Pretoria

Tshwane/Pretoria is the capital of South Africa and is located in the country’s Gauteng Province. The city is geographically situated between the Highveld plateau and the tropical Savannah. Tshwane/Pretoria experiences hot summers and dry and cold winters. The temperatures in the city during winters alternate between 20 °C during the day and 5 °C post sunset. Like the weather, the city too experiences a variety of contrasts. On one hand you get to see and visit a host of historical monuments and museums and on the other you get to enjoy all the modern comforts and luxuries of life. 

Tshwane/Pretoria thrives on the success of the commercial activities that have become a part and parcel of life in the city. The city is also home to numerous administrative buildings; it has witnessed the presidential inaugurations of Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela, and Jacob Zuma, the current president of the Republic of South Africa.

It all began with the Ndebele people, who settled along the banks of the Tshwane River. With the passing of time this area became the site for the city of Pretoria and also a place of importance for the Dutch settlers. However, officially, it all began in the new millennium, when the city came into existence with the merging of 13 former city and town councils. The councils that were merged together include Pretoria, Akasia, Soshanguve and Centurion and the nearby areas of Ga-Rankuwa, Winterveld, Hammanskraal, Temba, Atteridgeville, Pienaarsrivier, Crocodile River, Mamelodi, Mabopane and Hammanskraal.

Tshwane/Pretoria now houses the Science and Technology Museum which throws light on the functionalities of science. The city boasts of maintaining a minting press that was first put into operation way back in 1892. Another place of importance is the city’s Church Square which can trace its name back to the days when it was a marketplace at which farmers and traders sold their wares to church going people. Church Square is also considered to be the center of the city of Pretoria. The Freedom Park is yet another spot that draws a lot of attraction from tourists and locals alike. It is located atop the Salvakop and offers a birds-eye view of the city of Tshwane/Pretoria. The heritage site focuses on the Rainbow Nation’s past, the tussle for freedom and the heroes who emerged out of the same.

 

Football is an extremely popular sport in the city of Tshwane/Pretoria. A large number of South Africa’s professional players have at some point of time in their careers been associated with this city. Tshwane/Pretoriahas been home to a host of professional outfits including the likes of Mamelodi United, SuperSport United, Berea Park, Mamelodi Sundowns and Arcadia. Berea Park and Acardia lay claim to the titles of being the city’s first professional sides; Arcadia did the city proud when the side registered a series of wins in 1974.

The Mamelodi Sundowns too have contributed to the sporty image of the city. They achieved the seemingly impossible from the year 1988 onwards by registering five continuous wins in the Professional Soccer League tournament, thus shattering all previous records. The Mamelodi Sundowns moments of glory were followed by statement making wins by Supersport United, who under the leadership of their coach Gavin Hunt registered back to back championship wins. Apart from the abundance of professional sides, Tshwane/Pretoria is home to the Pretoria University which boasts of running South Africa’s largest sports excellence school.