Gauteng means "Place of Gold" in Sotho, and no wonder: South Africa's smallest region comprises less than five percent of its landmass, yet contributes around forty percent of the GDP. Home to at least eight million people, the flavour of Gauteng is almost entirely urbanized. While the province encompasses a section of the Magaliesberg Mountains to the east and the gold-rich Witwatersrand to the south and west, the area is dominated by the huge conurbation incorporating Johannesburg, Pretoria and a host of grim satellite industrial towns and townships which surround them.
Although lacking the spectacular attractions of the Cape Province or Mpumalanga, Gauteng has a subtle character all of its own. Startling outcrops of rock known as koppies , with intriguing and often lucrative geology, are found in the sprawling suburbs and grassy plains of deep-red earth that fringe the cities. The usually mild climate is broken occasionally by spectacular summer lightning storms, which can unleash torrents of water over the Transvaal plains within seconds. The area is also prone to drought, and water supplies remain a constant and worsening problem. Yet the light, particularly at dawn and dusk, is a photographer's dream, rendering serene even the starkest of industrial landscapes.
Gauteng is dominated by Johannesburg , whose origins lie in the exploitation of gold . Although it has grown rapidly in just over a century to become the largest and richest city in Africa, it has somehow held onto its tough mining origins and is a hectic, sometimes dangerous city, home to extreme contrasts of wealth and poverty. It has a reputation among both visitors and South Africans as a place to avoid, but those who acquire a taste for Jo'burg - something you can do in just a few days - are seduced by its energy and vibrancy, unmatched by any other city in South Africa. A highly cosmopolitan city and the most Africanized in the country, Jo'burg has South Africa's most famous and liveliest townships, its most active and diverse cultural life, some of its best restaurants and most progressive nightlife.
Some 50km north lies dignified Pretoria , the country's administrative capital. Historically an Afrikaner stronghold, today it is a fast-changing place full of civil servants and students from South Africa and around the world. Very different to Johannesburg in looks and atmosphere, Pretoria is an important and attractive destination in its own right, with its range of interesting museums and historic buildings. Many visitors, however, see it simply as a safer and less intimidating alternative to its larger rival.
Less than an hour's travel from the centre of Jo'burg, the section of the Magaliesberg Mountains which creeps into Gauteng is a magnet for Johannesburgers desperate to escape the city's pollution and stress. Although the hills can hardly be described as remote and untamed, you'll find ample opportunities for nature trailing and hiking. Like much of Gauteng, however, the important part lies underground, with a series of caves, underground passages and archeological sites making up the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Most famous of these sites are the Sterkfontein Caves , where some of the world's most important discoveries of pre-human primate fossils have been found.
