In Focus

Welcome to South Africa

Get to know more about the nation's nine provinces

  • By Archana R D King | Sub Editor
  • Published: 00:00 April 27, 2010
  • In Focus

Bloemfontein, capital of the Free State
  • Image Credit: Shutterstock
  • Bloemfontein, capital of the Free State.

EASTERN CAPE

Home of Nelson Mandela, the Eastern Cape has a spectacular coastline and covers 13.9 per cent of the country's total land. The province contributes 33.3 per cent to South Africa's economy, which is equal to 10 per cent of the entire African continent. Eastern Cape has a range of captivating landscapes… from its Wild Coast with rugged green cliffs overlooking rough seas to the dry and desolate Great Kanoo dotted with flocks of sheep. The fertile Langkloof is a fruit-producing region, specialising in apples and pears. Though Bisho is the province's capital, Port Elizabeth is the largest city. Uitenhage is a motor vehicle industry hub and hosts the manufacturing plants of Volkswagen, Ford, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler. Grahamstown, called the Frontier Country, is the historic heartland of the Eastern Cape. Though it has a turbulent past, today it embodies the spirit of the different cultures — Khoi, Xhosa, Boer and British — and is testimony to people breaking through frontiers. King William's town has buildings that housed British financial institution from the 19th century, as well as museums, dams and gardens. Alexandria-Grahamstown produces pineapples, chicory and dairy products and the Magwa region has the best climate and soil for coffee and tea growing. The majority of the population in Eastern Cape speak isiXhosa, followed by Afrikaans and English.

MPUMALANGA

Mpumalanga means ‘the place where sun rises'. It has long sweeps of spectacular rolling grasslands as well as thick forests, ravines and waterfalls. Picturesque Sabie, nestled in the majestic Drakensberg escarpment mountains of the neighbouring Mpumalanga, is a popular holiday venue. Lake Chrissie is the largest freshwater lake in South Africa famous for its flamingos. Situated in the northeast of South Africa, this province occupies 6.3 per cent of the country's total land area with 3.5 million people. Nelspruit is the capital of the province. Witibank is the centre for coal-mining and the site of the country's second oil-from-coal plant after Sasolburg. The province produces 80 per cent of the country's coal. Standerton has a large dairy industry, while Middleburg produces steel and vanadium. Piet Retief produces plenty of tropical fruit varieties as well as sugar. The province is the country's second largest citrus fruit producing area while Ermelo produces high-quality wool. Along with Ermelo. This region also produces potatoes, sunflowers, maize and peanuts. Braberton is the oldest gold-mining region and the country's largest paper mill is situated at Ngodwana. Maputo Development Corridor links the province with Gauteng and the Port of Maputo in Mozambique. Languages spoken are isiSwati, isiZulu and isiNdebele.

WESTERN CAPE

As the pyramids are to Eqypt, the flat-topped Table Mountain is to South Africa. The capital of the province, Cape Town, nestles in the curve of Table Mountain. Roben Island in the Table Bay is where Nelson Mandela and several others were imprisoned for fighting against the apartheid government. The province takes up about 10.6 per cent of South Africa's total land area with a population of 4.7 million. It has a history of centuries of trade links to different parts of Europe, South East Asia, India and Africa. The province is the country's most beautiful with mighty mountains, patches of lively farmlands set in picturesque valleys, long beaches, plains, semi-deserts and a history that has resulted in its vibrant mix of culture. The Mediterranean climate of the peninsula is ideal for producing quality grapes and wine. Wheat fields in the Swat and Overberg areas make it the ‘bread basket of the country'. The fishing industry is prominent to the west coast as it is where the cold Atlantic Ocean and the warm Indian Ocean meet and has the plankton-rich cold Benguela current — one of the world's richest fishing grounds — a protected 200-kilometre commercial fishing zone with a strict quota system for fishing. Snoek, cape lobster, abalone, calamari, octopus, oysters and mussels are among the delicacies produced in these waters. Sheep farming is the mainstay of the Karoo, a semi desert region in the province. Karoo produces wool, mutton and the pedigree Merino breeding stock. George, a centre for indigenous timber and vegetable production, borders the plains of Karoo. Oudtshoon exports high-quality ostrich products — meat and feathers as well as leather. Oudtshoon is also home to the world-famous Cango Caves, a natural underground limestone monument. The Western Cape's floral kingdom is mentioned in the Unesco World Heritage list. The languages spoken here are Afrikaans, isiXhosa and English.

NORTH WEST

Known as the Texas of South Africa, this is also called the Platinum Province. North West is an important food basket and has a wealth of metals. It produces 94 per cent of the country's total platinum. The Platinum Corridor stretching from Pretoria to Eastern Botswana employs one third of the province's working population. Brits and Rustenburg contribute a quarter of the country's total gold production. The mining industry contributes 23.3 per cent of North West's economy. This is about 22.5 per cent of South Africa's total mining industry. The province is the country's fourth-smallest, taking up 8.7 per cent of the total land area. Its capital is Mafikeng. North West's most famous attraction is the Sun City Complex next to the Pilansburg National Park. It is one of world's biggest entertainment centres with casinos, golf courses, theatres, concert halls, beaches and a wave pool at the famous ‘Valley of the Waves'. Two Unesco World Heritage sites — a part of the Vredefort Dome, the world's largest visible metro-impact crater, and the Taung hominid fossil site — are found here. Languages spoken are Setswana, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

NORTHERN CAPE

This is the largest of the nine provinces in South Africa with 30 per cent of the country's land area. Yet it has the smallest population, with around one million people (three people/sq km). Its important asset is the Orange River, which feeds the agriculture and alluvial diamonds industries. Alluvial diamonds washed westwards by the river are extracted from its beaches and from the sea between Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth. North Cape's capital Kimberley is also called the Diamond City. The landscape is characterised by vast arid plains and grasslands with haphazard rock piles. A large part of the province falls within the Nama-Karoo biome, known worldwide for its spectacular annual explosion of spring flowers. This biome also has a number of fascinating plants, including the elephant's trunk, tree aloe and a variety of succulents. Interior Karoo's economy is based on sheep farming. The Karakul pelts from the region are prized by the global fashion industry. The province has a wealth of national parks and conservation areas. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park — Africa's first cross-border game park — borders the province. It is also one of the largest protected natural ecosystems in the world. Ai-Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Park, which spans the border with neighbouring Namibia, has the world famous Ai-Ais Hot Spring and the Fish River Canyon.

FREE STATE

"The Free State landscape gladdens my heart, no matter what my mood," said Nelson Mandela. Rolling grasslands and crop fields with blue mountains rise in the backdrop. Home to potters, actors and artists, this vibrant bean-shaped province is called the granary of South Africa. It is the country's third-largest province with 330 square metres of state consolidated gold fields that produce 30 per cent of South Africa's total gold. The province also produces high-quality diamonds. Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State, is home to the country's Supreme Court of Appeal, the University of the Free State and the Central University of Technology. Bloemfontein is called the flower of the Free State. The province's flower industry reaps the advantage of opposing seasons of the north and southern hemispheres and exports about 1.2 million tones of flowers a year. The beautiful hills of Parys on the banks of River Vaal, in the northern Free State, are a part of the Verdefort Dome (ancient crater), the largest visible meteor-impact site (2 billion-years-old). Verdefort Dome is one of South Africa's seven Unesco World Heritage sites. Another prominent city is Sasolburg named after Sasol, the world's leading petrochemical company. Bethlehem is the province's gateway to the eastern highlands. About 40 per cent of the country's potato yield comes from the highlands. Other produces include soya, sorghum, sunflower and wheat. Languages spoken are Sesotho, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

GAUTENG

Gauteng, ‘place of gold' in Sesotho, has 40 per cent of the world's total gold reserves. The province covers less than 2 per cent of South Africa's total land area but has the highest population density (576 people per square kilometre). Its capital, Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa, is often compared to Los Angeles for its multi-lane highways, multi-cultural population and gleaming skyscrapers. South of Johannesburg is Soweto, a place rich in political history. Soweto infused the struggle against apartheid. Pretoria, the City of Jacarandas, is the administrative centre of South Africa. Gauteng is also one of the global hubs of technological innovations with 60 per cent of the country's R&D and 41 per cent of its biotech companies based here. The province has a rich agriculture sector that falls under the Maize Triangle. The districts of Bronkhorstspruit, Cullinan and Heidelberg produce groundnuts, sunflower, cotton and sorghum. Its wetlands in Blesbokspriut are among those under global conservation relevance. Wetlands are known to purify the industrial and domestic wastes discharged into the Blesbokspriut River. They are an important refuge to many birds such as Goliath Heron, Greater flamingo, Yellow billed duck and Spur winged goose among others mentioned in the South Africa Red Data Book. Gauteng is also home to the Cradle of Humankind, one of Unesco's seven world heritage sites in South Africa. It is the world's richest site for Hominid fossils.

KWAZULU-NATAL

Named after the Zulu Kingdom of KwaZulu, this is the third-smallest province with 7.7 per cent of the country's total land area and a population of 9.9 million people (2006). Remnants of British colonialism and a mix of Zulu, Indian and Afrikaans traditions reflect its rich cultural diversity. It is also called the ‘garden province'. Stretching from Port Edward in the south to Swaziland and Mozambique in the north, the province has beautiful savannah grasslands and an indigenous forest along its coast. The coastal belt produces sugar cane, wood, oranges, bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruits. The province's highlight is Drakensberg (Afrikaans for dragon mountain), also called Uklahlamba (Zulu for ‘barrier of spears') — the highest mountain range south of Kilimanjaro. It is also one of Unesco's world heritage sites, known for its rich San Bushman rock art. Drakensberg is home to 37 per cent of all non-marine species of birds in the country. Another Unesco natural heritage site — Royal Natal National Park — is home to a variety of flora and fauna. The capital Pietermaritzburg has close access to holiday resorts in the region, Port Shepstone, Umhalange Rocks and Margate. Durban is its busiest city. Durban port is one of the world's ten largest handling more than 30 million tonnes of cargo annually. Richards Bay Minerals, the world's largest sand-mining and mineral-processing operation, is situated here.

LIMPOPO

This northern most province takes up 10.3 per cent of South Africa's total land area and has about 5.4 million (2006 statistics) people living here. It is named after the Limpopo river — Africa's second largest, also called as the ‘crocodile river'. With plenty of bushveld (thorn bush field) characterised by trees (acacia and baobab) as well as thorn bushes and tall grasses. The Kruger National Park, teaming with Africa's wildlife is a part of the Greater Limpopo. It is the largest game reserve in South Africa and a popular safari destination among tourists. Limpopo borders Botswana in the west, Zimbabwe in the north and Mozambique in the east and is called the ‘gateway' to the rest of the Africa. The Maputo development corridor links the province directly with the Port of Maputo in Mozambique. Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape is a Unesco world heritage site. The province's capital is Polokwane.

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