While the Earth’s treasures have escalated the province’s present day economic status, Gauteng’s rich history predates the discovery of gold by many millennia. The discovery of hominid fossils in the Sterkfontein area in the West Rand indicated that bi-pedal human ancestors populated this area for almost as long as in the eastern African regions. Evidence of their existence is located at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. During the Stone and Iron Ages the Witwatersrand was populated with settlements of various sizes scattered among the hills and valleys.
Gauteng inherits its cosmopolitan
vitality from an often violent and turbulent past. Township
tours and the many battlefields and gravesites scattered
throughout the province bear witness to the challenges faced by
the province’s real gold – the people of Gauteng.
A vibrant, lively mix of energy and diversity, Gauteng is
renowned for being South Africa’s and, indeed Africa’s,
economic, financial, business and entertainment epi-centre. The
smallest yet wealthiest province in South Africa – covering only
18 810 square kilometres – Gauteng is a unique fusion of
democratic and traditional values. So take time to peel away
perceptions of business suits and briefcases and discover there
is more depth to Gauteng than meets the eye.
