Business Traveler

Gauteng
Be a GeePee and enjoy South Africa’s smallest province, an urban playground with large shopping malls, bars, hotels,
casinos, and a vibrant cultural and entertainment scene. For heritage buffs, there are a myriad of attractions of historical
interest that tell the story of the country’s emerging democracy.
THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
The Cradle of Humankind, one of eight World Heritage sites
in South Africa, and the only one in Gauteng, is touted as
the place where humankind originated. The area boasts 13
excavation sites that are recognised as national heritage
sites. For those wanting to experience the birthplace of
humankind first-hand, the official visitor centres for the
Cradle of Humankind, Maropeng and the Sterkfontein
Caves, are within an easy hour’s drive from Johannesburg.
Maropeng is a world-class exhibition centre that focuses on
the development of humans and our ancestors over the past
few million years.
CULLINAN
The attractive little village of Cullinan, about a 30-minute
drive east of Pretoria, was a pioneering mining settlement
that made its name with the discovery in 1905 of the
world’s biggest diamond, the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond.
Highlights in Cullinan include rides on the vintage steam
train, Dinokeng’s Big Five reserve, adrenalin-filled activities
at the adventure zone and the opportunity to learn about the
area’s mining heritage.
SHOPPING
Gauteng is a shopping mecca. From Sandton City to the Mall
of Africa, Menlyn in Pretoria and Maponya in Soweto, there’s
a bustling shopping centre to tame your credit card around
every corner. Gauteng hosts an annual shopping festival
every year in September or October, with mall promos held
throughout the year. There are also a range of flea markets
that are definitely worth a visit, the most popular being the
Rosebank Sunday Market, the Neighbourgoods Market in
Braamfontein and the Bryanston Organic Market.
SOWETO
Soweto is a must for people from all over the world, and
all South Africans should visit this iconic township. The
Hector Pieterson Museum recounts the 1976 Soweto Student
uprisings and some of the heroes of the protest and victims
of the aftermath. Nearby is the Mandela House in Vilakazi
Street, the only street in the world that contains the houses
of two Nobel Prize Laureates, the other one being Desmond
Tutu. There is also a string of vibrant restaurants including
Sakhumzi’s Restaurant, Nexdor, Thrive Café and the Corner
House which usually have a fascinating variety of regular
patrons plus a vibrant selection of street musicians and
performers who are usually brilliantly entertaining.
APARTHEID MUSEUM & GOLD REEF CITY
Located alongside each other, Gold Reef City and the
Apartheid Museum are both must-visits on any trip to
Gauteng. Modelled to resemble a gold rush town and
showcase the gold-rich history of Johannesburg, Gold Reef
city comprises a theme park, casino, restaurants, movie
theatre and the Lyric Theatre that is well-known for its
live performances. The theme park has some of the most
modern and scariest rides in Africa – such as the Tower of
Terror which has a 50m drop at a speed of 100 kilometres
per hour and a fear factor of 10/10. To remember our past
while moving forward into a more stable political future,
Gauteng’s Apartheid Museum serves to document the racial
and economic divide that once plagued our nation. One
cannot visit Gauteng without spending an afternoon at this
incredible place.
36 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za