Leisure and Adventure
Most outsiders view Gauteng as a business stop-over rather than a holiday destination, but the locals who have insight into this powerhouse region can give you the inside story on a dizzying array of activity options available to adrenaline seekers.
Dig a bit deeper than the obvious history presented by the gold rush veneer and Gauteng’s hardcore business bite, and you’ll uncover a surprising list of leisure and adventure destinations. The beauty of the tiny province is that just about everything is within easy driving distance, and yes, there are ways and means of dodging the traffic.
Get Out and About
Immerse yourself in the Jo'burg vibe and get out and about! There are plenty of sophisticated restaurants, slick hotels, flea markets, trendy boutiques, art galleries, craft markets, bars, clubs, cafés and a brilliant music scene. For professional shoppers, Sandton City, Sandton Square, Rosebank Mall and Hyde Park Corner are some of the shopping spots to visit.
For the trendy set looking for pavement cafés and exciting music venues, Melville is one of the places to go, while the more elegant might prefer Parkhurst, which also offers great antique and décor shops. For those with more upmarket, but equally trendy tastes, fashionable Melrose Arch has much appeal, with great dance venues, exotic restaurants and sexy sidewalk cafes. Those in search of contemporary African culture and theatre scene should head for the Newtown precinct where the legendary Market Theatre puts on the finest productions.
Beyond the Urban Jungle
Pretoria and Johannesburg are the obvious urban centres anchoring the northern and southern sub-regions, but Soweto has become an adventure destination in its own right. And once you explore beyond the edge of the urban jungle, the Highveld grasslands envelops outdoor gems such as the Cradle of Humankind (including the Sterkfontein Caves) and the Magaliesberg ranges towards the west.
Head south if you want to play within the catchment of the Vaal River (Sedibeng sub-region) or go play in the Dinokeng tourism region north beyond Pretoria. This area plays home to the diamond mining village of Cullinan as well as the vast savannah and numerous game reserves beyond.
Highveld Summer Thunderstorms
Gautengers love to remind all their coastal and Lowveld neighbours that there is nothing like the good old Highveld summer thunderstorm, which builds up in the blue sky like balls of cotton wool being tossed together, growing in size and getting more ominous until the tension is released with flashes of lightning and roars of thunder.
If you're a Highvelder, claim it; if not, indulge them, there is something special about the smell of ozone before, and the water evaporating from the tar after a pounding Highveld storm.