Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces, but it is home to more people than any other. Covering about 18 178 square kilometres in the north-east of the country, it holds roughly 15.9 million people, about a quarter of all South Africans.
If you are planning a visit, or just trying to picture where Johannesburg and Pretoria sit on the map, here is how the province fits together.
Where Gauteng is
Gauteng lies on the Highveld, a high, grassy plateau about 1 500 metres above sea level. It is landlocked and bordered by four provinces: Limpopo to the north, Mpumalanga to the east, the Free State to the south across the Vaal River, and North West to the west.
What the name means
Gauteng is a Sesotho word meaning “place of gold”. The province took the name after South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, when the old Transvaal was divided up. The name points to the gold-bearing ridge of the Witwatersrand, which runs east to west across the province and gave rise to Johannesburg after gold was found there in 1886.
Why so many people live here
Gauteng is the country’s economic engine. Its key sectors include financial and business services, logistics, manufacturing, property, telecommunications and trade. Johannesburg is the provincial capital, while Pretoria, in the City of Tshwane, is the administrative capital of South Africa and home to the Union Buildings and most foreign embassies.
Gauteng’s five regions
The province is divided into three metropolitan municipalities and two district municipalities.
City of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, also known as Joburg, Jozi or Egoli, is South Africa’s commercial and financial hub. The city takes in Soweto, which grew from settlements built for African mineworkers on the city’s outskirts, as well as Sandton, Rosebank, Lenasia and the inner city.
City of Tshwane
North of Johannesburg, Tshwane includes Pretoria, Centurion, Mamelodi and Soshanguve. Its southern suburbs now run almost continuously into Johannesburg’s northern edge. In spring, thousands of jacaranda trees turn Pretoria’s streets purple, usually from late September into October.
City of Ekurhuleni
East of Johannesburg, the former East Rand towns, among them Alberton, Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Edenvale, Germiston, Kempton Park, Nigel and Springs, make up Ekurhuleni. It is also where you will find OR Tambo International Airport, the country’s main international gateway. The area grew up around gold mining, while Springs also sits on coal deposits.
West Rand
West of Johannesburg, the West Rand includes Krugersdorp, Randfontein and the Mogale City area, with plenty of farms and smallholdings in between. It is the gateway to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, the Krugersdorp Game Reserve and the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve.
Sedibeng
About 50 kilometres south of Johannesburg, Sedibeng is the province’s gateway to the Vaal River and the Vaal Dam. It includes Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Heidelberg, and is a popular weekend escape for water sports and riverside stays.
What the weather is like
Gauteng has warm, wet summers and dry, sunny winters, and its height above sea level shapes both.
Summer (roughly November to February) brings most of the year’s rain, usually as short, dramatic afternoon thunderstorms with lightning, after warm and often clear mornings. Humidity seldom becomes uncomfortable. Plan outdoor activities for the morning and keep an eye on the sky after lunch.
Winter (roughly May to August) is dry, with bright, sunny days and cold mornings and nights. Frost is common in places, especially in the south of the province, and snow is rare but has fallen in and around Johannesburg. Pack layers: a warm jacket for the evening can feel unnecessary at midday.
Pretoria lies lower than Johannesburg and is usually a couple of degrees warmer. Whatever the season, the sun is strong at this altitude, so wear sunscreen even on cool days.
For the forecast and any severe weather warnings, see our Gauteng weather hub.
Getting around
Most international visitors arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Ekurhuleni, with Lanseria International Airport serving the north-west of Johannesburg. A network of highways links Gauteng to every major city in the country, and the Gautrain connects OR Tambo, Sandton, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
