Springs is a former independent city that is now part of the City of Ekurhuleni, based in the east of

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

(East Rand), in

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

Province, South Africa. It lies 50 km (31 mi) east of

and 72 km (45 mi) southeast from

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

. Its name derives from the large number of springs in the area, and its estimated population is more than 121,610 in 2011. It is situated at 1628 m (5,340 ft) above sea level. Springs was divided during the

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

era into the middle- and upper-income white suburbs around the city centre and the Indian area of Bakerton east of the CBD; while black people were relocated to

KwaThema KwaThema is a township south-west of Springs in the district of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa. It was established in 1951 when Africans were forcibly removed from Payneville because it was considered by the apartheid government to be too clos ...

, southwest of the CBD.

History

The town of Springs, east of Johannesburg, is on the

East Rand The East Rand is the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation in South Africa. The region extends from Alberton in the west to Nigel in the east, and south down to Nigel. It includes ...

, or what is now known as the Metropolitan area of

Ekurhuleni The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of the East Rand region of Gauteng. The municipality itself is a large suburban region east of Johannesburg. The name ''Ekurhuleni'' m ...

, in the

Province. It was founded as a coal and gold mining town in 1904, but its history can be traced back to the second half of the 19th century. From about 1840 farmers moved into the area and declared farms for themselves, especially after the

Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek The South African Republic ( nl, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, abbreviated ZAR; af, Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer Republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it ...

(South African Republic, later Transvaal) became an independent republic with the signing of the

Sand River Convention The Sand River Convention ( af, Sandrivierkonvensie) of 17 January 1852 was a convention whereby the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland formally recognised the independence of the Boers north of the Vaal River. Background The conven ...

in 1852. These initial farms were large, but the measurements of the borders were inaccurate and later, when the correct borders of the farms had to be documented, there were several extra or odd pieces of land that did not belong to any farm. These odd pieces of land then became state property. Such an odd piece existed between three neighbouring farms on the

Witwatersrand The Witwatersrand () (locally the Rand or, less commonly, the Reef) is a , north-facing scarp in South Africa. It consists of a hard, erosion-resistant quartzite metamorphic rock, over which several north-flowing rivers form waterfalls, which ...

, namely Geduld (meaning 'patience'), De Rietfontein ('the reed fountain') and Brakpan (literally, 'small, brackish lake'). The 685 ha odd piece was given the name 'The Springs' by the land surveyor James Brooks, probably because of all the fountains on the land. Another story is that he wanted to name it after himself, but because his name (Brooks) resembled the Afrikaans word 'broek' (trousers) so closely, he feared that the Afrikaans farmers in the area would mock it. On 16 September 1884 the official map of The Springs was registered in Pretoria, the Republic's capital. Initially, the land's value was equal to R200. But the discovery of coal and gold and its subsequent mining increased the value considerably. The coal discovered in The Springs was of a good quality and in 1888 the first contract was signed to mine coal there. Initially mining was on a small scale, but rose when the Great Eastern mine was established. There were a number of corrugated iron houses around the mine and, although there was a few small hotels and general dealers, it was not a town yet. The settlement grew and in 1902 a health committee was appointed to look after the building and location of structures and also the hygiene in the growing township. In 1904 the Grootvlei Proprietary Mines were registered and shafts were sunk. This followed the discovery in 1899 of gold on the farm Geduld and the further discovery of the main reef in 1902. In April 1904, The Springs was proclaimed a town, called Springs, the health committee replaced by a town council, and it flourished as a mining town. In 1962, Springs produced 10% of the country's gold and 9% of its uranium. However, by the end of the 1960s the last mine in town, the Daggafonteinmyn, (literally: Marijuana fountain mine) was emptied. The town did not die, but instead developed into an industrial centre. The original 7 km² farm on which the city of Springs was later to be built, ''The Springs'', was surveyed in 1883. Coal was discovered in the area in 1887 and three years later in 1890–1891, the

Transvaal Republic The South African Republic ( nl, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, abbreviated ZAR; af, Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer Republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it ...

's first railway, the Randtram Line, was built by the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM) to carry coal from the East Rand coalfields to the gold mines of the Witwatersrand. Gradually, especially after coal was discovered further east in South Africa in

Witbank Witbank (), officially Emalahleni, is a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, within the Emalahleni Local Municipality. The name Witbank is Afrikaans for "white ridge", and is named after a white sandstone outcrop where wa ...

, the Springs collieries were closed. In the meanwhile, however, gold had also been discovered in the area. A village was laid out in 1904 and in 1908 the first gold mining began. Springs was granted municipal status in 1912. By the late 1930s, there were eight gold mines near Springs, making it the largest single gold-producing area in the world. Springs is currently one of the industrial centers of the

and also the Eastern Gateway of Gauteng towards Mpumalanga and Northern Kwazulu Natal. Mining has been replaced by manufacturing and engineering industries of economic importance; products of the region include processed metals, chemicals, paper and foodstuffs.

Geography

Communities

Although Springs is a highly industrial city, its suburbs are treelike with many parks and also giving some suburban character. The following are the main suburbs of Springs: * Modder East (Eastvale) * Dersley * Presidents Dam * Presidents Ranch * Krugersrus * New State Era * Krugersrus Ext * Rowhill * Petersfield * Petersfield Ext * Paul Krugersoord * East Geduld * Geduld * Geduld Ext * Springs Ext * Springs CBD * Lodeyko * Welgedag * Holfontein * Persida * Welgedag Small Holdings * Everest * Gugulethu * Slovo Park * Slovo Park East * Bakerton * Strubenvale * Strubenvale Ext * Grootvlei * Great Valley * Casseldale * Palmiet Kuil * Largo * Aston Lake * Edelweiss * Edelweiss Ext * Daggafontein * Daggafontein Ext * Selection Park North * Selection Park South * Selcourt * Struisbult * Pollak Park * Wright Park * Reedville * Dal Fouche * KwaThema * Payneville

Architecture and monuments

Today, Springs is well known for its architecture: it has the second largest collection of small scale

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

buildings in the world, after Miami in Florida, in the United States. These Art Deco buildings were constructed during the period between the two World Wars. Other

landmarks A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

include several

monuments A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

to important figures in the city's development, like Paul Kruger, and the war cemetery where many Coloured soldiers are buried who died during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

fighting in the Allied Forces. There is also the War Monument at the northern entrance of the Springs CBD, The Old Springs Fire Station, and the Dutch Windmill in the Pioneer Park, Springs. There is a small scale replica of the Voortrekker Monument in the Springs CBD near the library. Springs has an art gallery next to the Springs Library. At the entrance of the Springs Railway station there is an old orange tree planted by the Dutch people when

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World Wa ...

visited the old South African Republic accompanied by the then South African president

Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and President of the South African Republic (or ...

. Many theatrical productions are performed at the Springs Civic Theater. The Springs Civic Centre and City Hall is also a unique building complex as it rested on hey logs with water underneath The Springs Mall, which serves the town is opened from 6:00 am-20:00/22:00 The Springs Fire Station is also one of the Art Deco Buildings as seen from the Boksburg Road towards Downtown Springs. There is also the Mudhook Hall opposite the Springs Civic Center. That Hall is being built in honor of the M.O.T.H., which stands for the Members of the Order of the Tin Hat Soldiers who fought during world war two. It is also an Art Deco building and overlooking the Down Town Springs from the Western Side File:Front Side of the Springs City Hall.jpg, File:Springs City Hall.jpg, File:Springs Fire Station.jpg, File:Mudhook Hall, west of the Springs CBD.jpg,

Climate

Springs has a typical sub-tropical climate with four distinct seasons. The summers are hot with afternoon thunder showers in early summers and drier during January and February which are the two hottest months. The winters are very cold with severe frost and very occasional snow, the coldest months being July and August although June is also very cold. August is usually a very windy month continuing into early spring of September with sandstorms and strong winds. Spring is warm to hot with some afternoon showers. Spring usually starts to show during the latter half of August although it is officially springtime from September. The autumns are generally cooler, starting with late rains in the beginning of autumn and getting colder towards winter with the first frost in late autumn. At times the first signs of autumn can be seen in late February. The average highs during the summers are 32 °C (90 °F) although it can go as high as 37 °C (99 °F). A record high of 40 °C (104 °F) has been recorded. Average winter temperatures are around 10 °C (50 °F) and the average lows during the summer months are 15 °C (59 °F) and – 5 °C (23 °F) during the winter months. Temperatures can drop to – 10 °C (14 °F) and a record low of −15 °C (5 °F) has been recorded. The average rainfall in Springs is 450 mm (18 inches) per annum.

Fauna and flora

Springs has a Highveld grassland vegetation, which is the general vegetation type of the

Highveld The Highveld (Afrikaans: ''Hoëveld'', where ''veld'' means "field") is the portion of the South African inland plateau which has an altitude above roughly 1500 m, but below 2100 m, thus excluding the Lesotho mountain regions to the south-east of ...

which consists of the southern half of Gauteng, Western Mpumalanga, South Eastern parts of the Limpopo province, most of the Freestate, Northern Eastern Cape and South Eastern parts of Northwest and Eastern Northern Cape. Springs is mostly grassland with short grass with some smaller succulent plants such as the

aloe ''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Accessed on: 06 Nov 2022 The most wid ...

. The plough-breaker which is unique on the Highveld with most part of the plant in the soil can also be found. The wetland areas in Springs has an area of 17 km² (6.6 mi²) fed by the Blesbokspruit and Lesser Blesbokspruit, with concomitant water plants and trees growing nearby. The Blesbokspruit Wetland Region in Springs draws over 300 species of birds, including the great

flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of Wader, wading bird in the Family (biology), family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas ...

Egyptian Goose The Egyptian goose (''Alopochen aegyptiaca'') is a member of the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley. Egyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians, and appear ...

, barn owl,

blue crane The blue crane (''Grus paradisea''), also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Description The blue crane is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, ...

guineafowl Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched ...

secretary-bird The secretarybird or secretary bird (''Sagittarius serpentarius'') is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region. John Frederick Miller described ...

and the

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...

. Water mammals such as the

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...

and lesser otter have been observed in less populated areas. The blesbok,

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...

, reed buck, read jackal, black wildebeest,

springbok The springbok (''Antidorcas marsupialis'') is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in south and southwest Africa. The sole member of the genus ''Antidorcas'', this bovid was first described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm v ...

mountain zebra The mountain zebra (''Equus zebra'') is a zebra species in the family Equidae, native to southwestern Africa. There are two subspecies, the Cape mountain zebra (''E. z. zebra'') found in South Africa and Hartmann's mountain zebra (''E. z. hartman ...

, the

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...

and other mammals are to be found, but usually within reserve areas. Various species of reptiles such as the

rinkhals The rinkhals (; ''Hemachatus haemachatus''), also known as the ringhals or ring-necked spitting cobra, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is found in parts of southern Africa. It is not a true cobra in that it do ...

, puffadder brown house snake,

aurora house snake The Aurora house snake, Aurora snake, or night snake (''Lamprophis aurora'') is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is endemic to Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana). Distribution This species is widespread in ...

and various lizards, including the

giant girdled lizard The sungazer (''Smaug giganteus'', syn. ''Cordylus giganteus''), also known as the giant girdled lizard, giant dragon lizard, ouvolk, or giant zonure, is the largest species of the Cordylidae, a family of lizards from sub-Saharan Africa.Bill Bra ...

, and the

African bullfrog The African bullfrog (''Pyxicephalus adspersus'') is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is also known as the pixie frog due to its scientific name. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Af ...

are also to be found in wetland areas of Springs.

Demographics

Jewish community

Up until the late 1990s Springs had a vibrant Jewish community. There were two synagogues, with a total of 300 families. Today (2015) most of the community has left for Johannesburg, Cape Town, or further afield like Israel, Australia, the US and the UK.

Economy

Springs as a city is an economic hub in Ekurhuleni with a diverse economy, ranging from manufacturing, commerce, service, hospitality, mining and service providing companies.

Mining

Historically, Springs was known as a mining centre for two major types of minerals (gold and coal). Springs is still one of the gold mining centers in South Africa, which includes Gold One, Modder East Operation, the Geduld Mine and East Geduld Mine and also the Daggafontein and East Daggafontein mines. Besides gold, new coal mines towards the east of the city are being developed.

Manufacturing

Springs is one of the industrial centres in Gauteng served by four industrial suburbs, which are New Era, Nuffield, Enstra and Fulcrum with smaller industrial areas at Dersley, suburb of Springs, Daggafontein, Selection Park, Selcourt and Strubenvale. There are a couple of manufacturing companies in Springs. The only

Kelloggs The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toaste ...

factory in South Africa is situated in Springs. Springs is also home to

Impala Platinum Impala Platinum Holdings Limited or Implats is a South African holding company that owns several companies which operate mines that produce platinum and platinum group metals, as well as nickel, copper and cobalt. Its most significant mine is the ...

's precious and base metal refineries as well as PFG Building Glass Building Glass, the only producer of

float glass Float glass is a sheet of glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten metal, typically tin, although lead and other various low- melting-point alloys were used in the past. This method gives the sheet uniform thickness and very flat sur ...

on the continent. Zincor, the only

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

producer in Africa, was also located here; its refinery used to produce all South Africa's requirement of this metal and ceased its production operations in 2011 due to various economic reasons. Springs is home to

Sappi Sappi Limited, originally incorporated as ''South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited'' in 1936, is a South African pulp and paper company with global operations. Products and operation South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limite ...

Enstra Mill, the only paper mill plant of Southern Africa, only paper mill plant in the world that is not next to a river,

Element Six Element Six is a company specialised in providing synthetic diamond, cubic boron nitride and other superhard materials for industrial use.Part of the De Beers Group, Element Six employs over 1,900 people and its primary manufacturing sites are ...

Ultra High, an industry in industrial diamonds and beverage cans, manufacturing of cans and

Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand n ...

in Enstra manufacturing toilet paper, tissues, serviettes and other products. Afrox Healthcare has a plant in Enstra, Springs specializing in health care products. Then there is also

Liebherr Group Liebherr is a German-Swiss multinational equipment manufacturer based in Bulle, Switzerland, with its main production facilities and origins in Germany. Liebherr consists of over 130 companies organized into 11 divisions: earthmoving, mining, ...

Africa specialising in heavy construction vehicles,

McCain Foods McCain may refer to: * McCain (surname), a surname (includes a list of persons and characters) Companies * McCain Foods Limited, a producer of frozen foods * McCain, Inc., privately held American manufacturing company headquartered in Vista ...

packaging plant in Nuffield, Corobrik Plant near Selcourt specialising in bricks and

Kreepy Krauly An automated pool cleaner is a vacuum cleaner that is designed to collect debris and sediment from swimming pools with minimal human intervention. History Evolution Swimming pool cleaners evolved from the water filter and early cister ...

swimming pool equipment and regulator system manufacturing plant in Nuffield Springs.

Mondi Group Mondi plc is a multinational packaging and paper group employing around 26,000 people with around 100 production sites across more than 30 countries, predominantly in Europe, Russia, North America and South Africa. Group offices are located in ...

also have the cartonboard plant and recycling plant in New Era and

Sony Ericson Sony Mobile Communications Inc. ( ja, ソニーモバイルコミュニケーションズ株式会社) was a multinational telecommunications company founded on October 1, 2001, as a joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Ericsson. ...

phone manufacturing plant also in New Era. There is also the Cobra Water Tap in New Era. There is also the Angelo Kater Motor Trimmers Conversion plant in Nuffield Springs specialising in vehicle conversions for Taxis, ambulances, police vehicles and other emergency vehicles in Nuffield, Springs. Springs is home to Jachris pty limited, a hose and coupling manufacturer that supplies most of Southern Africas mining houses. Various scrap metal recyclers like GSMP - Golden Scrap Metal Processors and Jimmy Scrap Metals also find their homes in Springs.

Transportation

Springs is also a transporting centre with many transporting companies. Some of the more known companies include Van Heerden's Trucking company in Largo, an eastern suburb of Springs and Penta Trucking focusing on cargo transporting from Nuffield, Springs. Welthagen Transport in New Era specialises in bulk and container shipping and the Amalgamating

Bulk carrier A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo — such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement — in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, econom ...

company from Welgedag, Springs concentrates on bulk transporting.

Retailing

Springs has a well developed CBD with a couple of highrise office buildings such as the 18-story Checktown building housing the regional office of Telkom for Gauteng and head office for the trading section and Marketing of Telkom, the 12-story Standard Bank building which has been standing empty for a number of years, the 14-story Nongai building that is undergoing restoration and the 13-story Seedfam Towers and also a 14-story Everest Apartment complex.

Shopping centres

There are two major shopping malls in the Springs Downtown serving Springs, The Avenues and Palm Springs, as well as Veranda Shopping Centre and the Third Street Arcade, Seedfam Tower Arcade, Standard Band Arcade and a newer arcade in Third Street too and the Second Street Mall near the Springs Railway Station. There are a number of shopping centres in the suburbs of Springs such as the Selcourt Shopping Center, Strubenvale Shopping Centre, New State Era Shopping Centre, Bakerton Square and also the newer shopping centres like Springsgate and Selcourt Towers and many more shopping centers in Springs and the suburbs. A new regional mall, Springs Mall has opened recently on Wit Road at the N17 onramp. It gives the area 50000 m² of premium retail shopping.

Other businesses

Service delivery business is also very strong in Springs. Many of them are focusing on business development, consultancy and business solutions in the city. Others are construction businesses and property development. There are also many financial services like the Financial consultancies, auditors and accountants in the city and legal services and property agencies. Acupack Solution, a packaging machine manufacturing company, is based in New Era. There are many restaurants in Springs and catering services and events managements business in the city. Hospitality is also strong as there are many guesthouses in the city and around the city. The Stable Inn is the best known in Springs. Springs is also well served by Takeaway businesses

Sports

At Presidents Park there are many horse jumping tournaments that take place. Springs has two golf courses, the Springs Country Club in Selection Park, and the Pollock Park Country Club.

Parks and greenspaces

Parks

Springs has about 120 parks, the most well-known being Presidents Park, where there is horse jumping, and Murray Park, which has a caravan site next to the Alexander Dam. There is also Frikkie Deysel Park in Petersfield, Butler Park in Geduld, George Sutter Park in Selection Park, and the Park of Dersley in Dersley Park. In Northeastern Springs, the

Blesbokspruit The Blesbokspruit is a river in South Africa that originates north of Daveyton, Gauteng, from where it runs south and then west past the towns of Springs, Nigel and Heidelberg before joining the Suikerbosrand River, a tributary of the Vaal Riv ...

Wetland Reserve has a great diversity of birds and plants. Springs also has a Game Reserve near the CBD and the unique Pioneer Park with Dutch characteristics next to the Springs CBD.

Education

There are several schools, ranging from pre-primary to secondary schools, and a tertiary college in Springs.

Primary

* Bakerton Primary School * Creative Education Centre (Nursery and Primary School) * Job Maseko Primary School * KwaThema Primary School * Laerskool Christiaan Beyers * Laerskool Jan van Riebeeck * Laerskool Morester * Laerskool PAM Brink * Laerskool Selection Park * Laerskool Welgedag * Laerskool Werda * Montessori School (nursery and grades 1–3) * Pinegrove Primary School * PLG Springs Academy (Pre-Primary and Primary School) * Selcourt Primary School * Selpark Primary School * Strubenvale Primary School * Umbila Primary Farm School * Veritas College Preparatory School * Vukucinge Primary Farm School * Zithembeni Primary School

Secondary

* Eureka High School * Hoërskool Dr Johan Jurgens High School * Hoer Tegniese Skool Springs * Hoerskool Hugenote * Jameson High School * Springs Boys' High School * Springs Girls' High School * Springs Secondary School * Veritas College – Springs * The Keep Learning Centre

Further and higher

* Ekurhuleni East College, Springs Campus

Combined

Combined schools offer primary and secondary, and sometimes pre-primary reception. * Olympia Park School * Dr. WK. Du Plessis School * Phelang * Protea School * Springs Muslim School * Veritas College * PLG Springs Academy

Media

Springs is served very well by the media. There are local newspapers that operate from Springs. The Springs Advertiser covers the whole of the greater Springs area, including KwaThema. Then there is also the African Reporter that covers KwaThema, Tsakane in Brakpan and Duduza. Springs is also served by a local radio station, the East Rand Stereo on a frequency of 93.9 FM Stereo, covering the whole of Ekurhuleni Metro, eastern parts of Johannesburg, Heidelberg, Delmas, Secunda in Mpumalanga, Leandra, and Devon in Eastern Gauteng, with over 300,000 listeners. East Rand Stereo operates from the headquarters in Springs, following some satellite studios that had been opened in Brakpan, Benoni and Boksburg. The video production compan
Black Light Productions
was launched in Dersley, a tranquil suburb of Springs. They are specialists and experts i
corporate video
and video marketing. Since, Black Light Productions has moved in Sandton.

Infrastructure

Springs is served by a very good transportation system, by both road and rail and is also close to the

OR Tambo International Airport O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and since 2020, ...

in Kempton Park via the N12 and R21.

Transportation

Road transportation

Springs is served by two national highways. The N12 is an east/west freeway, connecting Springs with

to the east and with

in the west. The N17 is also an east/west freeway, but connects Springs with Ermelo in the east and Johannesburg in the west. Springs is also served by four regional routes, the R29, R51, R554 and the R555. The R29 is an east/west regional route which connects Springs with Benoni northwest of Springs and with

Leandra ''Leandra'' is a genus of plants in the family Melastomataceae. Species include: * ''Leandra pastazana'' Wurdack * ''Leandra subseriata ''Miconia subseriata'' is a species of plant in the family Melastomataceae Melastomataceae is a famil ...

in the east. The north–south R51 which connects Springs with

in the north and with

Nigel Nigel ( ) is an English language, English masculine given name. The English ''Nigel'' is commonly found in records dating from the Middle Ages; however, it was not used much before being revived by 19th-century antiquarians. For instance, Walte ...

, Balfour and Villiers in the south. The R554 with its terminal at the R51 route near the Springs CBD which connects Springs with Alberton and the southern suburbs of Johannesburg and the R555 with its terminal at the R29 at the War Monument at the northern entrance of Downtown Springs to the northeast that connects Springs with Delmas, Witbank and

Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...

. Springs is also connected with

Brakpan Brakpan is a mining town in the Gauteng province of South Africa. History The name Brakpan comes from a small pan on a farm called Weltevreden, which was filled with very brackish water and was probably referred to as the "brakpan," and it was nea ...

through the M46 and

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

via the R42 that runs into the R51 is connected to Springs too.

Railway transportation

Springs is also a major railway hub. Springs is a subhub for the

Metrorail Gauteng Metrorail Gauteng is a network of commuter rail services in Gauteng province in South Africa, serving the Johannesburg and Pretoria metro areas. It is operated by Metrorail, a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Metrora ...

with the Springs-Johannesburg trains serving Springs, Brakpan, Benoni,

Boksburg Boksburg is a city on the East Rand of Gauteng province of South Africa. Gold was discovered in Boksburg in 1887. Boksburg was named after the State Secretary of the South African Republic, W. Eduard Bok. The Main Reef Road linked Boksburg ...

Germiston Germiston, also known as kwaDukathole, is a small city in the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa, administratively forming part of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since the latter's establishment in 2000. It functions a ...

and Johannesburg. Springs also have the Springs Nigel Line serving Springs and Nigel. Springs is also a major hub for

Transnet Freight Rail Transnet Freight Rail is a South African rail transport company, formerly known as Spoornet. It was part of the South African Railways and Harbours Administration, a state-controlled organisation that employed hundreds of thousands of people ...

with goods and cargo carriers trains from the Springs, Welgedag and Daggafontein stations connecting Springs with Johannesburg, Ermelo, Witbank,

Nelspruit Mbombela (also known as Nelspruit) is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River (Mpumalanga), Crocodile River, Mbombela lies about by road west of the Mozambique border, ea ...

, Pretoria,

Vereeniging Vereeniging () is a town located in the south of Gauteng province, South Africa, situated where the Klip River empties into the northern loop of the Vaal River. It is also one of the constituent parts of the Vaal Triangle region and was formerly si ...

Klerksdorp Klerksdorp () is located in the North West Province, South Africa. Klerksdorp, the largest city in the North West Province, is located southeast of Mahikeng, the provincial capital. Klerksdorp was also the first capital of the then Transvaal Repu ...

Richards Bay Richards Bay ( af, Richardsbaai) is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated on a 30 square kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River, which makes it one of the country's largest harbours. Richards Bay also has the deepest natural h ...

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...

Pietersburg Polokwane (, meaning "Sanctuary" in Northern SothoPolokwane - The Heart of the Limpopo Province ...

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

and

Rustenburg Rustenburg (; , Afrikaans and Dutch: ''City of Rest'') is a city at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range. Rustenburg is the most populous city in North West province, South Africa (549,575 in 2011 and 626,522 in the 2016 census). In 2017 ...

. Coal and wood is transported with petroleum and ammonia and cement. Springs is also served by the container services through rail and road,

Health Systems

Springs is served by the Far East Rand provincial Hospital and three private hospitals, the N17 Hospital, the St Mary Women's Hospital and the Parkland Hospital closer to the Springs CBD. Springs has many clinics, including the White City and KwaThema clinics in KwaThema, Painville clinic and the newly built Springs clinic operated under the Springs Service Delivery as a municipal clinic under

Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is a Metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of the East Rand region of Gauteng. The municipality itself is a large suburban region east o ...

. Then there are many private clinics, some of them under Medi Clinic and physiotherapist clinics, occupational therapist clinics and also specialist doctors consultancy offices in Springs and the Medical laboratory at the Parklands Hospital, Springs.

Notable people

Important and well-known people who were born or lived in Springs include Nobel laureate in Literature

Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognized as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writin ...

and Olympic swimming gold medallist

Penny Heyns Penelope ("Penny") Heyns OIS (born 8 November 1974) is a South African former swimmer, who is best known for being the only woman in the history of the Olympic Games to have won both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events – at the 1996 Atlan ...

. Other famous people who are associated with Springs include: *

Brandon Auret Brandon Auret (born 27 December 1972) is a South African actor known for his role as Leon du Plessis in the SABC3 soap opera ''Isidingo''. Early life Auret was born 27 December 1972 in the South African city of Johannesburg. He currently r ...

(born 27 December 1972), a well-known actor on stage (Winnie), television (

Isidingo ''Isidingo'' is a South African soap opera, with dialogue mostly in English and isiXhosa. The series premiered on SABC 3 in July 1998 and was broadcast evenings on SABC 3 from Monday to Friday at 19:00. Until 2001 it was titled ''Isidingo: The ...

, Angel's Song, One Way, Breathe), and film (

Catch a Fire ''Catch a Fire'' is the fifth studio album by the reggae band The Wailers (aka Bob Marley and the Wailers), released in April 1973. It was their first album released by Island Records. After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, they had sta ...

Hansie ''Hansie'' is a feature film, produced in South Africa by Global Creative Studios and directed by Regardt van den Bergh. It is based on the true story of cricketer Hansie Cronje Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje (25 September 1969 – 1 June ...

– The Movie,

District 9 ''District 9'' is a 2009 science fiction mockumentary film directed by Neill Blomkamp in his feature film debut, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. It is a co-production of New Zea ...

, Night Drive, The Race-ist, Elysium), rock singer, and songwriter, was born and raised in Springs and attended the local CBC (now Veritas College). * Ernest George Bock (17 September 1908 – 5 September 1961), a South African

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

player in one

test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

(1935/ 1936), who once held one of the top

Currie Cup The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

averages and was also a Griqualand West cricket and

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

player, relocated from Kimberley, Northern Cape, to Springs. *Rudi Bryson (born 25 July 1968), a former South africa cricket team, South African

er who played seven One Day Internationals in 1997, and played for Northern Transvaal and Eastern Province cricket teams, was born and raised in Springs, and attended Springs Boys' High School. *Roger Bushell, Roger Joyce Bushell, Royal Air Force, RAF (30 August 1910 – 29 March 1944), a Springs-born United Kingdom, British lawyer and Auxiliary Air Force pilot, organised and led the famous escape from the Nazism, Nazi Prisoner-of-war camp, prisoner of war camp, Stalag Luft III in 1944. *Ferdinand Chauvier (d.1985), a hydraulic engineering, hydraulics engineer from the Belgian Congo who moved to Springs in 1951, invented the first automated pool cleaner. *Fiona Coyne (presenter), Fiona Coyne (22 June 1965 – 18 August 2010), a well-known theatre actress, playwright, writer, and television presenter (The Weakest Link, South Africa), was born, raised, and married in Springs, and attended the Springs Convent school (now Veritas College). *Koos du Plessis (10 May 1945 – 15 January 1984), a prominent South African singer-songwriter and poet, was born in Rustenburg, and grew up in Springs, attending PAM Brink Primary School and High School Hugenote. *Angelique Gerber (born 16 April 1983), well known South African actress. *

(20 November 1923 - 13 July 2014), the first South African Nobel Prize, Nobel Laureate in Literature (1991) and recipient of the 1974 Booker Prize, was born in Springs and attended the local Our Lady of Mercy Convent school (now known as Veritas College). *Dean Hall (rugby player), Dean Hall (born 2 September 1977), a former South Africa national rugby union team, Springbok rugby, Lions (Super rugby franchise), Lions rugby, and Sharks (Super rugby franchise), Sharks rugby player (Rugby union positions, winger), and once dubbed "the white Jonah Lomu" by the New Zealand media, was born and raised in Springs and attended Springs Boys' High School. *

(born 8 November 1974), double Olympic gold medallist in Swimming at the Summer Olympics, swimming (1996 Summer Olympics, 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games), holder of 14 swimming world records, and the only woman in history to complete the Olympic double of winning both the Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metre breaststroke, 100 and Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's 200 metre breaststroke, 200-metre breaststroke, was born in Springs and attended a local primary school. *Job Maseko (died 7 March 1952), World War II prisoner of war and namesake of the Job Maseko Primary School in KwaThema, Springs. He was a member of the Native Military Corps and was awarded the Military Medal for sinking an enemy steamer that was moored in Tobruk Harbour. *Frew McMillan (born 20 May 1942), former world tennis player and tennis commentator was born in Springs. *Madi Phala (2 February 1955 – 2 March 2007), well-known artist, designer, and educator, was born and raised in KwaThema, Springs. *James Phillips (South African musician), James Phillips (22 January 1959 – 31 July 1995), a South African rock singer, songwriter and performer, grew up in Springs. * Gavin Ramsay (1963 - 4 February 2017), five-time South African motorcycling champion, spent his life in Springs. *Justine Robbeson (born 15 May 1985), former world junior heptathlon champion (2004), current African records in athletics, African record holder in the women's javelin throw, javelin (63.49m in February 2008), and participant in the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, grew up in Springs and attended Springs Girls' High School. * Tony Schiena (born 4 December), an Undefeated World Karate Champion, former intelligence operative, founder and CEO of defense intelligence agency MOSAIC and action movie star most recognizable for the cult hit "DARC". *Lawrence Sephaka (born 8 August 1978), a South Africa national rugby union team, Springbok rugby player (Rugby union positions, prop) from 2001 to 2006 gaining 24 caps and playing in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, former Lions (Super rugby franchise), Lions rugby player, and current professional player for Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the Ligue nationale de rugby, French professional league, for RC Toulonnais, Toulon, attended Hoer Tegniese Skool in Springs. *Eudy Simelane (11 March 1977 – 28 April 2008), a well-known former South Africa women's national football team ("Banyana Banyana") midfielder, future South African Football Association referee, and Lesbian, gay rights LGBT social movements, activist grew up in and was murdered in KwaThema, Springs. *Haydn Smith (born 1973), cricketer *Glenda Steyn (born 2 January 1964), notable liberal politician from the Democratic Party (now Democratic Alliance (South Africa), Democratic Alliance), grew up in Springs and is now a DA Member of the

Provincial Legislature, spokesperson on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, former Chief Whip, as well as a former Provincial Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance. *Shirley Sutherland (born 17 December 1973), a well-known coloratura soprano opera singer, director, and performer in musicals, grew up in Springs and attended Springs Girls' High School. *Andre Viljoen, former president and CEO of South African Airways (SAA) (2001–2004), grew up in Springs and attended Springs Boys' High School. *Rolly Xipu (born 12 January 1952), grew up in Payneville and was a South African Boxer (boxing), boxer, who fought from 1972 to 1981. Xipu held the South African lightweight title.

References

External links

Springs Personal WebsiteEkurhuleni Official Website
{{Authority control Springs, Gauteng, East Rand Populated places in Ekurhuleni Populated places established in 1904