Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces
of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province
after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994. It was initially named Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (or PWV
) and was renamed 'Gauteng' in December 1994.
Situated in the heart of the Highveld
, Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa, with only 1.4% of the land area, but it is highly urbanised, containing the cities of Johannesburg
and Pretoria
. , it had a population of nearly 10.5 million, making it the most populous province in South Africa.
and surrounding areas. This referred to the thriving gold industry in the province following the 1886 discovery of gold in Johannesburg. The Sesotho word is a locative derived from the Afrikaans goud (gold) plus the locative suffix "-ng." When properly pronounced, the first letter of the name Gauteng is a voiceless velar fricative
, pronounced similarly to the "ch" in the German achtung or Scottish loch and the same as the Dutch
"g" or the Spanish "g" as in gente. This pronunciation is natural in both the Sesotho and Afrikaans languages.
was elected as the first premier of the province that same year. Politically, it has been dominated by the ANC throughout its post-apartheid history.
. Paul Mashatile
, the former provincial minister of finance and economic affairs and the current provincial chairman of ANC in the Gauteng Province, was Premier from 7 October 2008 until Mokonyane's election. He replaced former premier Mbhazima Shilowa
, who was premier from 1999. Shilowa resigned in protest against the decision by the ANC national executive committee (NEC) to remove former president Thabo Mbeki
from office.
, which separates it from the Free State. It also borders on North West to the west, Limpopo to the north, and Mpumalanga to the east. Gauteng is the only landlocked province of South Africa without a foreign border. Most of Gauteng is on the Highveld
, a high-altitude grassland (circa 1500 m (4,921 ft) above sea-level). Between Johannesburg
and Pretoria
there are low parallel ridges and undulating hills, some part of the Magaliesberg
Mountains and the Witwatersrand
. The north of the province is more subtropical, due to its lower altitude and is mostly dry savanna
habitat.
The climate is mostly influenced by altitude. Even though the province is at a subtropical latitude, the climate is comparatively cooler, especially in Johannesburg
, at 1700 m (5,577 ft) above sea level (Pretoria
is at 1330 m (4,364 ft)). Most precipitation occurs as brief afternoon thunderstorms; however, relative humidity never becomes uncomfortable. Winters are crisp and dry with frost occurring often in the southern areas. Snow is rare, but it has occurred on some occasions in the Johannesburg
metropolitan area.
Gauteng Province is divided into 3 metropolitan municipalities, and 2 district municipalities which are further divided into 7 local municipalities).
As of the census of 2001, there are 8,837,172 people and 2,651,243 households residing in Gauteng. The population density is 519.53/km². The density of households is 155.86/km².
About 22.1% of all households are made up of individuals. The average household size is 3.33.
The province's age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 15, 19.6% from 15 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 27 years. For every 100 females there are 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.3 males.
In the province, 14.4% of residents speak Afrikaans
at home, 12.5% speak English, 1.5% speak IsiNdebele, 7.3% speak IsiXhosa, 20.5% speak IsiZulu, 10.7% speak Sepedi, 13.1% speak Sesotho, 8.4% speak Setswana, 1.2% speak SiSwati, 4.2% speak Tshivenda, and 5.1% speak Xitsonga. 1.0% of the population speaks a non-official language at home.
76.0% of residents are Christian, 18.4% have no religion
, 1.7% are Muslim, 0.5% are Jewish, and 0.8% are Hindu
. 2.6% have other or undetermined beliefs.
8.4% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 11.2% have had some primary, 5.5% have completed only primary school, 34.3% have had some high education, 28.0% have finished only high school, and 12.6% have an education higher than the high school level. Overall, 40.6% of residents have completed high school.
56.1% of housing units have a telephone and/or cell-phone in the dwelling, 41.5% have access to a phone nearby, and 2.3% have access that is not nearby or no access. 82.8% of households have a flush or chemical toilet. 84.2% have refuse removed by the municipality at least once a week and 2.6% have no rubbish disposal. 47.2% have running water inside their dwelling, 83.6% have running water on their property, and 97.5% have access to running water. 73.2% of households use electricity for cooking, 70.4% for heating, and 80.8% for lighting. 77.4% of households have a radio, 65.7% have a television, 15.1% own a computer, 62.1% have a refrigerator
, and 45.1% have a cell-phone.
25.8% of the population aged 15–65 is unemployed.
The median annual income of working adults aged 15–65 is R 23 539 ($3,483). Males have a median annual income of R 24 977 ($3,696) versus R 20 838 ($3,083) for females.
Statistics South Africa Census 2001
hub of South Africa and contributes heavily in the financial, manufacturing, transport, technology and telecommunications sectors, amongst others. It also plays host to a large number of overseas companies requiring a commercial base in and gateway to Africa.
Although Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa's nine provinces – it covers only 1.4% of the country's total land area – it contributes 33.9% of its gross domestic product (GDP). Indeed Gauteng generates 10% of the GDP of the entire African continent.
This rapid growth has brought with it both opportunities and challenges. As a global focal point, with access to the Southern African hinterland, Gauteng has the ability to link the world to a population approximately the same size as the United States. It is fast becoming to sub-Saharan Africa what the Eastern Seaboard megalopolis is to America. This also presents some formidable obstacles, most notably the ability to provide access to basic amenities such as electricity and potable water. Transport is also a major problem, and Johannesburg, as the core of Gauteng, is beginning to experience the heavy traffic problems of cities such as Los Angeles and Bangkok. The Gautrain
Rapid Rail Link is an attempt to remedy this problem, by providing efficient high-speed rail between Pretoria
, Sandton, Johannesburg
and OR Tambo International Airport.
In May and June 2008 Gauteng, along with other provinces within South Africa, saw extremely violent xenophobic
attacks on foreigners. The instigating factors of these attacks have been largely attributed to the South African Government's inability to deal with the massive influx of foreign nationals and its poor service delivery.
Gauteng Department of Education has embarked on a project to provide fully functional ICT laboratories to all public schools in Gauteng. The name of this project is Gauteng OnLine.
Gauteng is also home to the Cradle of Humankind
UNESCO World Heritage Site
and Orlando Pirates
.
Rugby
, or more accurately rugby union
, is also a popular sport in South Africa, and in Gauteng in particular. Two rugby teams from Gauteng participate in the Southern Hemisphere Super 14
championship: the Pretoria
-based Bulls
, and the Johannesburg
-based Lions
(previously the Cats). Three Gauteng-based teams play in the country's domestic competition, the Currie Cup
: the Blue Bulls
from Pretoria, the Golden Lions
from Johannesburg and the Falcons
from the East Rand
.
Cricket
is also widely popular among all cultural groups in the country, and is the only sport to feature in the top two among all of South Africa's major ethnic/racial groups. The Highveld Lions
represent both Gauteng and North West
in the country's three domestic competitions—the first-class
SuperSport Series
, the List A one-day MTN Domestic Championship
and the Twenty20
Standard Bank Pro 20 Series
.
Popular individual sports include tennis and golf. Walking and hiking are also popular in Gauteng.
The Sterkfontein
caves, and the Wonder Cave Kromdraai
are in the Cradle of Humankind
World Heritage Site
.
Provinces of South Africa
South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the constitution...
of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994. It was initially named Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (or PWV
PWV
The PWV Megalopolis is the term referring to the contiguous urban centres adjoining each otherin the South African province of Gauteng...
) and was renamed 'Gauteng' in December 1994.
Situated in the heart of the Highveld
Highveld
The Highveld is a high plateau region of inland South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country, the Gauteng City Region, which accounts for one-third of South Africa's population.-Location and description:...
, Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa, with only 1.4% of the land area, but it is highly urbanised, containing the cities of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. , it had a population of nearly 10.5 million, making it the most populous province in South Africa.
Etymology
The name Gauteng comes from the Sesotho word meaning "Place of Gold", the historical Sesotho name for JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and surrounding areas. This referred to the thriving gold industry in the province following the 1886 discovery of gold in Johannesburg. The Sesotho word is a locative derived from the Afrikaans goud (gold) plus the locative suffix "-ng." When properly pronounced, the first letter of the name Gauteng is a voiceless velar fricative
Voiceless velar fricative
The voiceless velar fricative is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The sound was part of the consonant inventory of Old English and can still be found in some dialects of English, most notably in Scottish English....
, pronounced similarly to the "ch" in the German achtung or Scottish loch and the same as the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
"g" or the Spanish "g" as in gente. This pronunciation is natural in both the Sesotho and Afrikaans languages.
History
Gauteng, formerly known as Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (PWV), was carved out of the old Transvaal province in 1994, although the terminology "PWV", describing the region existed long before that. Tokyo SexwaleTokyo Sexwale
Mosima Gabriel Sexwale , commonly known as Tokyo Sexwale , is the current Minister of Human Settlements of South Africa. A South African businessman, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and former political prisoner. His nickname of "Tokyo" is derived from his involvement with the sport of...
was elected as the first premier of the province that same year. Politically, it has been dominated by the ANC throughout its post-apartheid history.
Law and Government
Since 6 May 2009, the premier has been Nomvula MokonyaneNomvula Mokonyane
Nomvula Mokonyane is the Premier of Gauteng province, South Africa following the 2009 South African general election. She was formerly the Gauteng MEC for Housing and has been a member of the provincial legislature since 1994...
. Paul Mashatile
Paul Mashatile
Paul Mashatile is the current Minister of Arts and Culture in the Cabinet of South Africa.He is the former Premier of Gauteng province in South Africa and a member of the African National Congress...
, the former provincial minister of finance and economic affairs and the current provincial chairman of ANC in the Gauteng Province, was Premier from 7 October 2008 until Mokonyane's election. He replaced former premier Mbhazima Shilowa
Mbhazima Shilowa
Mbhazima Samuel Shilowa is a South African politician. A former Premier of Gauteng province while a member of the African National Congress, Shilowa left the party to help form the opposition Congress of the People, with whom he is the Deputy President...
, who was premier from 1999. Shilowa resigned in protest against the decision by the ANC national executive committee (NEC) to remove former president Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
from office.
Geography & Climate
Gauteng's southern border is the Vaal RiverVaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
, which separates it from the Free State. It also borders on North West to the west, Limpopo to the north, and Mpumalanga to the east. Gauteng is the only landlocked province of South Africa without a foreign border. Most of Gauteng is on the Highveld
Highveld
The Highveld is a high plateau region of inland South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country, the Gauteng City Region, which accounts for one-third of South Africa's population.-Location and description:...
, a high-altitude grassland (circa 1500 m (4,921 ft) above sea-level). Between Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
there are low parallel ridges and undulating hills, some part of the Magaliesberg
Magaliesberg
The Magaliesberg is a mountain range extending from Pretoria in the north of the Gauteng Province to a point south of Pilanesberg, in the North West Province, South Africa...
Mountains and the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
. The north of the province is more subtropical, due to its lower altitude and is mostly dry savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
habitat.
The climate is mostly influenced by altitude. Even though the province is at a subtropical latitude, the climate is comparatively cooler, especially in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, at 1700 m (5,577 ft) above sea level (Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
is at 1330 m (4,364 ft)). Most precipitation occurs as brief afternoon thunderstorms; however, relative humidity never becomes uncomfortable. Winters are crisp and dry with frost occurring often in the southern areas. Snow is rare, but it has occurred on some occasions in the Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
metropolitan area.
- JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
averages: January maximum: 26 °C (78.8 °F) (min: 15 °C (59 °F)), June maximum: 16 °C (60.8 °F) (min: 4 °C (39.2 °F)), annual precipitation: 713 mm (28.1 in) - PretoriaPretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
averages: January maximum: 29 °C (84.2 °F) (min: 18 °C (64.4 °F)), June maximum: 19 °C (66.2 °F) (min: 5 °C (41 °F)), annual precipitation: 674 mm (26.5 in)
Municipalities
|
Sedibeng District Municipality Sedibeng is one of the districts of the Gauteng province of South Africa. The administrative seat of Sedibeng is Vereeniging. The most widely spoken language among its 794,605 inhabitants is Sesotho .-Geographic location:...
|
West Rand District Municipality The West Rand District Municipality is one of the districts of Gauteng province of South Africa, that covers the West Rand area, with the exception of Roodepoort. The seat of the district municipality is Randfontein. The most spoken language of its 744 168 people is Setswana...
|
Demographics
Gauteng Province is home to 8.8 million people (2001 South African National Census), almost 20% of the total South African population. Gauteng Province is also the fastest growing province, experiencing a population growth of over 20% between the 1996 and 2001 censuses, thus Gauteng is likely to soon have the highest population of any province in South Africa.As of the census of 2001, there are 8,837,172 people and 2,651,243 households residing in Gauteng. The population density is 519.53/km². The density of households is 155.86/km².
About 22.1% of all households are made up of individuals. The average household size is 3.33.
The province's age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 15, 19.6% from 15 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 27 years. For every 100 females there are 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.3 males.
In the province, 14.4% of residents speak Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
at home, 12.5% speak English, 1.5% speak IsiNdebele, 7.3% speak IsiXhosa, 20.5% speak IsiZulu, 10.7% speak Sepedi, 13.1% speak Sesotho, 8.4% speak Setswana, 1.2% speak SiSwati, 4.2% speak Tshivenda, and 5.1% speak Xitsonga. 1.0% of the population speaks a non-official language at home.
76.0% of residents are Christian, 18.4% have no religion
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, 1.7% are Muslim, 0.5% are Jewish, and 0.8% are Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. 2.6% have other or undetermined beliefs.
8.4% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 11.2% have had some primary, 5.5% have completed only primary school, 34.3% have had some high education, 28.0% have finished only high school, and 12.6% have an education higher than the high school level. Overall, 40.6% of residents have completed high school.
56.1% of housing units have a telephone and/or cell-phone in the dwelling, 41.5% have access to a phone nearby, and 2.3% have access that is not nearby or no access. 82.8% of households have a flush or chemical toilet. 84.2% have refuse removed by the municipality at least once a week and 2.6% have no rubbish disposal. 47.2% have running water inside their dwelling, 83.6% have running water on their property, and 97.5% have access to running water. 73.2% of households use electricity for cooking, 70.4% for heating, and 80.8% for lighting. 77.4% of households have a radio, 65.7% have a television, 15.1% own a computer, 62.1% have a refrigerator
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
, and 45.1% have a cell-phone.
25.8% of the population aged 15–65 is unemployed.
The median annual income of working adults aged 15–65 is R 23 539 ($3,483). Males have a median annual income of R 24 977 ($3,696) versus R 20 838 ($3,083) for females.
| Category | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No income | 2.0% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 12 – R 4 800 ($2 – $721) | 6.4% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 4 812 – R 9 600 ($723 – $1,443) | 13.0% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 9 612 – R 19 200 ($1,445 – $2,886) | 24.0% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 19 212 – R 38 400 ($2,888 – $5,772) | 20.4% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 38 412 – R 76 800 ($5,774 – $11,543) | 15.8% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 76 812 – R 153 600 ($11,545 – $23,087) | 10.4% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 153 612 – R 307 200 ($23,089 – $46,174) | 5.0% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 307 212 – R 614 400 ($46,176 – $92,348) | 1.8% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R 614 412 or more ($92,350+) | 1.1% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statistics South Africa Census 2001
Economy
Gauteng is considered the economicEconomic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...
hub of South Africa and contributes heavily in the financial, manufacturing, transport, technology and telecommunications sectors, amongst others. It also plays host to a large number of overseas companies requiring a commercial base in and gateway to Africa.
Although Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa's nine provinces – it covers only 1.4% of the country's total land area – it contributes 33.9% of its gross domestic product (GDP). Indeed Gauteng generates 10% of the GDP of the entire African continent.
Future growth
Gauteng is growing rapidly, due to mass urbanisation that is a feature of many developing countries. According to the State of the Cities Report, the urban portion of Gauteng – comprising primarily the cities of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni (the East Rand) and Pretoria – will be a polycentric urban region with a projected population of some 14.6 million people by 2015, making it one of the largest cities in the world. AIDS may however negate this projection.This rapid growth has brought with it both opportunities and challenges. As a global focal point, with access to the Southern African hinterland, Gauteng has the ability to link the world to a population approximately the same size as the United States. It is fast becoming to sub-Saharan Africa what the Eastern Seaboard megalopolis is to America. This also presents some formidable obstacles, most notably the ability to provide access to basic amenities such as electricity and potable water. Transport is also a major problem, and Johannesburg, as the core of Gauteng, is beginning to experience the heavy traffic problems of cities such as Los Angeles and Bangkok. The Gautrain
Gautrain
Gautrain is an mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport...
Rapid Rail Link is an attempt to remedy this problem, by providing efficient high-speed rail between Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, Sandton, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and OR Tambo International Airport.
In May and June 2008 Gauteng, along with other provinces within South Africa, saw extremely violent xenophobic
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
attacks on foreigners. The instigating factors of these attacks have been largely attributed to the South African Government's inability to deal with the massive influx of foreign nationals and its poor service delivery.
Education
Gauteng is a centre of learning in South Africa, and it has many universities and other schools of higher learning.- University of LimpopoUniversity of LimpopoThe University of Limpopo is a university in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2005, by the merger of the University of the North and the Medical University of South Africa...
(Formed after the merger of Medical University of South Africa and University of the North) - Tshwane University of TechnologyTshwane University of TechnologyTshwane University of Technology is a higher education institution in South Africa that came into being through a merger of three technikons — Technikon Northern Gauteng, Technikon North-West and Technikon Pretoria....
(Formed after Technikon Pretoria, Technikon Northern Gauteng, and Technikon North-West merged) - University of JohannesburgUniversity of JohannesburgThe University of Johannesburg came into existence on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Technikon Witwatersrand and the Rand Afrikaans University . Prior to the merger, the Daveyton and Soweto campuses of the former Vista University had been incorporated into RAU...
(Formed after Rand Afrikaans UniversityRand Afrikaans UniversityThe Rand Afrikaans University ' was a prominent South African institution of higher education and research that served the greater Johannesburg area and surrounds in from 1967 to 2004...
, some Johannesburg campuses of Vista UniversityVista UniversityVista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other population groups ....
and Technikon WitwatersrandTechnikon WitwatersrandThe Technikon Witwatersrand was a technikon located in Johannesburg, South Africa. On 1 January 2005, it merged with Rand Afrikaans University and some campuses of Vista University to form the University of Johannesburg, and is now one of many campuses of the new university.-Origins:Technikon...
merged) - University of PretoriaUniversity of PretoriaThe University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
which also include the former campus of Mamelodi Vista UniversityVista UniversityVista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other population groups .... - University of South AfricaUniversity of South AfricaThe University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
: Also known as UNISA and incorporating the Technikon South Africa and the distance learning unit of Vista UniversityVista UniversityVista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other population groups .... - Vaal University of TechnologyVaal University of TechnologyVaal University of Technology is a tertiary institution in South Africa. It attracts students from all over the country. It is one of the largest residential Universities of Technology, with about 15,000 students, 300 programs, all primarily taught in English. The campus and facilities are...
: Previously known as Vaal Triangle Technikon - University of the WitwatersrandUniversity of the WitwatersrandThe University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
- Regenesys Management
- Monash University South Africa CampusMonash South AfricaMonash University's South Africa campus was opened in 2001. It was first foreign university established in South Africa. It is located on a 100 hectare site in Ruimsig in north-west Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng...
Gauteng Department of Education has embarked on a project to provide fully functional ICT laboratories to all public schools in Gauteng. The name of this project is Gauteng OnLine.
Conservation
Although Gauteng province is dominated by the urban areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria, it has several nature reserves.Botanical Gardens
- Walter Sisulu National Botanical GardenWalter Sisulu National Botanical GardenThe Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden is a botanical reserve in Johannesburg...
- Johannesburg Botanical GardenJohannesburg Botanical GardenThe Johannesburg Botanical Garden is located in the suburb of Emmarentia in Johannesburg, South Africa.The gardens were established in 1968 and cover an area of around...
- Pretoria National Botanical GardenPretoria National Botanical GardenThe Pretoria National Botanical Garden is one of South Africa's National Botanical Gardens.The gardens were established in 1946, just east of Pretoria, Gauteng and serves as the headquarters for the South African National Biodiversity Institute....
Provincial reserves
There are 5 provincial reserves managed by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs- Abe Bailey Nature ReserveAbe Bailey Nature ReserveAbe Bailey Nature Reserve is a protected area in Gauteng, South Africa. It is situated near Carletonville, beside the township of Khutsong on the West Rand. It is only about 4,200 ha in size....
- Alice Glockner Nature ReserveAlice Glockner Nature ReserveAlice Glockner Nature Reserve, Gauteng is a small Nature Reserve south from Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. It has altitudes between 1600 and 1700 m above sea level. The closest town is Heidelberg ....
- Marievale Bird SanctuaryMarievale Bird SanctuaryMarievale Bird Sanctuary is a protected area in Gauteng, South Africa. It is about 10 km² in size, and situated on the East Rand on the Blesbokspruit. The Blesbokspruit is a major perennial river in Gauteng which is flanked by extensive floodplains on either side...
- Roodeplaat Nature ReserveRoodeplaat Nature ReserveRoodeplaat Nature Reserve is located on the shores of the Roodeplaat Dam, just east of Pretoria, Gauteng.-External links:* , August 2007, Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs* *...
- Suikerbosrand Nature ReserveSuikerbosrand Nature ReserveSuikerbosrand Nature Reserve is one of Gauteng’s premier ecotourism destinations. Set just a short distance from Johannesburg, an hour's drive from Johannesburg International Airport and near the historical town of Heidelberg, this reserve boasts a representative sample of the fauna and flora of...
Private and Municipal Reserves
- Kromdraai ConservancyKromdraai ConservancyKromdraai Conservancy is a conservation park located to the south-west of Gauteng province in north-east South Africa.It was established to protect the caves, old gold mines, fossil sites, trout farm and a game reserve in the area. The caves in the area, known as the Sterkfontein caves have an...
- Krugersdorp Nature Reserve
- Rietvlei Nature ReserveRietvlei Nature ReserveThe Rietvlei Nature Reserve is located in Pretoria and is about in size. Located within the reserve is the Rietvlei Dam.-Trees:Both indigenous and exotics species of trees can be found in the reserve.Indigenous* Common hook thorn Acacia caffra...
- Wonderboom Nature ReserveWonderboom Nature ReserveThe Wonderboom Nature Reserve is a 1 km² reserve centered on a wild willowleaf fig tree Ficus salicifolia that is more than a thousand years old, found towards the north of the Magaliesberg Mountains in the Northern portion of the Pretoria Metropole, South Africa.The famous tree is situated at...
Gauteng is also home to the Cradle of Humankind
Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site first named by UNESCO in 1999, about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Gauteng province. This site currently occupies ; it contains a complex of limestone caves, including the Sterkfontein Caves, where the 2.3-million...
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
Sport and recreation
Several teams from Gauteng play in the country's top-level association football (more commonly referred to as soccer) league, the Premier Soccer League (PSL), including Kaizer ChiefsKaizer Chiefs Football Club
Kaizer Chiefs is a South African football club based in Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League.The team is nicknamed Amakhosi which means "lords" or "chiefs" in Zulu and Phefeni Glamour Boys. They currently play most of their home games at Soccer City in Nasrec, Soweto, which is...
and Orlando Pirates
Orlando Pirates Football Club
Orlando Pirates are a South African football club based in Parktown, Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League.The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto. They are named 'Pirates' after the 1940 film The Sea Hawk starring Errol Flynn...
.
Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, or more accurately rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, is also a popular sport in South Africa, and in Gauteng in particular. Two rugby teams from Gauteng participate in the Southern Hemisphere Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
championship: the Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
-based Bulls
Bulls (rugby franchise)
The Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Bulls, are a South African rugby union team competing in the Super Rugby competition. They are based in Pretoria and play their home matches at Loftus Versfeld...
, and the Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
-based Lions
Lions (rugby franchise)
The Lions, known as the Cats between the 1998 and 2006 seasons, are a South African rugby union franchise that competes in the Super Rugby competition. From 2011 they are known as the MTNLions for sponsorship reasons. They have not achieved great success in this competition, finishing at the bottom...
(previously the Cats). Three Gauteng-based teams play in the country's domestic competition, the Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
: the Blue Bulls
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
from Pretoria, the Golden Lions
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
from Johannesburg and the Falcons
Falcons (rugby team)
The Falcons, or Valke in Afrikaans, are a South African rugby union team in Gauteng province that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments....
from the East Rand
East Rand, Gauteng
The East Rand is the name of the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation...
.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is also widely popular among all cultural groups in the country, and is the only sport to feature in the top two among all of South Africa's major ethnic/racial groups. The Highveld Lions
Highveld Lions cricket team
The Highveld Lions is the name used by the combined Gauteng and North West first class cricket teams in South Africa. The home venues are the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and Senwes Park in Potchefstroom....
represent both Gauteng and North West
North West (South African province)
North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng.-History:...
in the country's three domestic competitions—the first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
SuperSport Series
SuperSport Series
The SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title...
, the List A one-day MTN Domestic Championship
MTN Domestic Championship
The 1 Day Cup is the premier domestic one-day cricket competition of South Africa, its matches having List A status...
and the Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
Standard Bank Pro 20 Series
Standard Bank Pro 20 Series
The Standard Bank Pro20 Series is the premier Twenty20 cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in the 2003–04 season. The Knights, the Titans and the Cape Cobras have each won the title twice and are the most successful teams....
.
Popular individual sports include tennis and golf. Walking and hiking are also popular in Gauteng.
The Sterkfontein
Sterkfontein
-References:-References:-References:: : : :...
caves, and the Wonder Cave Kromdraai
Wonder Cave Kromdraai
The Wonder Cave, in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa, is the third-largest cave chamber in the country, and is believed to be about 2.2 billion years old. The single chamber has an area of 46000 square metres, and is 125 metres long and 154 metres wide....
are in the Cradle of Humankind
Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site first named by UNESCO in 1999, about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Gauteng province. This site currently occupies ; it contains a complex of limestone caves, including the Sterkfontein Caves, where the 2.3-million...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
See also
- List of Speakers of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
- PWVPWVThe PWV Megalopolis is the term referring to the contiguous urban centres adjoining each otherin the South African province of Gauteng...