary Player,
but this beautiful country is also home to Ernie Els, two-time winner of the American Open
and many other golf competitions.
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