Pretoria

Pretoria serves as the administrative capital of South Africa. The executive branch of government is housed in this city, which also welcomes all foreign embassies inside the country. Strategic position and political relevance of the city make it indispensable for South Africa’s government and foreign policy.

Pretoria runs eastward into the Magaliesberg mountains from the banks of the Apies River. The geographical context affects the unique temperature and biodiversity of the city as well as provides an attractive background. Celebrated for its intellectual quality, Pretoria boasts several prestigious universities like the University of South Africa (UNISA), the University of Pretoria (UP), and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). These institutes, together with the Human Sciences Research Council and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), help Pretoria to be a hub of research and invention. The National Research Foundation and the South African Bureau of Standards call the city home, therefore supporting its reputation as a center of intellectual and scientific brilliance.

Pretoria’s ability to host world events and underline its cultural legacy helped it to be known abroad as a host city for the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Established by combining many former local authorities, including Bronkhorstspruit, Centurion, Cullinan, Hammanskraal, and Soshanguve, the city forms a major part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. Public discussion has been started on the official name change from Pretoria to Tshwane.

Commonly known as the “Jacaranda City,” Pretoria, named for the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, is dotted with jacaranda trees that accentuate its parks and gardens. Every spring the trees create an amazing visual show from their vivid purple blossoms. Located in a transitional area between the Highveld plateau to the south and the lower-lying Bushveld to the north, Pretoria lies about 56 kilometers (35 miles) north-northeast of Johannesburg. Within a pleasant, protected, and rich valley surrounded by the slopes of the Magaliesberg range, the city is at a height of roughly 1,339 meters (4, Freeman).

Monsoons shape Pretoria’s humid subtropical climate, which is characterized by lengthy, hot, and wet summers as well as brief, dry, mild winters. Cold, clear nights and mild to fairly warm days define South Africa’s typical winter. Although normal winter lows are somewhat mild, under clear sky conditions temperatures could drop to a range of 2 to -5 °C (36 to 23 °F).

Pretoria’s population varies depending on the particular area in issue; estimates range from 700,000 to 2.95 million. With Sepedi, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda, Afrikaans, and English used mostly, the city shows linguistic variety. With over one million Afrikaners living in or close to Pretoria, the city has historically been a major hub for the Afrikaner community and boasts the highest white population in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The diverse architectural styles of Pretoria reflect its varied historical inspirations. Along with modern, postmodern, neomodern, and art deco influences, the city’s architecture combines 19th-century Dutch, German, and British colonial designs with a unique South African identity. From the late 19th century, the Palace of Justice; from the early 20th century, the Union Buildings; and from the post-war Voortrekker Monument, significant buildings comprise the city. Features include traditional Cape Dutch style Mahlamba Ndlopfu (the President’s House), Neo-Byzantine design of the Old Synagogue, the campuses of the University of Pretoria and the University of South Africa, and modern Reserve Bank of South Africa skyscraper among other architectural styles.

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, the South African State Theatre, and the Oliver Tambo building—which houses the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s headquarters—are other noteworthy sites. These buildings represent the historical importance of Pretoria as well as its changing function as a major metropolis in South Africa.