Pretoria

Afrikaans name: Pretoria

Pretoria

Photo © Steven Herbert

Gauteng

Pretoria is located in the province of Gauteng and is 53 km north of Johannesburg although the area between them is heavily developed. It is the administrative capital of South Africa.

The name Pretoria comes from Andries Pretorius who was one of the Voortrekker leaders. The city is often referred to as Tshwane which is the proposed new name for it.

Although the area that is now occupied by Pretoria was inhabited by indigenous tribes for a few hundred years, the city iteself was established in 1855. The Tshwane municipal area has a population of around 3 million people.

One of the main attractions in Pretoria is the National Zoological Gardens, also known as the Pretoria Zoo. The Voortrekker Monument is definitely something that you should include on your tour. Besides offering a fascinating insite into the history of the Voortrekkers it also offers visitors unrivalled views over Pretoria. There are many other activities that you can undertake in the park-like grounds. Other places of interest include the Union Buildings, Church Square, Transvaal Museum, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Paul Kruger House, Pretoria National Botanical Gardens, Rietvlei Nature Reserve and Groenkloof Nature Reserve.