Gauteng's primary attraction is big business, but there is so much more to this province. There is a wealth of culture to be mined in the museums, galleries, art routes and historical battlefields. Gauteng is also an entertainment playground, offering a plethora of world-class restaurants, shebeens, shopping malls and music venues.

Overview

Where else on earth can you find a mini-Big Apple existing alongside the remains of the first hominids? Gauteng has a legacy of larger-than-life heroes and villains, ancient civilisations, as well as turbulent political history.

Johannesburg - also called ‘Joburg’ - dates back to 1886 when the main Witwatersrand gold-bearing reef was discovered. Almost immediately, the Transvaal (as it was known then) was swamped by diggers from near and far.

In 1900, Johannesburg fell to the British (during the Anglo-Boer War). Around this time, the black townships were established - such as Sophiatown and Alexandra. The thirties gave birth to the township of Orlando - in the southwest of Johannesburg. This is the area around which Soweto evolved. Much of the history of the province was defined by apartheid and forced removals.

Population

Gauteng is the most densely populated province in South Africa. It houses more than seven million of the country's people. Being the transport hub of the continent, the mix of people here is quite staggering, as is the level of integration amongst races. About 70% of Gauteng’s population is African; 23% white; 4% coloured (mixed race) and 2% Indian/Asian.

Climate

The Highveld is said to offer one of the world’s best climates: summer days are warm and wind-free (relatively) and winter days are crisp and clear. Gauteng’s summer-rainfall area has hot summers and mild winters with frost. Hail is common during the summer thunderstorms. Snowfalls rarely occur.