South Africans have the nickname "the rainbow nation", and nowhere is this cultural diversity highlighted better than in Gauteng.
The province's population of 8,8 million people (about 20 percent of South Africans) are from all walks of life. The major cities have a reputation for being "cosmopolitan", and Gautengers are renowned for giving visitors a friendly welcome.
The province has an urbanisation level of 97 percent, so all the major activity happens in and around the urban centres. Since the discovery of gold, the Witwatersrand has attracted immigrants of all races and creeds. Known as Africa's melting pot, Gauteng still attracts new residents from all over the world and is home to a myriad of different cultures.
Although English is spoken widely throughout the province, isiZulu is the predominant language and is spoken by approximately a quarter of the population, with Afrikaans, seSotho, sePedi and seTswana also finding a voice.
Some well-known Gautengers are Nobel Peace Prize laureates Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nobel Literature Prize laureate Nadine Gordimer. The singer Miriam Makeba, Mahatma Gandhi, Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu have all left their mark in Gauteng.
