Gauteng
Gauteng was created in 1994 under the new African National Congress (ANC) government and is divided into six regions - all offering an amazing array of historical, cultural and natural attractions - Tshwane (Pretoria), Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni (the East Rand), the West Rand (Mogale City and Magaliesberg), Metsweding (Cullinan) and Sedibeng (Vaal). All these regions are linked by Gauteng's vast and efficient road and rail networks and well-developed infrastructure. Africa's most modern international airport is situated in Ekurhuleni - firmly establishing the region as the gateway to the continent.
Meaning "Place of Gold" in Sesotho - one of South Africa's 11 languages - Gauteng's extensive wealth comes mostly from mining - although business, manufacturing and tourism are also present. Since the discoveries of gold in 1886 and of the world's largest diamond in Cullinan in the Metsweding district in 1905, the province has developed into an economic powerhouse. Gauteng contributes more than 33 percent of South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP), and ten percent of the GDP of the entire African continent.
While the Earth's treasures have escalated the province's present day economic status, Gauteng's rich history predates the discovery of gold by many millennia. The discovery of hominid fossils in the Sterkfontein area in the West Rand indicated that bi-pedal human ancestors populated this area for almost as long as in the eastern African regions. Evidence of their existence is located at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. During the Stone and Iron Ages the Witwatersrand was populated with settlements of various sizes scattered among the hills and valleys.
The scenic Vaal, Klip and Suikerbos rivers give life to the whole of Gauteng. Not only feeding the important industrial towns of the Sedibeng region, they also provide refreshingly quiet spaces for Gautengers to take a day or weekend break. Nature and wildlife trails, game parks, two exceptional zoos and the mysterious African bush are all just a stone's throw away from some of Africa's most modern cities.
Gauteng inherits its cosmopolitan vitality from an often violent and turbulent past. Township tours and the many battlefields and gravesites scattered throughout the province bear witness to the challenges faced by the province's real gold - the people of Gauteng.
While the Earth's treasures have escalated the province's present day economic status, Gauteng's rich history predates the discovery of gold by many millennia. The discovery of hominid fossils in the Sterkfontein area in the West Rand indicated that bi-pedal human ancestors populated this area for almost as long as in the eastern African regions. Evidence of their existence is located at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. During the Stone and Iron Ages the Witwatersrand was populated with settlements of various sizes scattered among the hills and valleys.
The scenic Vaal, Klip and Suikerbos rivers give life to the whole of Gauteng. Not only feeding the important industrial towns of the Sedibeng region, they also provide refreshingly quiet spaces for Gautengers to take a day or weekend break. Nature and wildlife trails, game parks, two exceptional zoos and the mysterious African bush are all just a stone's throw away from some of Africa's most modern cities.
Gauteng inherits its cosmopolitan vitality from an often violent and turbulent past. Township tours and the many battlefields and gravesites scattered throughout the province bear witness to the challenges faced by the province's real gold - the people of Gauteng.
