Gauteng

Johannesburg and Pretoria provide the commercial and administrative engines of South Africa, also playing host to many of its major sporting events. Each has plenty to show the visitor an enjoyable stay.

Much of the wealth of South Africa grew from the rich gold fields below Johannesburg as it developed from nothing in little more than 100 years. Gold Reef City re-enacts the early days alongside a major theme park.

Johannesburg is notable for its sunny Winter climate, good shopping, great restaurants and excellent accommodation. It is also one of the world's greenest cities, with a high proportion of open space which includes a number of excellent golf courses.

Soweto is a city in its own right, having been developed to house the workforce of its near neighbour, Johannesburg. Most famously, it was the scene of the 1976 student riots which lit the fuse for political change - brilliantly documented at the Apartheid Museum.