"in the centre of the castle gateway, a symbol of the Portuguese 'discovery' of Africa and apparently symbolic of the inclusion of South West Africa (now Namibia) within the area of jurisdiction of the organisation. The Head Office of the National Monuments Council was in Cape Town and for most of its existence was the only base from which the organisation operated. From the mid-1980s 'regional offices' were established. The first was in Pretoria to service the then Transvaal province and thereafter in the other two provinces of the time, the Orange Free State (Bloemfontein) and Natal (initially Durban, but"
"was later expelled from the ANC, won 6.4% of the vote and 25 seats. The ANC has been the governing political party in South Africa since the end of apartheid. South Africa has no legally defined capital city. The fourth chapter of the Constitution of South Africa, states that ""The seat of Parliament is Cape Town, but an Act of Parliament enacted in accordance with section 76(1) and (5) may determine that the seat of Parliament is elsewhere."" The country's three branches of government are split over different cities. Cape Town, as the seat of Parliament, is the legislative capital;"
"Pretoria, as the seat of the President and Cabinet, is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein, as the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal, is the judicial capital, while the Constitutional Court of South Africa sits in Johannesburg. Most foreign embassies are located in Pretoria. Since 2004, South Africa has had many thousands of popular protests, some violent, making it, according to one academic, the ""most protest-rich country in the world"". There have been a number of incidents of political repression as well as threats of future repression in violation of the constitution, leading some analysts and civil society organisations"
"Gauteng"" also runs a breeding programme for endangered species including Bengal tigers, Siberian tigers and the extremely rare white lion. To the south, from the city centre, is the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve home to large mammals and hiking trails. Johannesburg is twinned with: Johannesburg Johannesburg (; ; also known as Jozi, Joburg, and eGoli) is the largest city in South Africa and one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world. It is the provincial capital and largest city of Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africa's three capital"
"the national consciousness, a law in Pretoria limits the height of any building between the Voortrekker Monument and the Union Buildings such that the view between them remains unobstructed. The Union Buildings share duties with Cape Town as the seat of the South African Government. Pretoria shares duties with Cape Town and Bloemfontein as the capital cities of South Africa. The official seats of the President are the Union Buildings in Pretoria and the Tuynhuys in Cape Town. Union Buildings The Union Buildings form the official seat of the South African Government and also house the offices of the President"
"Johannesburg Johannesburg (; ; also known as Jozi, Joburg, and eGoli) is the largest city in South Africa and one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world. It is the provincial capital and largest city of Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africa's three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court. The city is located in the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills and is the centre of large-scale gold and diamond trade. The metropolis is an alpha global city as listed by the Globalization and"
"capital and Bloemfontein served as the judicial capital. Between 1910 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of Transvaal. (As the capital of the ZAR, Pretoria had superseded Potchefstroom in that role.) On 14 October 1931, Pretoria achieved official city status. When South Africa became a republic in 1961, Pretoria remained its administrative capital. Pretoria is situated approximately north-northeast of Johannesburg in the northeast of South Africa, in a transitional belt between the plateau of the Highveld to the south and the lower-lying Bushveld to the north. It lies at an altitude of about above sea"
"and heavy wood furniture. The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange Free State were united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with Cape Town the legislative capital. Between 1860 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of Transvaal, superseding Potchefstroom in that role. The new Union required a governmental building which could signify unity and host the new government. Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, later to become first president of the Transvaal Republic, was"
"South Africa is about 464 mm (compared to a global average of 860 mm) but large and unpredictable variations are common. Overall, rainfall is greatest in the east and gradually decreases westward, with some semi-desert areas along the western edge of South Africa. For most of the country, rain falls mainly in the summer months with brief afternoon thunderstorms. The exception is the Western Cape and its capital city Cape Town where the climate is Mediterranean and it rains more in the wintertime. In the winter months, snow collects on the high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg. South"
"African Republic or Suid Afrikaanse Republiek or Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). High Dutch was eventually to be replaced by Afrikaans a colloquially spoken language of many of the European descended settlers. Afrikaans was largely derived from Dutch and incorporating words derived or adopted from French, German, English and indigenous African languages. (Refer to main page of Afrikaans to learn more). Kaapsehoop Kaapsehoop or Kaapschehoop is a town in the Mpumalanga province (formerly Eastern Transvaal) of South Africa. It is situated 1486 m (4878 ft.) above sea level on the Highveld escarpment, about 25 km from Nelspruit, the capital of Mpumalanga. The"
"southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about northwards along the Atlantic coast and about eastwards along the South African south coast (Southern Indian Ocean). It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape. The total land area of the province is , about 10.6% of the country's total. It is roughly the size of England or the State of Louisiana. Its capital city and largest city is Cape Town, and some other major cities include Stellenbosch, Worcester, Paarl, and George. The Garden Route and the Overberg are popular coastal tourism"
"the most populous city in Tanzania and a regionally important economic centre. It is located on the Swahili coast. Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa. It is the provincial capital and largest city in Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africa's three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court. The city is located in the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills and is the centre of large-scale gold and diamond trade Nairobi is the capital and the largest city of Kenya. The name comes from the"
"South African cities such as Rustenburg and Bloemfontein. The capital, Mmabatho, was situated in the enclave bordering Botswana. The territory and borders of the country were fluid as the South African government frequently incorporated territory into the country. As a result, when independence was declared in 1977, the country originally consisted of six enclaves but just before its reincorporation into South Africa, it had seven enclaves. Another example was the incorporation of Mafeking, which was located just outside the borders of Bophuthatswana when it gained independence in 1977, into the country in 1980 after a local referendum. Districts of Bophuthatswana"
"Northern Cape The Northern Cape (; ; ) is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, an international park shared with Botswana. It also includes the Augrabies Falls and the diamond mining regions in Kimberley and Alexander Bay. The Namaqualand region in the west is famous for its Namaqualand daisies. The southern towns of De Aar and Colesberg, in the Great Karoo, are major transport nodes between Johannesburg,"
"proposed name change has not occurred and now seems unlikely to happen. Pretoria is twinned with: Pretoria Pretoria () is a city in the northern part of Gauteng province in South Africa. It straddles the Apies River and has spread eastwards into the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountains. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the administrative branch of government (Cape Town is the legislative capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital), and of foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria has a reputation for being an academic city with three universities and the Council"
"Pretoria Pretoria () is a city in the northern part of Gauteng province in South Africa. It straddles the Apies River and has spread eastwards into the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountains. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the administrative branch of government (Cape Town is the legislative capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital), and of foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria has a reputation for being an academic city with three universities and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) located in its eastern suburbs. The city also hosts the"
"have been held in Cape Town subject to interruptions since 1993, and as part of the Cape Town Pride event since 2001. The Mother City Queer Project (MCQP) costume party has also been held annually in Cape Town (nicknamed the Mother City) since 1994. Nelson Mandela Bay Pride has taken place annually in Port Elizabeth since 2011. Free State Pride has been held in Bloemfontein, one of South Africa's three national capitals, since 2012. Other pride parades held in the Johannesburg area include Soweto Pride which has taken place annually since 2005 in Meadowlands, Soweto, and Ekurhuleni Pride which has"
"Durban Durban (, from ""itheku"" meaning ""bay/lagoon"") is the third most populous city in South Africa—after Johannesburg and Cape Town—and the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Located on the east coast of South Africa, Durban is famous for being the busiest port in the country. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism because of the city's warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches. Durban forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which includes neighboring towns and has a population of about 3.44 million, making the combined municipality one of the biggest cities"
"and game reserves, diverse cultural heritage and highly regarded wines. Some of the most popular destinations include several national parks, such as the expansive Kruger National Park in the north of the country, the coastlines and beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces, and the major cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. According to Statistics South Africa's latest Tourism and Migration Survey, almost 3,5 million travellers passed through the country's ports of entry in August 2017. The top five overseas countries with the largest number of tourists visiting South Africa were the USA, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and"
"Free State (province) The Free State (; ; ; ; ; before 1995, the Orange Free State) is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called Orange Free State and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and reincorporated into South Africa. It is also the only one of the four original provinces of South Africa not to undergo border changes, excluding the reincorporation of Bantustans. The provincial government consists of"
"Polokwane Polokwane (, meaning ""Place of Safety"" in Northern Sotho), also known by its former name, Pietersburg, is the capital of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It is South Africa's largest urban centre north of Gauteng. It was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town to the northwest. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes. They founded a new town in 1886 and named it ""Pietersburg"" in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. The"
"capital"" of South Africa. Nyanga is situated from Cape Town along N2 highway, close to the Cape Town International Airport and next to the townships of Gugulethu and Crossroads. Residents of Nyanga were active in joining a national call to protest against the apartheid laws passed in 1960. Later they were active in the 1976 student uprisings against the use of Afrikaans as first language in schools. Nyanga became notorious for its black on black faction fighting that was allegedly perpetrated by police in the early eighties. The local authorities (izibonda) grouped themselves according to their background and used that"
"for history - in which case Kimberley has it in spades, and you'll probably need to overnight to fully appreciate its attractions and charms. In many ways, exploring Kimberley and its heritage is like experiencing South African history in microcosm."" Kimberley, Northern Cape Kimberley is the capital and largest city of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. It is located approximately 110 km east of the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The city has considerable historical significance due to its diamond mining past and the siege during the Second Boer War. British businessmen Cecil Rhodes and Barney"
"Metropolitan Routes in Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, like most South African cities, uses Metropolitan or ""M"" routes for important intra-city routes, a layer below National (N) roads and Regional (R) roads. Each city's M roads are independently numbered. Bloemfontein's N and R roads are as follows: The N1, a major highway running roughly SE to NW from Cape Town to Johannesburg and Zimbabwe largely bypasses this city to the west. The N8 runs east/west connecting Bloemfontein to Kimberley and Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. Bloemfontein is also the northern end of the N6 road heading roughly southwards to the port of East"
"north of the Vaal River to govern themselves with no interference from either side. This signalled the establishment of the ""Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek"" (ZAR) (South African Republic). In Article 17 of the Constitution of the ZAR dated 18 February 1858 (which was accepted in Rustenburg), it was stated that ""Potchefstroom, located on the Mooi River, would be the capital of the Republic and that Pretoria would be the seat of government"". In May 1860, Potchefstroom became the ""chief city"" of the republic and the capital moved to Pretoria. On 16 December 1880, the First Boer War began when the Boers"
"other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The Star of South Africa, post-nominal letters SSA, was introduced by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 April 1952, during the Van Riebeeck Festival. It was formally instituted by the Queen on 26 January 1953. The decoration was named after the first large diamond to be found in South Africa, the Star of South Africa, which was found on the banks of the Orange River in 1869, which sparked the New Rush, leading to the establishment of Kimberley, the capital and largest city of Northern Cape Province in South Africa"
"and KwaZulu, where they are very small in number. English-speaking whites are generally concentrated in Natal, Johannesburg and major settlements in the Cape. Other white groups (such as Portuguese and Germans) live mostly in Johannesburg or Cape Town. In the former homelands, the white populations are so tiny, that even the slightest population can affect how Afrikaans or English speaking they are. Of the largest cities in the country, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, East London and Pietermaritzburg are largely English speaking in the core, while Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Witbank and Rustenburg are predominantly Afrikaans speaking. Port Elizabeth is"
"Gauteng Gauteng ( ; Southern Sotho: ""Gauteng"" ; ; Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, ; ; ; ; ), which means ""place of gold"", is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated in the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa, accounting for only 1.5% of the land area. Nevertheless, it is highly urbanised, containing the country's largest city, Johannesburg, its administrative capital, Pretoria, and other large areas such as Midrand and Vanderbijlpark. , Gauteng is the most populous province in South Africa with a population of approximately 14,700,000 people according to estimates. The name ""Gauteng"" is derived"
"most important metropolitan areas. The DA currently governs Johannesburg (South Africa's largest city), Tshwane (including Pretoria, the administrative capital), Cape Town (South Africa's second-largest city and legislative capital) and various other municipalities. The DA sums up its political philosophy as the belief in an ""Open Opportunity Society for All"". Former party leader Helen Zille has argued that this stands in direct contrast to the ruling ANC's approach to governance, which she maintains has led to a ""closed, crony society for some"". This formed the basis of the philosophy underlying the party's 2009 Election Manifesto, which seeks to build a society"
"including: Welkom hosts a number of public and private hospitals as well as several specialised clinics: Various hospices also exist. Thabong and Bronville also host various primary care clinics. Welkom Welkom () is the second-largest city in the Free State province of South Africa, located about northeast of Bloemfontein, the provincial capital. Welkom is also known as Circle City, City Within A Garden, Mvela and Matjhabeng. The city's Sesotho name, ""Matjhabeng"" means 'where nations meet', derived from the migrant labour system, where people of various countries such as Lesotho, Malawi and Mozambique etc. met to work in the mines of"
"financial centre of the Western Cape and South Africa. The South African parliament is located in Plein Street, and is the seat of government for six months in the year. The Western Cape provincial government and City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality also have their head offices in the Cape Town CBD. City Bowl The City Bowl is a part of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a natural amphitheatre-shaped area bordered by Table Bay and defined by the mountains of Signal Hill, Lion's Head, Table Mountain and Devil's Peak. The area includes the central business district of Cape"
"Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the British colony of Natal. Cape Town became the legislative capital of the Union, and later of the Republic of South Africa. In the 1948 national elections, the National Party won on a platform of ""apartheid"" (racial segregation) under the slogan of ""swart gevaar"". This led to the erosion and eventual abolition of the Cape's multiracial franchise, as well as to the Group Areas Act, which classified all areas according to race. Formerly multi-racial suburbs of Cape Town were either purged of unlawful residents or demolished. The most infamous example of this"
"in Pretoria with the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902 at Melrose House. The Pretoria Forts were built for the defence of the city just prior to the Second Boer War. Though some of these forts are today in ruins, a number of them have been preserved as national monuments. The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange River Colony were united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with Cape Town the legislative"