The suburbs and surrounding areas and smaller towns of Johannesburg, in Gauteng Province include Sandton, Randburg, Fourways, Bryanston, Roodepoort, Krugersdorp, Rosebank and The Cradle of Humankind. Johannesburg has a large variety of vibrant cultural entertainment - theatre, dance, music and clubs. 

Gauteng - Place of Gold – is the economic powerhouse of the Southern African region and home to Africa’s greatest cities. It is undoubtedly the shopping Mecca of South Africa. Being among the world’s largest producers of gold and diamonds, jewellery and precious stones shops are abundant and affordable. There’s something for everyone and for every pocket

From the vibrant metropolis of Soweto, through dynamic Johannesburg, City of Gold to the tree-lined diplomacy of Pretoria, Gauteng is a cosmopolitan, multicultural mix of people from all walks of life, from all four corners of the world.Only 45 minutes from Johannesburg, nestling in the peaceful Sterkfontein rural valley, lies the Cradle of Humankind - a World Heritage Site - and is the world's richest hominid site.

With the lilac splendour of jacarandas as its trademark, Pretoria has grown into a metropolitan structure encapsulating a rainbow nation. It's here where colourful people from all around gather... where busting trade and scintillating nightlife is offset by the tranquillity of nature's reserves.

Stretching out from Pretoria's pulsating rhythm, is an area incorporating the community of the beautiful Hartbeespoort dam, the bushveld game farms surrounding Warmbaths, the rustic town of Brits and the rural, yet modern Bronkhorstspruit. The Hartbeesport Dam is a major attraction with its spectacular scenery and proximity to Johannesburg and Pretoria, and is the principal water recreation area of Northern Gauteng. The dam is open to all and the dam wall is the country's only Roman Truimphal Arch style wall.


Lesedi, a multi-cultural African Village set among pristine bushveld and rocky hills showcases the Xhosa with their beautiful thatched homes and red blankets, the Zulu with their fighting shields, the Pedi courtyards and drums and the straw hats and ponies of the Basotho.

Only 45 minutes from Johannesburg, nestling in the peaceful Sterkfontein rural valley, lies the Cradle of Humankind - a World Heritage Site - and is the world's richest hominid site. The Sterkfontein Valley landscape comprises a band of important palaeo-anthropological sites including Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, Coopers B, Wonder Cave, and various others.

These sites have produced the remains of hominids (i.e. human and pre-human) from over 2 to 3,3 million years ago, the early stone-age, the middle stone age, the later stone age, the early and late iron age and up to the present day. It is at the Sterkfontein site that the famous Mrs Ples (Plesianthropus transvaalenis) was discovered by Dr Robert Broom. He began excavations at the cave in 1936 and in 1947 discovered a well-preserved skull of a species of early man known as Plesianthropus transvaalensis, who lived there about two million years ago.


Soweto is a former township from the times of Apartheid. Starting about 15 km away from the centre of Johannesburg, it comprises some 63 sq. km, where an estimated thee million people live. Now a city of contrasts, one may find luxurious mansions across the road from tin shanties, green fields and streams around the corner from piles of garbage, the biggest public hospital in the world with the world's highest HIV infection rate, and a friendliness and cheerfulness that disguises a high unemployment rate. 

 MPUMALANGA

Mpumalanga's Highlands are home to Africa's only breeding community of wild Black Leopard, who haunt the wild mountain ravines and streams. This is a nature lover's paradise, boasting South Africa's premier fly-fishing mecca, some of the sub-continent's rarest birds, best rock climbing, and most spectacular wild flower displays -- all just two-hours drive from the metropolitan centres of Gauteng and Mozambique.

The region's diversity and string of quaint historic towns have made it a popular weekend hideaway for well-heeled city sleekers, who flock to hamlets such as Dullstroom for South Africa's best trout and fly fishing. The town's stone lodges nestle along cool trout dams and streams, where bright yellow arum lilies and 120 other species of indigenous wild flower carpet the region in a kaleidoscope of colour every spring.

The Verloren Valei Nature Reserve, boasts the only habitat where all three of the world's endangered cranes are found. The Blue Crane, which is South Africa's national bird, can be spotted along with the Wattled Crane and Crowned Crane at the reserve, which has been declared an international RAMSAR wetlands site.


The north eastern area boasts 'God's Window' and the world's third largest canyon and biggest green canyon, the Blyde River Canyon. There are also the astonishing Bourke's Luck Potholes,and the quaint town of Pilgrim's Rest, a living museum dating back to the hey days of the gold rush.Enthusiasts will discover cascading water falls while adrenaline junkies can get their next rush by bungee jumping, white water rafting or going on rigorous 4x4 trails, hot air ballooning, walking trails or gold panning.

Closer to Gauteng, one can experience the colourful Ndebele culture. The Ndebele people are world famous for their vibrant house painting, bead work and crafts, all of which are on display at cultural villages in the region. Instead of the more traditional game viewing on offer further east, here one can do game viewing by boat at the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve. Plant enthusiasts will find that the lanatus cycad is indigenous to the region and that a plethora of wild flowers like arum lilies transform the area into a magical garden during summer.

The area just below the Kruger Park is a cradle of life with geological discoveries and some of the oldest forms of life discovered on earth, dating back more than three billion years having been found here. The imposing Mkonjwa mountains are said to be of the oldest in the world. The region borders Mozambique, Swaziland and the southern tip of the Kruger National Park and was the centre of the local gold rush and the façade of Africa's first stock exchange, which was built in 1887, still stands.
Enjoy the pampering at hot springs and hydro spas at Badplaas.

The south eastern region region is unequivocally a birding paradise that lures bird watchers in their droves. The route includes South Africa's largest freshwater lake at Chrissiesmeer, which boasts a mysterious giant footprint in rock that matches one in Canada, and hosts an annual frog watching festival in summer and stargazing festival in winter. A fierce Anglo Boer War battle that was fought at Chrissiesmeer is also re-enacted annually. The route borders Kwazulu-Natal and Free State, as well as the kingdom of Swaziland, which is the last absolute monarchy in sub-saharan Africa. It is also home to the 1 000-year-old ruins of the lost Legoya people and San paintings.


Cosmos country lies in the south western part of Mpumalanga against the Free State and Gauteng borders and includes the towns of Secunda, Delmas, Leandra, Bethal, Standerton, Balfour and Greylingstad, the centre of South Africa's fuel-from-coal production and home to the world's largest underground coal mining complex Cosmos Country explodes with colour when pretty pink and white cosmos flowers bloom in late summer. This is big five country

Lowveld Legogote is home to Sudwala Caves the oldest dolomite caves in the world,  a mesmerising butterfly garden, and a botanical garden with an enormous collection of cycads and African rainforest. There's also a mall with an eight-theatre cinema complex, casino and entertainment centre.