Cape Town is the country’s legislative capital located in the southwest, near the Cape of Good Hope. This city is famous for its harbor as well as Cape Point and Table Mountain. It is the most touristic city in South Africa.
Durban
Durban ranks third in South Africa in terms of population, with about 3.5 million people living here. It is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and is the largest port in the region. Durban is popular with tourists for its beaches, warm ocean, and developed hotel infrastructure.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa, in which the center, built up with skyscrapers, is adjacent to the most criminal districts in the world, Berea and Hillbrow. The city has an amusement park “Golden Reef”, located in the area of closed gold mines. Here you can go underground to a depth of 270 meters and see how real gold melts.
Soweto
Soweto is a settlement with a sad history: the African population was forced to live here during the apartheid era. Later, after the collapse of the regime, Soweto joined Johannesburg.
Pretoria
Pretoria (Tswane) is the official capital of the Republic of South Africa. In 2005, the mayor’s office renamed the city and district in Tswana – in honor of the ruler, in whose era the capital developed. Now it is a popular tourist center in South Africa, there are many museums, reserves, and universities, and only the historic quarter of the city is called Pretoria. True, the final verdict on what name to give the capital has not yet been made.
Port Elizabeth
One of the largest ports in the country – Port Elizabeth – is located on the coast of the Algoa Bay of the Indian Ocean. It is part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Borough. In the 90s of the last century, the city was swept by a wave of crime – a common thing for those times for South Africa. Port Elizabeth can be called very attractive for tourists, there is always wonderful sunny weather, and the Indian Ocean attracts diving enthusiasts.
Pietermaritzburg is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. This city became famous after the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi when a scandal erupted: Gandhi was asked to leave the first-class carriage and give up his seat to a European. This incident prompted Gandhi to launch a fight against discrimination against Indian immigrants in South Africa. There is a monument to this great historical figure in Pietermaritzburg.
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is called the judicial capital of South Africa – the Supreme Court of the Republic of South Africa is located here. The name of the city, translated from different languages, means this: “fountain of flowers”, “city of roses”, “the place where cheetahs live”. You can choose any to your taste. Bloemfontein is quite hot in summer with frequent thunderstorms, and temperatures can drop below zero degrees in winter.
This city is considered one of the economic centers of the country; industrial and agricultural enterprises operate here. Bloemfontein is also famous for its museums, among which are the National Museum (a meteorite and an elephant embryo are exhibited here), the Memorial to Women, the Military Museum of the Boer Republic, and the Basuto village.
Besides, the city has the Golden Gate Highlands National Park with steep sandy rocks and rare bearded hawks, the Royal Park of Roses, and The Cherry Orchard in Hamilton Park with 6 thousand cherry trees. And one more important note: Bloemfontein is one of the safest and safest cities in South Africa.
Resorts of South Africa
South Africa is a great place for those who love crystal clear ocean, unbridled sun, and gentle beaches. Several resorts in this country are worth visiting. Durban has sunny weather almost all year round. It is the most popular resort in South Africa with excellent hotel infrastructure. Here you can visit the dolphinarium, botanical garden, museums, bird and snake park, dine in a restaurant, look at the market and buy African souvenirs.
Between Durban and Pietermaritzburg lies the Valley of a Thousand Hills, where excursions through picturesque forests and along beautiful lakes are constantly held.
At first glance, Knysna does not look like an African resort. In the valley, which has been created by hilly mountains, there is a sea lagoon with a unique flavor. The city itself is located in a quiet area and surrounded by dense greenery. The landscape of the resort is more like Austria. The amazing combination of the African climate with forested mountains and a lake evokes a lot of positive emotions.
The seaside resort of Plettenberg Bay is one of the most popular in South Africa. On the one hand, it is surrounded by mountains, on the other, by the beaches of the Indian Ocean. There is no better place to stay. Many tourists and students come to this city for the New Year and Christmas holidays.
The beach season lasts from September to May, and even in the local winter, the water warms up to 19 degrees Celsius. Not far from Plettenberg is the tallest bungee in the world – 216 meters, which even got into the Guinness Book of Records. Also in the city, you can walk through nature reserves, surf, windsurf, sail on a yacht or go fishing.
Sun City was built for entertainment. Tourists from all over the world come here to spend money in a casino, swim in the Valley of the Waves, marvel at the 750-meter lake, play golf and walk along the Bridge of Time, which shakes every hour from an artificial earthquake. This is a kind of analog of American Las Vegas only with an African flavor. After all, there are no safaris and abandoned forests in the USA.