Pretoria

Introduction

Parliament Building in Pretoria

© All Rights Reserved filipve

Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, is located in the northeast of the country in the Gauteng Province. Many of the streets are lined with Jacaranda trees, which have a beautiful mauve blossom in spring. These trees have earned the city the nickname Jacaranda City, while plans have been put in place to rename the city to Tshwane.

Neighbourhoods

Church Square

The centre of Pretoria, Church Square is surrounded by historic buildings, including the Palace of Justice, the Old Capitol Theatre, the Old Council Chambers and the Tudor Chambers.

Sammy Marks Square

Shopping malls and chain stores mean its a good place to stop and shop.

Sights and Activities

If it's your bag check out the Tswaing ('Place of Salt') Crater situated about 50 kilometres north of Pretoria. It gets 12,000 visitors a year because it's one of the best preserved meteor craters in the world. It's got a museum and entry to the area costs around R15 with guided tours available for a little more. To the west of Pretoria you can head out to Hartebeespoort Dam for a day, but the area is generally quite busy with locals flocking to the area on their days off.

Events and Festivals

World Cup 2010

Pretoria will be a host city for the World Cup 2010. World Cup matches in Pretoria will be held the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, one of the oldest stadiums in South Africa. The stadium has been used for major sporting events since 1903 and since 1948 it has undergone perennial upgrades. It has been used for both rugby and football matches and is home to one of the country's top rugby teams, the Blue Bulls. Loftus Versfeld is in the heart of Tshwane/Pretoria and currently has a seating capacity of over 50,000.

Weather

Pretoria has a fairly moderate climate compared to many other parts in the country. Temperatures average around 27 degrees Celsius from October to March and around 20 degrees Celsius from June to August. Nights are roughly around 13 to 17 degrees during winter, but only around 3 degrees on average in June and July. Extremes of 35 degrees and -4 degrees have been recorded. May to October is fairly dry, November to March is the rainy season with between 100 and 150 mm of rain each month.

Getting There

By Plane

Fly into Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport (IATA code: JNB/). From there the R21 (Albertina Sisulu Highway) leads to Pretoria. Airport shuttles are available at the airport or can be booked in advance.

By Train

Shosholoza Meyl is the national railway and the main routes are:

• Johannesburg/Pretoria - Musina via Louis Trichardt (Makhado), 17 hours, economy class daily except Saturday
• Johannesburg/Pretoria - Komatipoort via Nelspruit, 13 hours, economy class daily except Saturday, connecting with the onward train to Maputo, Mozambique.

By Car

The N1, N3, N4, N12 and N14 national highways all connect in the Gauteng region, making Pretoria easily accessible by car from around the country.
Distances from Pretoria:

• Johannesburg - 58 kilometres
• Bloemfontein - 455 kilometres
• Cape Town - 1,460 kilometres
• Durban - 636 kilometres
• East London - 1,040 kilometres
• Kimberley - 530 kilometres
• Port Elizabeth - 1,133 kilometres

By Bus

Greyhound South Africa, Intercape and Translux all have services to and from Pretoria. Most main cities are connected to Pretoria, including Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

Pretoria is quite a large city, so it's likely you will need your car to get from your hotel to the main sights. Walking the streets at night is not recommended. Major car rental agencies in Pretoria include Avis, Budget Car Rental, Europcar, Hertz, and First Car Rental.

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Pretoria is one of South Africa's leading academic cities, and it's home to the country's largest residential, the Tshwane University of Technology.

• University of Pretoria

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The SAPO (South African Post Office) is the nation's postal service. Post offices are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm from Monday to Friday, and 8:00am to noon on Saturdays. Domestic and international deliveries are reliable but can sometimes take up to several weeks. If you want to send something oversees of any value, try using one of the private mail services, like Postnet.