South Africa is divided into 9 provinces. Each of these individual provinces differ from one another in size, geography, population density, wealth and economy. The 9 provinces are Limpopo Province, Northern Cape Province, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, North West Province, Western Cape Province, Eastern Cape Province and KwaZulu / Natal. Although many cities in South Africa were renamed to African names again after the repeal of the apartheid laws, a number of settlements still have familiar names such as Frankfort, Heidelberg or Heilbron.
Gauteng Province
According to dentistrymyth, the most important economic and urban center of South Africa is located in the province of Gauteng with Johannesburg as the core city, closely followed by Pretoria. Gauteng is also seen as the financial center of South Africa and translates as “place of gold”, which refers to the gold industry that emerged in 1866 on the Witwatersrand. Guateng contributes around 40% to the gross domestic product.
Western Cape Province The Western Cape
Province, with an area of 129,462 km², is a little over a tenth the size of South Africa. It extends from the Cape of Good Hope about 400 km north and about 500 km east along the coasts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In the north the Western Cape borders on the Province of North Cape, in the east on the Province of Eastern Cape. Most of the climatically very different province is characterized by a warm, moderate climate with cool, humid winters and hot, dry summers, comparable to the climate on the Mediterranean. The cold Benguela current has a cooling effect on the climate at the Cape of Good Hope, so that the Western Cape is suitable for viticulture despite its northern location.
Eastern Cape Province The Eastern Cape
Province in the south-east of South Africa with the capital Bhisho covers an area of approx. 169,580 km² and has around 6.6 million residents.
Port Elizabeth
With around 312,000 residents, the city of Port Elizabeth, located on the southeast coast of the Indian Ocean, is one of the largest cities in South Africa and the largest city in the metropolitan municipality of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, which has a total of around 1.2 million residents. The city is referred to in South Africa as both The Windy City and The Friendly City. Port Elizabeth is said to be South Africa’s city with the most sunny days, and there are also some very beautiful and very popular beaches in the city area. Leisure and, above all, water sports are very important in Port Elizabeth and there is a wide range of corresponding activities, which attracts numerous tourists from home and abroad to the city every year. In March / April the Ironman South Afirca takes place in Nelson Mandela Bay every year.
Port Elizabeth was founded out of the existing settlements in 1820 by the Governor of the Cape Colony, Sir Rufane Donkin, who named the city after his wife, who died at an early age. The Oceanarium and Science Museum, Market Square and the City Hall, which was rebuilt in 1977, as well as numerous public buildings in Victorian style are well worth seeing.
Durban
Together with the surrounding cities, Durban forms the metropolitan municipality eThekwini and thus a large city which, with over 3.4 million residents, is the third largest city in South Africa after Johannesburg and Cape Town and at the same time the capital of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban is named after a British governor of the Cape Colony, Benjamin D’Urban, at whose time Port Natal was transformed into a real city around 1830. Located on the Indian Ocean on the east coast of South Africa, Durban is now an important industrial and port city with the largest port in Africa and a much-visited holiday center in the country due to its popular beaches and subtropical climate. Durban is also a popular area for surfers, kite surfers and bodyboarders, despite the existing danger of sharks.
The old town of Durban is on the one hand characterized by Victorian buildings from the former colonial era, but at the same time you can also find numerous temples, bazaars and mosques as an expression of Indian culture. Together with the beautiful beaches, the lush vegetation and the tropical colors, this creates a very special flair in this interesting South African city.
The city is known for its many markets such as the Victoria Street Market, where all imaginable spices and Indian food are for sale. Museums like the Old Courthouse Museum in City Hall in the city center are also worth a visit. From Barea, a district high up on a ridge running in a north-south direction with old mansions worth seeing, which is considered Durban’s oldest and most sought-after residential area, you have a fascinating view of the whole city.
Durban’s lifestyle takes place on the beachfront or the Golden Mile with numerous shops, bars and restaurants. The Gateway shopping center is the largest shopping center in South Africa.
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay is a picturesque little town at the mouth of the Keurboomrivier on the Garden Route, which is known for its beautiful beaches and natural surroundings. The Keurboomrivier forms a lagoon here. Not far away, to the west of the city, is the Robberg Peninsula, a nature reserve which is home to a large seal colony. About 15 km to the east is the well-known Natures Valley with the lagoon and the fantastic jungle.