Pretoria ( ; ) is the
administrative capital of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
,
serving as the seat of the
executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country.
Pretoria straddles the
Apies River and extends eastward into the foothills of the
Magaliesberg
The Magaliesberg (historically also known as ''Macalisberg'' or ''Cashan Mountains'') of northern South Africa, is a modest but well-defined mountain range composed mainly of quartzites. It rises at a point south of the Pilanesberg (and the ...
mountains. It has a reputation as an academic city and centre of research, being home to the
Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (, ) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and ''de facto'' capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johan ...
(UP), the
University of South Africa (UNISA), the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...
(CSIR), and the
Human Sciences Research Council. It also hosts the
National Research Foundation and the
South African Bureau of Standards. Pretoria was one of the host cities of the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
.
Pretoria is the central part of the
City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (; ; ), also known as the City of Tshwane (), is the Metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng in South Africa. The metro ...
which was formed by the amalgamation of several former local authorities, including
Bronkhorstspruit,
Centurion
In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...
,
Cullinan,
Hammanskraal and
Soshanguve. Some have proposed
changing the official name from Pretoria to Tshwane, which has caused some public controversy.
Pretoria is named after the
Voortrekker leader
Andries Pretorius
Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius (27 November 179823 July 1853) was a leader of the Boers who was instrumental in the creation of the South African Republic, as well as the earlier but short-lived Natalia Republic, in present-day South Africa ...
, and South Africans sometimes call it the "Jacaranda City", because of the thousands of
jacaranda
''Jacaranda'' is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas while cultivated around the world. The generic name is also used as the common name.
The species ' ...
trees planted along its streets and in its parks and gardens.
History
Pretoria was founded in 1855 by
Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the
Voortrekkers, who named it after his father
Andries Pretorius
Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius (27 November 179823 July 1853) was a leader of the Boers who was instrumental in the creation of the South African Republic, as well as the earlier but short-lived Natalia Republic, in present-day South Africa ...
and chose a spot on the banks of the ''
Apies rivier'' (
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
for "Monkeys river") to be the new
capital of the
South African Republic
The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...
(; ZAR). The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over
Dingane
Dingane ka Senzangakhona Zulu (–29 January 1840), commonly referred to as Dingane, Dingarn or Dingaan, was a Zulu prince who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828, after assassinating his half-brother Shaka Zulu. He set up his royal capita ...
and the
Zulus in the
Battle of Blood River
The Battle of Blood River or Voortrekker-Zulu War (16 December 1838) was fought on the bank of the Blood River, Ncome River, in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa between 464 Voortrekkers ("Pioneers"), led by Andries Pretorius, and an es ...
in 1838. The elder Pretorius also negotiated the
Sand River Convention (1852), in which the United Kingdom acknowledged the independence of the
Transvaal. It became the capital of the South African Republic on 1 May 1860.
The founding of Pretoria as the capital of the South African Republic can be seen as marking the end of the Boers' settlement movements of the
Great Trek
The Great Trek (, ) was a northward migration of Dutch-speaking settlers who travelled by wagon trains from the Cape Colony into the interior of modern South Africa from 1836 onwards, seeking to live beyond the Cape's British colonial adminis ...
.
Boer Wars
During the
First Boer War
The First Boer War (, ), was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and Boers of the Transvaal (as the South African Republic was known while under British ad ...
, the city was besieged by Republican forces in December 1880 and March 1881. The peace treaty that ended the war was signed in Pretoria on 3 August 1881 at the
Pretoria Convention.
The
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
resulted in the end of the
Transvaal Republic
The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result of the Second ...
and start of British
hegemony
Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states, either regional or global.
In Ancient Greece (ca. 8th BC – AD 6th c.), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of ...
in South Africa. The city surrendered to British forces under
Frederick Roberts on 5 June 1900 and the conflict was ended in Pretoria with the signing of the
Peace of Vereeniging
The Treaty of Vereeniging was a peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the Second Boer War between the South African Republic and the Orange Free State on the one side, and the United Kingdom on the other.
This settlement provided ...
on 31 May 1902 at
Melrose House
Melrose House is a stately mansion and museum located opposite Burgers Park in Pretoria, South Africa.
History
Built in 1886 by the prosperous Pretoria businessman George Jesse Heys, it was named after the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland. Mel ...
.
The
Pretoria Forts were built for the defence of the city just prior to the Second Boer War. Though some of these forts are today in ruins, a number of them have been preserved as national monuments.
Union of South Africa
The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the
Orange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Unio ...
were united with the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
and
Natal Colony
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies t ...
in 1910 to become the
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa (; , ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day South Africa, Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the British Cape Colony, Cape, Colony of Natal, Natal, Tra ...
. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
serving as the legislative capital and
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State (province), Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongsi ...
as the judicial capital. Between 1910 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of
Transvaal. (As the capital of the ZAR, Pretoria had superseded
Potchefstroom
Potchefstroom ( ; ), colloquially known as Potch, is an college town, academic city in the North West (South African province), North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstro ...
in that role.)
On 14 October 1931, Pretoria achieved official city status. When South Africa became a republic in 1961, Pretoria remained its administrative capital.
Geography
Pretoria is situated approximately north-northeast of
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
in the northeast of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, in a transitional belt between the plateau of the
Highveld
The Highveld (Afrikaans: ''Hoëveld,'' , ) is the portion of the South African inland plateau which has an altitude above roughly , but below , thus excluding the Lesotho mountain regions to the south-east of the Highveld. It is home to some of t ...
to the south and the lower-lying
Bushveld
The Bushveld (from Afrikaans: ''bosveld'', Afrikaans: ''bos'' 'bush' and ) is a Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of Southern Africa. The ecoregion straddles the Tropic of Capricorn ...
to the north. It lies at an altitude of about
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
, in a warm, sheltered, fertile valley, surrounded by the hills of the
Magaliesberg
The Magaliesberg (historically also known as ''Macalisberg'' or ''Cashan Mountains'') of northern South Africa, is a modest but well-defined mountain range composed mainly of quartzites. It rises at a point south of the Pilanesberg (and the ...
range.
Climate

Pretoria has a monsoon-influenced
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
:
Cwa) with long hot, rainy summers, and short, dry and mild winters. The city experiences the typical winters of South Africa, with cold, clear nights and mild to moderately warm days. Although the average lows during winter are mild, it can get cold due to the clear skies, with night time low temperatures in recent years in the range of .
The average annual temperature is . This is rather high, considering the city's relatively high altitude of about , and is due mainly to its sheltered valley position, which acts as a heat trap and cuts it off from cool southerly and south-easterly air masses for much of the year.
Rain is chiefly concentrated in the summer months, with drought conditions prevailing over the winter months, when frosts may be sharp. Snowfall is an extremely rare event; snowflakes were spotted in 1959, 1968 and 2012 in the city, but the city has never experienced an accumulation in its history.
During a nationwide
heat wave
A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...
in November 2011, Pretoria experienced temperatures that reached , unusual for that time of the year. Similar record-breaking extreme heat events also occurred in January 2013, when Pretoria experienced temperatures exceeding on several days. The year 2014 was one of the wettest on record for the city. A total of fell up to the end of December, with recorded in this month alone. In 2015, Pretoria saw its worst drought since 1982; the month of November 2015 saw new records broken for high temperatures, with recorded on 11 November after three weeks of temperatures between and . Pretoria reached a new record high of on 7 January 2016.
Demographics
Depending on the extent of the area understood to constitute "Pretoria", the population ranges from 700,000 to 2.95 million. The main languages spoken in Pretoria are
Sepedi,
Setswana,
Xitsonga
Tsonga ( ) or Xitsonga as an endonym (also known as Changana in Mozambique), is a Bantu language spoken by the Tsonga people of South Africa and . It is mutually intelligible with Tswa and Ronga and the name "Tsonga" is often used as a ...
,
Tshivenda,
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
, and English. The city of Pretoria has the largest white population in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since its founding, it has been a major
Afrikaner
Afrikaners () are a Southern African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch settlers who first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: Brain to Casting''. Encyclopæd ...
population centre, and there are roughly 1 million Afrikaners living in or around the city.
Ethnic groups
Even since the end of Apartheid, Pretoria itself has had a white majority, albeit with an ever-increasing black middle-class. However, in the townships of
Mamelodi,
Soshanguve and
Atteridgeville
Atteridgeville also recently known as “Pheli” is a township located to the west of Pretoria, South Africa. It is located to the east of Saulsville, to the west of West Park; to the north of Laudium and to the south of Lotus Gardens. The ...
black people make up close to all of the population. The largest white ethnic group are the
Afrikaners
Afrikaners () are a Southern African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch people, Dutch Settler colonialism, settlers who first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in Free Burghers in the Dutch Cape Colony, 1652.Entry: Cape Colony. '' ...
and the largest black ethnic group are the
Northern Sotho
Sepedi, also known as Northern Sotho, is one of South Africa’s twelve official languages and belongs to the Bantu language family, specifically the Sotho-Tswana group. The language is spoken mainly in Limpopo Province, and to a lesser exten ...
s.
The lower estimate for the population of Pretoria includes largely former white-designated areas, and there is therefore a white majority. However, including the geographically separate townships increases Pretoria's population beyond a million and makes whites a minority.
Pretoria's
Indians were ordered to move from Pretoria to
Laudium on 6 June 1958.
Cityscape
Pretoria is known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the approximately 60,000-70,000
Jacaranda
''Jacaranda'' is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas while cultivated around the world. The generic name is also used as the common name.
The species ' ...
s that line its streets. Purple is a colour often associated with the city and is often included on local council logos and services such as the
A Re Yeng rapid bus system and the logo of the local
Jacaranda FM radio station.
Architecture
:'
Pretoria has over the years had very diverse cultural influences and this is reflected in the architectural styles that can be found in the city. It ranges from 19th century Dutch, German and British
colonial architecture to
modern,
postmodern
Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...
,
neomodern, and
art deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
architecture styles with a good mix of a uniquely South African style.
Some of the notable structures in Pretoria include the late 19th century
Palace of Justice, the early 20th century
Union Buildings, the post-war
Voortrekker Monument, the diverse buildings dotting the main campuses of both the
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (, ) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and ''de facto'' capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johan ...
and the
University of South Africa, traditional
Cape Dutch style
Mahlamba Ndlopfu (the President's House), the
Neo-Byzantine
Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a Revivalism (architecture), revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine architecture, ...
Old Synagogue, the more modern
Reserve Bank of South Africa (office skyscraper) and the Telkom
Lukasrand Tower. Other well-known structures and buildings include the
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby stadium situated in the suburb of Arcadia, city of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa, owned by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. The stadium can accommodate 51,762 spectators.
The stadium is the ...
, The South African
State Theatre and the Oliver Tambo building which is the Headquarters of the
Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
File:Union_Buildings_Eastern_Wing.jpg, The Eastern Wing of the Union Buildings
File:RSA Pretoria 2.jpg, Old Council Chambers, or '' Ou Raadsaal''
File:Fort Klapperkop.jpg, Fort Klapperkop
File:Neomodernist facade in Pretoria.JPG, Neomodern architecture in Pretoria
File:Law Chambers-011 perspective corrected.jpg, The Palace of Justice
File:9 2 258 0020-Old Synagogue-Pretoria-s.jpg, The Old Synagogue
Central business district
Despite the many corporate offices, small businesses, shops, and government departments that are situated in
Pretoria's sprawling suburbs, its Central Business District still retains its status as the traditional centre of government and commerce. Many banks, businesses, large corporations, shops, shopping centres, and other businesses are situated in the city centre which is towered by several large skyscrapers, the tallest of which is the Poyntons Building ( tall), the ABSA Building ( tall) and the
Reserve Bank of South Africa building ( tall).
The area contains a large number of historical buildings, monuments, and museums that include the
Pretoria City Hall,
National Library of South Africa, Pretorius Square,
Church Square (along with its many historical buildings and statues), and the
Ou Raadsaal. There is also the
Transvaal Museum (the country's leading natural history museum, which although it has changed venues a number of times, has been around since 1892), the
National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (or more colloquially known as the Pretoria Zoo),
Melrose House
Melrose House is a stately mansion and museum located opposite Burgers Park in Pretoria, South Africa.
History
Built in 1886 by the prosperous Pretoria businessman George Jesse Heys, it was named after the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland. Mel ...
Museum in Jacob Maré Street, the
Pretoria Art Museum and the
African Window Cultural History Museum.
Several National Departments also have Head Offices in the Central Business district such as the Department of Health, Basic Education, Transport, Higher Education and Training, Sport and Recreation, Justice and Constitutional Development, Public Service and Administration, Water and Environmental Affairs and the National Treasury. The district also has a high number of residential buildings which house people who primarily work in the district.
Parks and gardens
Pretoria is home to the
National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, as well as the
Pretoria National Botanical Garden. There are also a number of smaller parks and gardens located throughout the city, including the
Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, Pretorius Square gardens, the Pretoria
Rosarium,
Church Square, Pretoria Showgrounds,
Springbok Park,
Freedom Park
In the Philippines, a freedom park is a centrally located public space where political gatherings, rallies and demonstrations may be held without the need of prior permission from government authorities. Similar to free speech zones in the United ...
,
Jan Cilliers Park and
Burgers Park, the oldest park in the city and now a national monument. In the suburbs there are also several parks that are notable: Rietondale Park, "Die Proefplaas" in the Queenswood suburb, Magnolia Dell Park, Nelson Mandela Park and Mandela Park Peace Garden and Belgrave Square Park.
File:Pretoria zoo 2.jpg, View of Pretoria from the Pretoria Zoo
File:Burgers Park, Pretoria.JPG, Burgers Park
File:Broodboomtuin, a, Pretoria Nasionale Botaniese Tuin.jpg, Pretoria National Botanical Gardens
Jacaranda city

Pretoria's nickname "the Jacaranda City" comes from the around 70,000 jacaranda trees that grow in Pretoria and decorate the city each October with their purple blossoms. The first two trees were planted in 1888 in the garden of local gardener,
J.D. Cilliers, at Myrtle Lodge on Celliers Street in
Sunnyside. He obtained the seedlings from a Cape Town nurseryman who had harvested them in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, Brazil. The two trees still stand on the grounds of the Sunnyside Primary School.
The jacaranda comes from tropical South America and belongs to the family
Bignoniaceae
Bignoniaceae () is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpet vines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant ...
. There are around fifty species of jacaranda, but the one found most often in the warmer areas of
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...
is
Jacaranda mimosifolia
''Jacaranda mimosifolia'' is a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting Violet (color), violet-colored flowers. It is also known as the jacaranda, b ...
.
At the end of the 19th century, the flower and tree grower James Clark imported jacaranda seedlings from Australia and began growing them on a large scale. In November 1906, he donated two hundred small saplings to the Pretoria City Council, which planted them on Koch Street (today Bosman Street). The city engineer Walton Jameson, soon known as "Jacaranda Jim", launched a programme to plant jacaranda trees throughout Pretoria, and by 1971 there would already be 55,000 of them in the city.
Most jacarandas in Pretoria are lilac in colour, but there are also white ones planted on Herbert Baker Street in
Groenkloof.
The Jacaranda Carnival is an old tradition that was held from 1939 to 1964. After a hiatus of over twenty years, it resumed in 1985. Festivities include a colourful march and the crowning of the Jacaranda Queen.
Suburbs
Transportation
Railway
Commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
services around Pretoria are operated by
Metrorail
METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the List ...
. The routes, originating from the city centre, extend south to
Germiston
Germiston, also known as kwaDukathole, is a 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 as the m ...
and
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, west to
Atteridgeville
Atteridgeville also recently known as “Pheli” is a township located to the west of Pretoria, South Africa. It is located to the east of Saulsville, to the west of West Park; to the north of Laudium and to the south of Lotus Gardens. The ...
, northwest to
Ga-Rankuwa
Ga-Rankuwa is a large settlement located about 37 km north-west of Pretoria. Provincially it is in Gauteng province, but it used to fall in Bophuthatswana during the apartheid years, and under the North West province until the early 2000s. ...
, north to
Soshanguve and east to
Mamelodi. Via the
Pretoria–Maputo railway it is possible to access the port of Maputo, in the east.
The
Gautrain
Gautrain is an Higher-speed rail, higher-speed Express train, express commuter rail system in Gauteng, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park, Gauteng, Kempton Park and O. R. Tambo International Airport. It takes 15 minu ...
high-speed railway line runs from the eastern suburb of
Hatfield to
Pretoria Station and then southwards to
Centurion
In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...
,
Midrand
Midrand is a town in central Gauteng, South Africa. It is situated in-between Centurion, Gauteng, Centurion and Sandton. Formerly an independent municipality, Midrand now forms part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
History
...
,
Marlboro
Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (PMI, now separate from Altria) in most global territories outside the ...
,
Sandton
Sandton is a financial, commercial and residential area, located in the northern part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Formerly an independent municipality, Sandton's name came from the combination of two of its suburbs, Sa ...
,
Rhodesfield,
OR Tambo International Airport
O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport serving the twin cities of Johannesburg and the main capital of South Africa, Pretoria. It is situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and ...
,
Rosebank and
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
.
Pretoria Station is a departure point for the
Blue Train luxury train.
Rovos Rail, a luxury mainline train safari service operates from the colonial-style railway station at Capital Park. The South African Friends of the Rail have recently moved their vintage train trip operations from the Capital Park station to the Hercules station.
Buses
Various bus companies exist in Pretoria, of which
PUTCO is one of the oldest and most recognised. Tshwane municipality provides the remainder of the bus services.
Road
The
N1 is the major freeway that runs through Pretoria. It enters the city from the south as the
Ben Schoeman Highway. At the Brakfontein Interchange in
Centurion
In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...
, the Ben Schoeman Highway becomes the
N14 to Pretoria Central, the N1 turns north-east, then north, as the
Eastern Bypass, bisecting the large expanse of the eastern suburbs, routing traffic from
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
to
and the north of the country.
The N1 is a
toll road
A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...
north of Pretoria. The
R101 is the original N1, and served the same function before the construction of the highway. It runs through the centre of the city on regular streets rather than the eastern suburbs.
The
N4 enters the city as a highway from
eMalahleni in the east, merging with the N1 at the Proefplaas Interchange. It begins again north of the city, branching west from the N1 as the
Platinum Highway, forming the
Northern Bypass, and heading to
Rustenburg
Rustenburg (; , Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch: ''City of Rest'') is a town at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range. Rustenburg is the most populous city in North West (South African province), North West province, South Africa (549 ...
.
The N4 runs east–west through South Africa, connecting
Maputo
Maputo () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,088,449 (as of 2017) distributed ov ...
to
Gaborone
Gaborone ( , , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Botswana, largest city of Botswana, with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its metropolitan area is home to 534, ...
. The N4 is a toll road. Before the Platinum Highway was built, the N4 continued passed the Proefplaas Interchange to the city centre, where it became a regular road, before again becoming a partially-tolled highway west of the city towards
Hartbeespoort. These roads through the city centre are now designated as the
M2 (from the Proefplaas Interchange to
Arcadia) and the
M4 (from Arcadia to Hartbeespoort).
There is a third, original east–west road: the
R104, previously named Church Street, also from eMalahleni in the east through Pretoria to Hartbeespoort and Rustenburg in the west.
Church Street has been renamed as Stanza Bopape Street from the M16 to Nelson Mandela Drive (M3),
Helen Joseph Street from the
M3 to
Church Square,
WF Nkomo Street from Church Square to the
R511 (south-east of Hartbeespoort)
and Elias Motswaledi Street from the R511 to
Pelindaba.
The
N14 starts from the R101 just south of the Pretoria CBD, heading south as the
Ben Schoeman Freeway. At the Brakfontein interchange in
Centurion
In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...
, the Ben Schoeman Freeway becomes the N1 to Johannesburg, and the N14 continues as the intersecting west-south-westerly highway towards
Krugersdorp
Krugersdorp (Afrikaans for ''Kruger's Town'') is a mining city in the West Rand, Gauteng Province, South Africa founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius and Abner Cohen. Following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, a need arose for a ...
.
The
R114 parallels the N14 from Centurion to
Muldersdrift.
The
R21 provides a second north–south highway, further east. It starts from the Fountains Circle south of the city centre, heading south-east to
Monument Park, where it becomes a highway. It crosses the N1 at the Flying Saucer Interchange and runs north–south towards
Ekurhuleni (specifically
Kempton Park and
Boksburg).
Importantly, it links Pretoria with the
OR Tambo International Airport
O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport serving the twin cities of Johannesburg and the main capital of South Africa, Pretoria. It is situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and ...
in Kempton Park.
The
R80 highway (Mabopane Highway) is a highway in the north-west of the city. The highway begins in
Soshanguve and it terminates just north of the city centre (in
Roseville) at an intersection with the
M1.
Pretoria is also served by many regional roads. The
R55 starts at an interchange with the R80, and runs north–south from
Pretoria West to
Sandton
Sandton is a financial, commercial and residential area, located in the northern part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Formerly an independent municipality, Sandton's name came from the combination of two of its suburbs, Sa ...
.
The
R50 starts from the N1 in the south-east of the city, and heads south-east towards
Bapsfontein and
Delmas.
The
R511 runs north–south from Sandton towards
Brits and barely by-passes Pretoria to the west.
The
R514 starts from the M1, north of the city centre, and terminates at the R511 in Hartbeespoort.
The
R513 crosses Pretoria's northern suburbs from east to west. It links Pretoria to
Cullinan and
Bronkhorstspruit in the east and
Hartbeespoort in the west.
The
R566 takes origin in Pretoria's northern suburbs, connecting Pretoria to Brits.
The
R573 (also called ''Moloto Road'') starts from the R513, just east of the town and heads north-east to
KwaMhlanga and
Siyabuswa
Siyabuswa is a township in South Africa in the province of Mpumalanga (a region formerly called Eastern Transvaal). During the Apartheid era, Siyabuswa was the Capital (political), capital of the KwaNdebele Bantustan. It served as a capital from ...
.
Pretoria is also served internally by
metropolitan routes.
Airports
For scheduled air services, Pretoria is served by Johannesburg's airports:
OR Tambo International, south of central Pretoria; and
Lanseria, south-west of the city.
Wonderboom Airport in the suburb of Annlin in the north of Pretoria primarily services light commercial and private aircraft. However, as from August 2015, scheduled flights from Wonderboom Airport to
Cape Town International Airport
Cape Town International Airport is the primary international airport serving the city of Cape Town, and is the List of South African airports by passenger movements, second-busiest airport in South Africa and List of busiest airports in Afric ...
were made available by
SA Airlink. There are two military air bases to the south of the city,
Swartkop and
Waterkloof.
Culture
Media
Since Pretoria forms part the
Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, most radio, television and paper media is the same as the rest of the metro area.
Radio
There are many radio stations in the greater Pretoria region, some of note are:
Jacaranda FM, previously known as Jacaranda 94.2, is a commercial South African radio station, broadcasting in English and Afrikaans, with a footprint that covers Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West Province and boasts a listening audience of 3 million people a week, and a digital community of more than 1,6 million people a month. The station's format is mainstream adult contemporary with programming constructed around a playlist of hit music from the 1980s, 1990s and now.
Tuks FM is the radio station of the
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (, ) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and ''de facto'' capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johan ...
and one of South Africa's community broadcasters. It was one of the first community broadcasters in South Africa to be given an FM licence. It is known for contemporary music and is operated by UP's student base.
Radio Pretoria
Pretoria FM, formerly ''Radio Pretoria'' is an Afrikaans community-based radio station in Pretoria, South Africa. It broadcasts 24 hours a day in stereo on 104.2 FM in the greater Pretoria area. Various other transmitters (with their own freque ...
is a community-based radio station in Pretoria, South Africa, whose programmes are aimed at Afrikaners. It broadcasts 24 hours a day in stereo on 104.2 FM in the greater Pretoria area. Various other transmitters (with their own frequencies) in South Africa broadcast the station's content further afield, while the station is also available on
Sentech's digital satellite platform.
Impact Radio, is a Christian Community Radio Station based in Pretoria, and broadcasting on 103FM in the Greater Tshwane Area.
Television
Pretoria is serviced by
eTV,
SABC
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations (Amplitude modulation, AM/Frequency modulation, FM) as well as 6 television broadcasts and 3 OTT Services to the general ...
,
MNET, and
SuperSport.
Paper
The city is serviced by a variety of printed publications namely;
Pretoria News is a daily newspaper established in Pretoria in 1898. It publishes a daily edition from Monday to Friday and a Weekend edition on Saturday and Sunday. It is an independent newspaper in the English language that serves the city and its direct environs. It is available online via the Independent online website.
Beeld is an Afrikaans-language daily newspaper that was launched on 16 September 1974. Beeld is distributed in four provinces of South Africa: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West. Die Beeld (English: The Image) was an Afrikaans-language Sunday newspaper in the late 1960s.
Pretoria Creole
Pretoria Sotho (called Sepitori by its speakers) is the urban
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...
of Pretoria and the
Tshwane metropolitan area i
South Africa It is a combination of
Tswana and
Northern Sotho (Pedi), with influences from
Tsotsitaal and other black South African languages. It is a creole language that developed in the city during the years of Apartheid.
Museums

*
Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History, a.k.a. African Window
*
Ditsong National Museum of Natural History
*
Freedom Park
In the Philippines, a freedom park is a centrally located public space where political gatherings, rallies and demonstrations may be held without the need of prior permission from government authorities. Similar to free speech zones in the United ...
*Hapo Museum
*
Kruger House (residence of the president of the ZAR,
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger, was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and State Preside ...
)
*
Mapungubwe Museum
The Mapungubwe Collection, held by the University of Pretoria museums in its Old Arts Building, consists of archaeological materials excavated by the former University of Gauteng from the Mapungubwe archaeological site since its discovery in 1933. ...
*
Melrose House
Melrose House is a stately mansion and museum located opposite Burgers Park in Pretoria, South Africa.
History
Built in 1886 by the prosperous Pretoria businessman George Jesse Heys, it was named after the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland. Mel ...
(the
Treaty of Vereeniging
The Treaty of Vereeniging was a peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the Second Boer War between the South African Republic and the Orange Free State on the one side, and the United Kingdom on the other.
This settlement provided ...
which ended the
Anglo-Boer War was signed here in 1902)
*
National Library of South Africa
*
Pioneer Museum
*
Pretoria Art Museum
*
Pretoria Forts
*
South African Air Force Museum
*
Transvaal Museum
*
Van Tilburg Collection
*
Van Wouw Museum
*
Voortrekker Monument
*Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum
*Sammy Marks House
*SP Engelbrecht Museum (history of the NHK church)
*Smuts House Museum
File:Anfiteatro - Freedom Park.jpg, Freedom Park's amphitheatre
File:Culthistory.jpg, African Window
File:Kruger House see from Dutch Reformed Church clock tower 001.jpg, Paul Kruger's House
File:Melrose house SA.jpg, Melrose House
File:Transvaal Museum Night.JPG, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History
File:Interior Mapungubwe gold gallery, University of Pretoria.jpg, Mapungubwe Collection
The Mapungubwe Collection, held by the University of Pretoria museums in its Old Arts Building, consists of archaeological materials excavated by the former University of Gauteng from the Mapungubwe archaeological site since its discovery in 1933. ...
File:Pretoriase kunsmuseum 2.jpg, Pretoria Art Museum
File:South Africa - Gauteng - Sammy Marks Museum.JPG, Sammy Marks museum
Music
A number of popular South African bands and musicians are originally from Pretoria. These include Desmond and the Tutus, Bittereinder, The Black Cat Bones,
Seether
Seether are a South African Rock music, rock band founded in 1999 in Pretoria, Gauteng. The band originally performed under the name Saron Gas until 2002, when they moved to the United States and changed it to Seether to avoid confusion with ...
, popular mostwako rapper
JR, Joshua na die Reën and
DJ Mujava who was raised in the town of Attridgeville.
The song "Marching to Pretoria" refers to this city. Pretoria was the capital of the
South African Republic
The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...
(a.k.a. Republic of the Transvaal; 1852–1881 and 1884–1902) the principal battleground for the
First and
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
, the latter which brought both the Transvaal and the Orange Free State republic under British rule. "Marching to Pretoria" was one of the songs that British soldiers sang as they marched from the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
, under British Rule since 1814, to the capital of the Southern African Republic (or in Dutch, ''Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek''). As the song's refrain puts it: "We are marching to Pretoria, Pretoria, Pretoria/We are marching to Pretoria, Pretoria, Hurrah."
The opening line of
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
's
Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' song
I Am the Walrus, "I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together", is often believed to be based on the lyric "I'm with you and you're with me and so we are all together" in "Marching to Pretoria". Lennon denied this, insisting his lyrics came from "nothing".
Performing arts and galleries
Pretoria is home to an extensive portfolio of public art. A diverse and evolving city, Pretoria boasts a vibrant art scene and a variety of works that range from sculptures to murals to pieces by internationally and locally renowned artists. The
Pretoria Art Museum is home to a vast collection of local artworks. After a bequest of 17th century Dutch artworks by Lady Michaelis in 1932 the art collection of Pretoria City Council expanded quickly to include South African works by Henk
Pierneef,
Pieter Wenning,
Frans Oerder,
Anton van Wouw and
Irma Stern.
And according to the museum: "As South African museums in Cape Town and Johannesburg already had good collections of 17th, 18th and 19th century European art, it was decided to focus on compiling a representative collection of South African art" making it somewhat unusual compared to its contemporaries.

Pretoria houses several performing arts venues including:
the
South African State Theatre which houses the arts of
Opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
,
musicals
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
,
plays and comedic performances.
A 9 metre tall statue of former president
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
was unveiled in front of the
Union Buildings on 16 December 2013. Since Nelson Mandela's inauguration as South Africa's first majority elected president the Union Buildings have come to represent the new 'Rainbow Nation'. Public art in Pretoria has flourished since the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
with many areas receiving new public artworks.
Sport

One of the most popular sports in Pretoria is
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
.
Loftus Versfeld
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a Rugby union, rugby stadium situated in the suburb of Arcadia, Pretoria, Arcadia, city of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa, owned by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. The stadium can accommodate 51,762 spe ...
is home to the
Blue Bulls, who compete in the domestic
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup () is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier domestic competition, four South African franc ...
, and also to the
Bulls in the international
United Rugby Championship
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...
competition. The Bulls rugby team, which is operated by the Blue Bulls, won the Super Rugby competition in
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
and
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. Loftus Versfeld also hosts the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
side
Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premiership, the first tier of South African football league syste ...
.
Pretoria also hosted matches during the
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup (), was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.
The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in ...
. Loftus Versfeld was used for some matches in the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
.
Association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
(soccer) is one of the most popular sports in the city. There are two soccer teams in the city playing in South Africa's top-flight league, the
Premiership. They are
Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premiership, the first tier of South African football league syste ...
and
Supersport United
SuperSport United Football Club (often known as SuperSport) is a South African professional association football, football club based in Atteridgeville in Pretoria in the Gauteng province. The team currently plays in the South African Premier Di ...
. Supersport United were the
2008–09 PSL Champions. Following the 2011/2012 season the
University of Pretoria F.C.
University of Pretoria Football Club, also known as Tuks or AmaTuks, is a South African association football club based in the Hatfield, Pretoria, Hatfield suburb of Pretoria that represents the University of Pretoria. They currently play in the ...
gained promotion to the
South African Premier Division, the top domestic league, becoming the third Pretoria-based team in the league. After a poor league finish in the 2015/2016 season, University of Pretoria F.C. were relegated to the
National First Division, the second-highest football league in South Africa, in the 2016 promotion/relegation play-offs.
Cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
is also a popular game in the city. As there is no international cricket stadium in the city, it does not host any top-class cricket tournaments, although the nearby situated
Centurion
In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...
has
Supersport Park which is an international cricket stadium and has hosted many important tournaments such as
2003 Cricket World Cup,
2007 ICC World Twenty20
The 2007 ICC World Twenty20 was the inaugural edition of the Men's T20 World Cup, formerly known as the ICC World Twenty20 that was contested in South Africa from 11 to 24 September 2007. Twelve teams took part in the thirteen-day tournament� ...
,
2009 IPL and
2009 ICC Champions Trophy. The most local franchise team to Pretoria is the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( ; ) were the pre-Twelve Olympians, Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). The six male ...
, although
Northerns occasionally play in the city in South Africa's provincial competitions. Many Pretoria born cricketers have gone on to play for
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, including former international captains
AB de Villiers Faf du Plessis
François "Faf" du Plessis ( ; born 13 July 1984) is a South African professional cricketer and former captain of the South Africa national cricket team. He is considered one of the greatest fielders of all time and among the best all-format ...
.

The Pretoria Transnet Blind Cricket Club is situated in Pretoria and is the biggest Blind Cricket club in South Africa. Their field is at the Transnet Engineering campus on Lynette Street, home of differently disabled cricket. PTBCC has played many successful blind cricket matches with abled bodied teams such as the South African Indoor Cricket Team and TuksCricket Junior Academy. Northerns Blind Cricket is the Provincial body that governs PTBCC and Filefelfia Secondary School. The Northern Blind Cricket team won the 40 over National Blind Cricket tournament that was held in Cape Town in April 2014.
The city's SunBet Arena at Time Square hosted the
NBA Africa Game 2018.
Places of worship

Among the
places of worship, they are predominantly
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
churches and temples :
Zion Christian Church,
Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa,
Assemblies of God
The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
,
Baptist Union of Southern Africa (
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is an international communion of Baptists, with an estimated 51 million people from 266 member bodies in 134 countries and territories as of 2024. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA accounts f ...
),
Methodist Church of Southern Africa
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) is a large Wesleyan Methodism, Methodist denomination, with local churches across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, and a more limited presence in Mozambique. It is a member chu ...
(
World Methodist Council
The World Methodist Council (WMC), founded in 1881, is a consultative body that represents churches within Methodism and facilitates cooperation among its member denominations. It comprises 80 denominations in 138 countries which together repres ...
),
Anglican Church of Southern Africa (
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...
),
Presbyterian Church of Africa (
World Communion of Reformed Churches
The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Reformed (Calvinist) churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations (227 members and three associate or affiliate members) in 108 countries, together claiming ...
),
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pretoria (
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
). Greek Orthodox Community of Pretoria , Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos
There are also
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
mosques and
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
temples.
Jewish community
Pretoria has a small Jewish community of around 3,000. Jewish citizens have been in Pretoria since its foundation in the 19th century and played an important role in its industrial and economic growth. A Mr. De Vries, the first Jewish inhabitant of Pretoria, was a prominent citizen and prosecutor, a member of the
Volksraad and a pioneer of the
Afrikaans language
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento that speaks the Patagonian dialect. It evolved from the Dutc ...
. Another famed Jewish Pretorian was
Sammy Marks.
Other early Jewish settlers, many of them immigrants from
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, were not as educated as De Vries and often did not speak Dutch, Afrikaans, or English. Many of them spoke only
Yiddish
Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
and made a living as shopkeepers in the local retail industry. Most Jewish residents stayed neutral in the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
, though some joined the
South African Republic
The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...
army.
The first congregation was founded between 1890 and 1895, and in 1898 the first synagogue,
The Old Synagogue opened on Paul Kruger Street.
[Church Square, the Old Synagogue and the Old Government Printing Work, Three historic places for testing strategic intervention]
University of Pretoria. 2015 A second synagogue, known as the Great Synagogue, opened in 1922. Both synagogues are no longer in operation, but a
Reformed synagogue, Temple Menorah, opened in the early 1950s.
The Jewish community of Pretoria's golden age was in the early 20th century, when many Jewish sports clubs, charities, and youth groups flourished. After 1948, many Jews left for Cape Town or Johannesburg.
The Old Synagogue on Paul Kruger Street was purchased by the government in 1952 to become the new home of the High Court where prominent opposition figures in the
Anti-Apartheid Movement
The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) was a British organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing the South African apartheid system and supporting South Africa's non-white population who were oppressed by the policies ...
were tried, including
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
,
Walter Sisulu
Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 May 1912 – 5 May 2003) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC ...
, and 26 others were prosecuted for treason from 1 August 1958 to 29 March 1961; the
Rivonia Trial was held there in 1963–1964.
[
Two Jewish schools arose in Pretoria, the Miriam Marks School, which was founded in 1905, and the Carmel School, which opened in 1959. Only the second, currently also operating as a synagogue, remains. Pretoria's Reformed congregation shares a rabbi with the Johannesburg one, though the synagogue no longer operates and services take place in worshippers' private homes.
]
Buddhist community
A Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
centre, the Jang Chup Chopel Rigme Centre ("Centre of Light") was founded in early January 2015 by Duan Pienaar or Gyalten Nyima (his adopted monastic name) in Waverley around Pretoria-Moot. Pienaar is the only Afrikaner ordained in the highly selective Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
an Tantric Buddhist community in Bylakuppe
Bylakuppe (བྷ་ཡ་ལ་ཀུཔེ།) is a region in Karnataka which is home to the Indian town Bylakuppe and several Tibetan settlements, established by Lugsum Samdupling (in 1961) and Dickyi Larsoe (in 1969). Bylakuppe is the l ...
, in southern India. His instructor Lama
Lama () is a title bestowed to a realized practitioner of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. Not all monks are lamas, while nuns and female practitioners can be recognized and entitled as lamas. The Tibetan word ''la-ma'' means "high mother", ...
Kyabje Choden Rinpoche is the highest tantric master after the Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
. Pienaar, who studied Buddhist teachers for twenty years, spent two years in India.
Coat of arms
The Pretoria civic arms, designed by Frans Engelenburg,[Bodel, J.D.; 'The Coat of Arms and Other Heraldic Symbols of the City of Pretoria' in ''Pretoriana'' (November 1989).] were granted by the College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
on 7 February 1907. They were registered with the Transvaal Provincial Administration in March 1953[Transvaal ''Official Gazette'' 2372 (11 March 1953).] and at the Bureau of Heraldry in May 1968.
/ref> The Bureau provided new artwork, in a more modern style, in 1989.['Nuwe Standswapen' in ''Toria'' (July 1989).]
The arms were: ''Gules, on an mimosa tree eradicated proper within an orle of eight bees volant, Or, an inescutcheon Or and thereon a Roman praetor seated proper''. In layman's terms: a red shield displaying an uprooted mimosa tree surrounded by a border of eight golden bees, superimposed on the tree is a golden shield depicting a Roman praetor. The tree represented growth, the bees industry, and the praetor (judge) was an heraldic pun on the name.
The crest was a three-towered golden castle; the supporters were an eland and a kudu; and the motto ''Praestantia praevaleat Pretoria''.
The coat of arms have gone out of favour after the City Council amalgamated with its surrounding councils to form the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (; ; ), also known as the City of Tshwane (), is the Metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng in South Africa. The metro ...
.
Education
Primary education
* Crawford College, Pretoria, Crawford College
* St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls
Secondary education
* Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool
* Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
* Christian Brothers' College
* Clapham High School
*Cornwall Hill College
Cornwall Hill College is a private, boarding English medium co-educational preparatory and college in the suburb in Irene in Centurion in the Gauteng province of South Africa.
Controversies
In June 2021, the school was accused of racism ...
* Crawford College, Pretoria, Crawford College
* The Glen High School
* Hillview High School
* Hoërskool Akasia
* Hoërskool Die Wilgers
* Hoërskool Garsfontein
* Hoërskool Menlopark
*Hoërskool Montana
* Hoërskool Oos-Moot
* Hoërskool Overkruin
* Hoërskool Waterkloof
* Hoërskool Wonderboom
* Pretoria Boys High School
* Pretoria Chinese School
* Pretoria High School for Girls
* Pretoria North High School
* Pretoria Secondary School
* Pro Arte Alphen Park
* St. Alban's College
* St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls
* Tshwane Muslim School
* Willowridge High School
File:PBHS-facade.jpg, Pretoria Boys High School
File:Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool night shot.jpg, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
File:Pretoria High School for Girls Park Street Pretoria 002.jpg, Pretoria High School for Girls
File:Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, b, Pretoria.jpg, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool
File:St Alban's College, geboue en gronde, Pretoria.jpg, St Alban's College
International schools
* École Miriam Makeba (French school)
* Deutsche Schule Pretoria (German school)
* AISJ-Pretoria
Tertiary education
Pretoria is one of South Africa's leading academic cities and is home to both the largest residential university in South Africa, largest distance education university in South Africa and a research intensive university. The three Universities in the city in order of the year founded are as follows:
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa (commonly referred to as Unisa), founded in 1873 as the University of the Cape of Good Hope, is the largest university on the African continent and attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. It spent most of its early history as an examining agency for Oxford and Cambridge universities and as an incubator from which most other universities in South Africa are descended. In 1946 it was given a new role as a distance education university and in 2012 it had a student headcount of over 300,000 students, including African and international students in 130 countries worldwide, making it one of the world's mega universities. Unisa is a dedicated open distance education institution and offers both vocational and academic programmes.
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (, ) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and ''de facto'' capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johan ...
(commonly referred to as UP, Tuks, or Tukkies) is a multi campus public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
research university. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
based Transvaal University College and is the fourth South African institution in continuous operation to be awarded university status. Established in 1920, the University of Pretoria Faculty of Veterinary Science is the second oldest veterinary school
Veterinary education is the tertiary education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian, one must first complete a degree in veterinary medicine Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM, V.M.D., BVS, BVSc, BVMS, BVM etc.).
In the United States and C ...
in Africa and the only veterinary school in South Africa. In 1949 the university launched the first MBA programme outside of North America. Since 1997, the university has produced more research outputs every year than any other institution of higher learning in South Africa, as measured by the Department of Education's accreditation benchmark.
Tshwane University of Technology
The Tshwane University of Technology (commonly referred to as TUT) is a higher education
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
institution, offering vocational oriented diplomas and degrees, and came into being through a merger of Technikon Northern Gauteng, Technikon North-West and Technikon Pretoria. TUT caters for approximately 60,000 students and it has become the largest residential higher education institution in South Africa.
CSIR
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...
(CSIR) is South Africa's central scientific research and development organisation. It was established by an act of parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in 1945 and is situated on its own campus
A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls.
By extension, a corp ...
in the city. It is the largest research and development organisation in Africa and accounts for about 10% of the entire African R&D budget. It has a staff of approximately 3,000 technical and scientific researchers, often working in multi-disciplinary teams. In 2002, Sibusiso Sibisi was appointed as the president and CEO of the CSIR.
Military
Pretoria has earned a reputation as being the centre of South Africa's Military and is home to several military facilities of the South African National Defence Force:
Military headquarters
Transito Air Force Headquarters
This complex is the headquarters to the South African Air Force
The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...
.
The Dequar Road Complex
A military complex that houses the following:
*South African Army
The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
's Headquarters
* South African Infantry Formation HQ
*A General Support Base
*Support Formation HQ
*Training Formation HQ
*The 102 Field Workshop unit
*The 17 Maintenance Unit
*The S.A.M.S Military Health Department
The Sebokeng Complex
A military complex located on the corner of Patriot Street and Koraalboom Road that houses the following military headquarters:
* South African Army Armour Formation HQ
* South African Army Artillery Formation HQ
*South African Army Intelligence Corps HQ
*South African Army Air Defence Artillery Formation HQ
Military bases
The Dequar Road Base
This base is situated in the suburb of Salvokop and is divided into two parts:
*The Green Magazine (Groen Magazyn) which is the Headquarters to the Transvaalse Staatsartillerie, a reserve artillery regiment of the South African Army
The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
*Magazine Hill which is the regimental Headquarters to the Pretoria Armoured Regiment, a reserve tank regiment of the South African Army
The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
Thaba Tshwane
Thaba Tshwane is a large military area south-west of the Pretoria Central Business District and North of Air Force Base Swartkop. It is the headquarters of several army units-
*Joint Support Base Garrison that is responsible for the town management of Thaba Tshwane
*The Tshwane Regiment, a reserve motorised infantry regiment of the South African Army
*The 18 Light Regiment, a reserve artillery regiment of the South African Army
*The National Ceremonial Guard and Band
The military base also houses the 1 Military Hospital and the Military Police School. Within Thaba Tshwane, a facility known as "TEK Base" exists which houses its own units:
*The SA Army Engineer Formation
*2 Parachute Battalion
*44 Parachute Engineer Regiment
*1 Military Printing Regiment
*4 Survey and Map Regiment
Joint Support Base Wonderboom
The Wonderboom Military Base is located adjacent to the Wonderboom Airport and is the headquarters of the South African Army
The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
Signals Formation. It also houses the School of Signals, 1 Signal Regiment, 2 Signal Regiment, 3 Electronic Workshop, 4 Signal Regiment and 5 Signal Regiment.
Military colleges
The South African Air Force
The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...
College, the South African Military Health Service School for Military Health Training and the South African Army
The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
College are situated in the Thaba Tshwane Military Base and are used to train Commissioned and Non-commissioned Officers to perform effectively in combat/command roles in the various branches of the South African National Defence Force. The South African Defence Intelligence College is also located in the Sterrewag Suburb north of Air Force Base Waterkloof.
Air force bases
While technically not within the city limits of Pretoria, Air Force Base Swartkop and Air Force Base Waterkloof are often used for defence related matters within the city. These may include aerial military transport duties within the city, aerospace monitoring and defence as well as VIP transport to and from the city.
Proposed change of name
On 26 May 2005 the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC), which is linked to the Directorate of Heritage in the Department of Arts and Culture, approved changing the name of Pretoria to Tshwane, which is already the name of the Metropolitan Municipality
A metropolitan municipality is a municipality established to serve a metropolitan area.
Canada
In generic terms and in practical application within Canada, a metropolitan municipality is an urban local government with partial or complete consol ...
in which Pretoria and a number of surrounding cities are located. Although the name change was approved by the SAGNC, it was not approved by the Minister of Arts and Culture, who at the time requested further research on the matter. Should the Minister approve the name change, the name will be published in the Government Gazette
A government gazette (also known as an official gazette, official journal, official newspaper, official monitor or official bulletin) is a periodical publication that has been authorised to publish public or legal notices. It is usually establish ...
, giving the public opportunity to comment on the matter. The Minister can then refer that public response back to the SAGNC before presenting a recommendation before parliament for a vote. Various public interest groups warned that any name change would be challenged in court, should the minister approve it. The long process involved makes a name change less likely.
The Tshwane Metro Council has advertised "Africa's leading capital city" as ''Tshwane'' since the SAGNC decision in 2005. This has led to further controversy, however, as the name of the city had not yet been changed, and the council was, at best, acting prematurely. When a complaint was lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), it ruled that such advertisements are deliberately misleading and should be withdrawn from all media. Despite the rulings of the ASA, Tshwane Metro Council failed to discontinue their "City of Tshwane" advertisements. As a result, the ASA requested that Tshwane Metro pay for advertisements in which it admits that it has misled the public. After refusing to abide by the ASA's request, the Metro Council was banned from placing any advertisements in the South African media that refer to the capital as Tshwane. ASA may still place additional sanctions on the Metro Council that would prevent it from placing any advertisements in the South African media, including council notices and employment vacancies.
After the ruling, the Metro Council continued to place ''Tshwane'' advertisements, but placed them on council-owned advertising boards and busstops throughout the municipal area. In August 2007, an internal memo was leaked to the media in which the Tshwane mayor sought advice from the premier of Gauteng
The premier of Gauteng is the head of government of the Gauteng province of South Africa. The current Premier (South Africa), premier of Gauteng is Panyaza Lesufi, a member of the African National Congress, who was elected on 6 October 2022, fo ...
on whether the municipality could be called the "City of Tshwane" instead of just "Tshwane". This could increase confusion about the distinction between the city of Pretoria and the municipality of Tshwane.
In early 2010 it was again rumoured that the South African government would make a decision regarding the name; however, a media briefing regarding name changes, which could have been an opportunity to discuss it, was cancelled shortly before taking place. Rumours of the name change provoked outrage from Afrikaner civil rights and political groups. It later emerged that the registration of the municipality as a geographic place had been published in the Government Gazette as it had been too late to withdraw the name from the publication, but it was announced that the name had been withdrawn, pending "further work" by officials. The following week, the registration of "Tshwane" was officially withdrawn in the Government Gazette. The retraction had reportedly been ordered at the behest of the Deputy President of South Africa
The deputy president of South Africa is the second highest ranking officer of the executive branch of the Government of South Africa. The deputy president is a member of the National Assembly and the Cabinet.
The deputy president is constit ...
Kgalema Motlanthe, acting on behalf of President Jacob Zuma, as minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana had acted contrary to the position of the ANC, which is that Pretoria and the municipality are separate entities, which was subsequently articulated by ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.
In March 2010 a group supporting the name change, calling themselves the "Tshwane Royal House Committee", claimed to be descendants of Chief Tshwane and demanded to be made part of the administration of the municipality.
According to comments made by Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa in late 2011, the change would occur in 2012. However, there remained considerable uncertainty about the issue.
, the proposed name change has not occurred.
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Pretoria is twinned with:
* Amman
Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...
, Jordan
* Baku
Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
, Azerbaijan
* Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, Romania
* Bulawayo
Bulawayo (, ; ) is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council claimed it to be about ...
, Zimbabwe
* Kumasi
Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region ...
, Ghana
* Kyiv
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, Ukraine
* Port Louis
Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is admi ...
, Mauritius
* Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
, Taiwan
* Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
, Iran
* Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, United States
Notable people
* Anel Alexander, actress
* Frances Ames, neurologist, psychiatrist and human rights activist
* Melinda Bam, Miss South Africa 2011
* Johan Barkhuizen, cricketer
* Margaret Becklake, academic and epidemiologist
*Daniel Bekker
Daniel "Daan" Wepener Bekker (9 February 1932 – 22 October 2009) was a South African boxing, boxer, who won the bronze medal in the Heavyweight division (+ 91 kg) at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Four years later in Ro ...
, athlete
*Deanne Bergsma
Deanne Bergsma (born 16 April 1941) is a South African Ballet dancer, ballerina, who made her career in the The Royal Ballet, Royal Ballet at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She was born in 1941 and showed early promise as a dancer, She first ...
, dancer
* Conrad Bo, artist
* Roelof Botha, venture capitalist
* Wim Botha, artist
* Rory Byrne, Chief designer at the Benetton and Scuderia Ferrari Formula One teams
* Jan-Henning Campher Rugby union player
* Sharlto Copley, actor
* Kurt Darren, singer/songwriter
* Enid de Chair, First Lady of New South Wales, art patron, and artist
*Rassie van der Dussen
Hendrik Erasmus "Rassie" van der Dussen (born 7 February 1989) is a South African professional cricketer who represents the South Africa national cricket team and plays for Gauteng in domestic cricket. In the 2018 ''South African Cricket Annua ...
, cricketer
* Damon Galgut, Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...
-winning author
* Branden Grace, golfer
* Nigel Green, actor
* George Gristock, Victoria Cross recipient
*Steve Hofmeyr
Steve Hofmeyr (born 29 August 1964) is a South African musician, writer and actor known for his prominence in the Afrikaans music scene. Outside of music, he is best known for his long-running role as Doug Durand on Egoli: Place of Gold, as well ...
, singer, songwriter and actor
*Bobby van Jaarsveld
Pieter van Jaarsveld, professionally known as Bobby van Jaarsveld, (born 6 March 1987) is a South African Afrikaans-language pop singer-songwriter and actor.
Early life
Van Jaarsveld, who was nicknamed "Bobby" after his father, was born on 6 Ma ...
, South African singer/songwriter
* Glynis Johns, actress
* Gé Korsten, opera tenor and actor
* Anneline Kriel, Miss South Africa 1974 & Miss World 1974
*Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger, was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and State Preside ...
, president of the South African Republic
The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...
* Michael Levitt, Nobel prizewinning biophysicist
* Thomas Madigage, soccer player
* Tony Maggs, Formula 1
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
driver
* Vusi Mahlasela, singer/songwriter
* Justice Mahomed, former Chief Justice of South Africa, co-authored the constitution of Namibia
*Magnus Malan
General Magnus André de Merindol Malan (30 January 1930 – 18 July 2011) was a South African military figure and politician during the last years of apartheid in South Africa. He served respectively as Minister of Defence in the cabinet of ...
, Minister of Defence in the cabinet of President P. W. Botha
* Eugène Marais, lawyer, naturalist, poet and writer
* Sammy Marks, entrepreneur
* Herman Mashaba, the former Mayor of Johannesburg
* Thulasizwe Mbuyane, soccer player
* Karin Melis Mey, athlete
* Marc Milligan, cricketer
* Tim Modise, journalist, TV and radio presenter
* Lucas Moripe, soccer player (Pretoria Callies FC)
* Chris Morris, cricketer
* Michelle Mosalakae, actress and theatre director
* Es'kia Mphahlele, writer, educator, artist and activist celebrated as the Father of African Humanism
* Helene Muller, athlete
*Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...
, entrepreneur and business magnate
* Kimbal Musk, entrepreneur
* Franco Naudé, rugby union player
* Sean Nowak, cricketer
* Micki Pistorius, profiler and author
* Oscar Pistorius, athlete and convicted murderer
*Faf du Plessis
François "Faf" du Plessis ( ; born 13 July 1984) is a South African professional cricketer and former captain of the South Africa national cricket team. He is considered one of the greatest fielders of all time and among the best all-format ...
, cricketer
* Louis Hendrik Potgieter, member of Dschinghis Khan
Dschinghis Khan (; "Genghis Khan") is a German Eurodisco Pop music, pop band. It was originally formed in Munich in Eurovision Song Contest 1979, 1979 to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Dschinghis Khan (song), Dschinghis K ...
pop band
* Austin Stevens, herpetologist, wildlife photographer, film maker and author
* Edith Frances Mary Struben, artist
* Grove Venter, cricketer
* Arnold Vosloo, actor
* Casper de Vries, comedian
* Joost van der Westhuizen, rugby union player
* Anton van Wouw, sculptor and artist
* A-Reece, rapper
* DJ Maphorisa, DJ and record producer
* 25k, rapper
* Dricus du Plessis, MMA fighter
* Asleigh Moolman, cyclist
Places of interest
* Pretoria National Botanical Garden, a botanical garden containing a massive collection of native flora.
* The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, the premier zoological gardens of South Africa.
* Church Square, the historical governmental centre of the South African Republic
The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...
.
* Union Buildings, the executive branch of the South African government.
* Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the official residence of the President of South Africa.
* Marabastad, a historical shopping district for non-whites during Apartheid.
* Menlyn Park, shopping area.
* Voortrekker Monument, a historical complex dedicated to the Great Trek
The Great Trek (, ) was a northward migration of Dutch-speaking settlers who travelled by wagon trains from the Cape Colony into the interior of modern South Africa from 1836 onwards, seeking to live beyond the Cape's British colonial adminis ...
.
*Hatfield Square, the main student relaxation district.
* Pretoria railway station, a historical landmark and departure point for metrorail and Gautrain
Gautrain is an Higher-speed rail, higher-speed Express train, express commuter rail system in Gauteng, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park, Gauteng, Kempton Park and O. R. Tambo International Airport. It takes 15 minu ...
trains.
*Freedom Park
In the Philippines, a freedom park is a centrally located public space where political gatherings, rallies and demonstrations may be held without the need of prior permission from government authorities. Similar to free speech zones in the United ...
, a historical complex dedicated to the end of Apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
and the fallen soldiers of South Africa after 1994.
* Pretoria Forts, historical bastions designed to protect the city against the British, including a museum on the Boer Wars.
* State Theatre, South Africa, the premier national performing arts complex.
* Government House, Pretoria.
File:Libertas, since 1994 known as Mahlamba Ndlopfu, in 1934 by Gerard Moerdijk designed as official residence in Pretoria for the state of the Union of South Africa. - panoramio.jpg, Official Residence of President of South Africa
File:Menlynmall23.JPG, Menlyn Park
File:Freedom Park Amphitheatre 01.jpg, Freedom Park
File:Sammy Marks Square, Pretoria.JPG, Sammy Marks square
File:Time Square Casino, Pretoria.jpg, Times Square Casino, Menlyn Maine
Nature reserves
*Chamberlain Bird Sanctuary
* Faerie Glen Nature Reserve
* Groenkloof Nature Reserve
*Moreletaspruit Nature Reserve
* Rietvlei Nature Reserve
*Roodeplaat Dam Provincial Nature Reserve
* Wonderboom Nature Reserve
File:Faerie Glen Nature Reserve.JPG, Faerie Glen Nature Reserve
File:Uitsig oor Groenkloof NR, c.jpg, Groenkloof Nature Reserve
File:Sunset at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, August 27, 2017. (36709904241).jpg, Rietvlei Nature Reserve
File:Wonderboom wiki.jpg, Wonderboom Grove
See also
* Sir Herbert Baker
* Houses of Parliament, Cape Town
* Pretoria Wireless Users Group—a free, non-profit, community wireless network in Pretoria
*Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), formerly known as the Appellate Division, is the second-highest appellate court, court of appeal in South Africa below the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Constitutional Court. The country's apex court ...
References
External links
''City of Tshwane''
Metropolitan Municipality official website
Discover Tshwane
Metropolitan Municipality tourism website
*
{{Authority control
1855 in South Africa
Capitals in Africa
Cities in South Africa
Geographical naming disputes
Populated places established in 1855
Populated places founded by Afrikaners
Populated places in the City of Tshwane