What to See in South Africa - Top Sights and Attractions

Amusement park in Johannesburg South, South Africa. Gold Reef City is an amusement park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Located on an old gold mine which closed in 1971, the park is themed around the gold rush that started in 1886 on the Witwatersrand, the buildings on the park are designed to mimic the same period. There is a museum dedicated to gold mining on the grounds where it is possible to see a gold-containing ore vein and see how gold is poured into barrels. And multiple shops around the park can be located.

There are many attractions at Gold Reef City, including water rides, roller coasters and the famous Gold Reef City Casino. Gold Reef City is located to the south of the Central Business District off of the M1. It is also the site of the Apartheid Museum.^[3]

Displays on local Islamic culture. The Bo-Kaap is an area of Cape Town, South Africa formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is a former racially segregated area, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill above the city centre and is a historical centre of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town. The Nurul Islam Mosque, established in 1844, is located in the area.

Bo-Kaap is known for its brightly coloured homes and cobble stoned streets. The area is traditionally a multicultural neighbourhood, and 56.9% of its population identify as Muslim. According to the South African Heritage Resources Agency, the area contains the largest concentration of pre-1850 architecture in South Africa, and is the oldest surviving residential neighborhood in Cape Town.^[4]

Up-close encounters with marine life. The Two Oceans Aquarium is an aquarium located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The aquarium was opened on the 13 November 1995 and comprises several exhibition galleries with large viewing windows: The aquarium is named for its location, where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet.

• Skretting Diversity Gallery - This gallery showcases marine life of South Africa's two oceans, and the major Benguela and Agulhas Currents that dominate its shores. Notable species include Knysna seahorses, moray eels, anemonefish, cryptic klipfish, sea stars, compass jellyfish, shysharks and temporary exhibitions of foreign species, such as Japanese spider crabs and Atlantic horseshoe crabs.
• I&J Children's Play Centre - Various activities to keep the young visitors entertained. Puppet shows, arts and craft.
• Predator Exhibit - This exhibit holds 2 million litres of seawater. Ragged-tooth sharks as well as various other fishes are found in the exhibit.
• I&J Ocean Exhibit - This exhibit holds 1.6 million litres of seawater. Various fishes, rays and turtles to be seen in this exhibit.
• Kelp Forest Exhibit - One of the aquarium's biggest attractions, this underwater forest is home to shoals of coastal fishes, such as white musselcrackers, steenbras and spotted gully sharks, and living specimens of South Africa's kelp species, sea bamboo, split-fan kelp and bladder kelp. The northern rockhopper penguins also use this exhibit for their exercise.
• Penguin Exhibit - African black-footed penguins, northern rockhopper penguins, African black oystercatcher, mole snake, western leopard toads and African clawed frogs. A river course divided into three sections (upper, middle and lower) with examples of native and invasive freshwater fishes is also present

City in South Africa. Rosebank is a cosmopolitan commercial and residential suburb to the north of central Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region B of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, and is the location of a Gautrain station.

Rosebank has undergone a major face-lift in recent years, with the extensive redevelopment of both the Rosebank Mall and The Zone @Rosebank creating a high-end retail and shopping prescient. Local authorities also identified the node as a priority development area for improved service delivery and infrastructure. As a result, the suburb is estimated to have seen a R7 billion capital injection in recent years.

Rosebank is becoming an increasingly popular destination for corporates. Surging demand for office space has seen rentals in the suburb increase by 9% in the second quarter, the strongest growth recorded in any Johannesburg office node. Rentals in second-placed Fourways rose by only 3.4%, while in Sandton rentals increased by just 2.5% during the same period.

Its several high-end shopping malls make it a popular hangout and shopping destination for young professionals, celebrities, designers, and the gay community. Rosebank has a thriving nightlife with cafes, bars and clubs around the Design District such as Marble Restaurant, Molokai, Capital Cafe, The Bank, and Sumo Nightclub. The African Craft Market, and the popular Rooftop Market ("Rosebank Flea Market") are popular tourist destinations; various high-end hotels are also located in the suburb. The annual Joburg gay pride parade also passes through the streets of Rosebank, then heads to Zoo Lake.

Rosebank is often dubbed the new Sandton, an affluent municipality in the Gauteng Province, South Africa and forms part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality which is located a mere five km (3.1 mi) from Rosebank.^[7]

Nature preserve in South Africa. Sterkfontein is a set of limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located in Gauteng province, about 40 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Muldersdrift area close to the town of Krugersdorp. The archaeological sites of Swartkrans and Kromdraai are in the same area. Sterkfontein is a South African National Heritage Site and was also declared a World Heritage Site in 2000. The area in which it is situated is known as the Cradle of Humankind. The Sterkfontein Caves are also home to numerous wild African species including Belonogaster petiolata, a wasp species of which there is a large nesting presence.

Numerous early hominin remains have been found at the site over the last few decades. These have been attributed to Australopithecus, early Homo and Paranthropus.^[13]

The Donkin Heritage Trail is a 5 km self-guided walking trail along the old hill of central Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Donkin Heritage Trail is named after the acting Governor of the Cape Colony, Rufane Shaw Donkin.

The trail links 51 places of historical interest and showcases settler history from as early as 1820. Sites include groups of double-storey semi-detached houses with prominent Victorian and Georgian features. These were erected shortly after the turn of the 20th century. It consists of five residences in Donkin Street, facing onto the Donkin Reserve. One of the residential homes is located at 14 Constitution Street and two others located at 8 and 10 Whitlock Street. The Donkin Street complex forms a notable row of terrace houses, and is one of the city's most prominent landmarks. Many of the landmarks have been declared national monuments.^[15]

Nature preserve in South Africa. The Bothongo WonderCave in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa is situated within the Bothongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve in the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cave is the third-largest cave chamber in the country. It is 5-10 million years old. The single chamber has an area of 46,000 square metres, and is 125 by 154 metres.

It was discovered in the late nineteenth century by miners who dynamited and excavated limestone for the making of cement. Mining stopped during the Second Boer War, and never resumed.

The cave has about 14 stalactite and stalagmite formations up to 15 metres high, 85% of which are still growing. The 60-metre-deep cave is accessible to visitors by elevator. The cave can be visited as an attraction on its own.^[17]

Tourist attraction in Franschhoek, South Africa. The Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa, is dedicated to the cultural influences that Huguenots have brought to the Cape Colony after their immigration during the 17th and 18th centuries. These French and Belgian Protestants were fleeing violent religious persecution, especially in Roman Catholic France.

The monument was designed by J.C. Jongens, completed in 1945, and inaugurated by Dr. A.J. van der Merwe on 17 April 1948.

The three high arches symbolize the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On top of the arches is the sun of righteousness and above that, the Huguenot cross of their Christian faith.

The central female figure, created by Coert Steynberg, personifies religious freedom, holding a bible in one hand and a broken chain in the other. She is casting off her cloak of oppression. Her position on top of the globe shows her spiritual freedom and parallels some representations of the Virgin Mary in Roman Catholic iconography, which depict her with one foot resting on the globe. The fleur-de-lis on the woman's robe represents noble spirit and character; it also was long the chief symbol of the French monarchy, still in power at the time of the Huguenot exodus.

The southern tip of the globe shows symbols relating to the Huguenots: the Bible, for their faith; a harp, for their art and culture; a sheaf of corn and a grape vine, representing agriculture and viticulture; and a silk and cloth weavers' spinning wheel, representing their industry.

The water pond, reflecting the colonnade behind it, expresses the undisturbed tranquility of mind and spiritual peace which the Huguenots refugees gained in South Africa after having experienced deadly religious persecution in France.

The Huguenot Memorial Museum adjacent to the monument explores the history of the French Huguenots who settled in the Cape, and especially in the Franschhoek Valley. On exhibition are the various tools they used to make wine, clothes they wore, and interpretation of their culture and goals.

Also on the site are wine cellars joined by a colonnade bearing the words Post Tenebras Lux ("After darkness, light" in Latin). A motto of Protestants during the Reformation, the phrase was first inscribed on the Reformation Wall in Geneva, Switzerland, which is dedicated to the Protestant Reformation.^[23]

Waterfall in South Africa. The Berlin Falls is a waterfall in Mpumalanga, South Africa. They are located close to God's Window and the highest waterfall in South Africa's Mpumalanga province, Lisbon Falls. They are less than a tenth of the height of South Africa's tallest waterfall, the Tugela Falls, and are better known for their beauty.

Berlin Falls, which forms part of the Blyde River Canyon on the Panorama route, is one of several waterfalls that can be found in the Sabie region – the others being Horseshoe Falls, Lone Creek Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Mac-Mac Falls, and the highest waterfall in Mpumalanga, Lisbon Falls.

The Berlin Falls cascade from the centre of a sheer cliff that stands roughly 80m tall. The shape of the falls is likened to a giant candle. A narrow, natural channel at the top of the falls creates the ‘wick’ of the candle, and as the water drops from this point, it fans out creating the rest of the candle before emptying out into the pool below.

Berlin Falls gets its name from miners who ventured to South Africa from Europe during the gold rush, and named each waterfall in the region after their home towns, or places from their home countries.

Visitors to the Berlin Falls can explore the area by foot, picnic around the waterfall, and take a dip in the pool at the base of the waterfall. Birders may wish to look out for the Blyde River Protea, endemic to this area, among other bird species which can be found in this region of the Mpumalanga escarpment.

The falls are on the Sabine River and fall 80 metres (260 ft), dumping into a circular basin flanked by red cliffs.^[27]

Museum in Grahamstown, South Africa. The Albany Museum, South Africa is situated in Grahamstown in South Africa, is affiliated to Rhodes University and dates back to 1855, making it the second oldest museum in South Africa.

The natural history and geology collections of the Eastern Province Literary, Scientific and Medical Society were used as its nucleus. The herbarium is staffed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute and has material dating back to 1812, collected by William John Burchell, and a collection of 240 specimens donated by Constance Georgina Adams in 1919, as well as geological material gathered by Andrew Geddes Bain and W. G. Atherstone. It also houses a large collection of invertebrate, vertebrate and tetrapod fossils (some of which are from the world renowned Waterloo Farm lagerstätte), and palaeolithic stone tools discovered by Thomas Holden Bowker (1808–1885) near the Great Fish River.

The Museum currently is spread over seven buildings housing the Natural Sciences Museum, the History Museum, the Observatory Museum, Fort Selwyn, the Old Provost military prison, Drostdy Arch and the Old Priest's House.

The first curator was B. J. Glanville, who acted in an honorary capacity between 1855 and 1882. Then a small stipend was offered and the position was taken by Mary Glanville until 1888 when S. Mundy, a temporary curator took over and was replaced by Selmar Schonland in 1889. Schonland filled the post until 1910 and handed the reins to John Hewitt who managed the museum for an extraordinarily long term from 1910 to 1958. He was succeeded by T. H. Barry, appointed Director of the South African Museum in Cape Town in 1964 and was in turn followed in 1965 by the entomologist Charles Jacot-Guillarmod (the husband of Amy Jacot Guillarmod), until 1977. Mr B Wilmot was confirmed as curator from 1977 to 1993, Mr W Holleman from 193 to 1999, and Dr L Webley from 1999.^[40]

Town in South Africa. Strand is a seaside resort town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It forms part of the Helderberg region of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, situated on the north-eastern edge of False Bay and near the foot of the Helderberg Mountains. Its geographical position is between Somerset West and Gordon's Bay, and is about 50 km southeast of Cape Town City Bowl. Strand is in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and has a population of approximately 50,000. Strand's main attraction is the beach; 5 km of white sandy beach off False Bay.

Strand is often referred to as The Strand (Afrikaans: Die Strand), which is the old name of the town.

The vehicle registration code for Strand is CEY and the post code for street addresses is 7140.^[41]

Museum in East London, South Africa. East London Museum is a museum in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa, notable for holding the type specimen of the coelacanth, a fish previously believed to be long extinct. It was the workplace of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, the fish's discoverer.

It was established in 1921 and features natural and cultural history of East London and surrounds.

The museum is open week days and Saturdays. There are other galleries within the museum besides the display of the coelacanth. The museum offers displays of southern Nguni beadwork and traditional culture. The maritime gallery includes model ships and shipwreck artifacts. The museum includes one living exhibit, a working bee hive.^[42]

Monument in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The National Women's Monument in Bloemfontein, South Africa, is a monument commemorating the roughly 27,000 Boer women and children who died in British concentration camps during the Second Boer War. The Monument is a Provincial Heritage Site in the Free State.

The monument was designed by a Pretoria architect, Frans Soff, and the sculpting by Anton van Wouw. It consists of an obelisk about 35m in height and low, semi-circular walls on two sides. A central bronze group, sketched by Emily Hobhouse and depicting her own experience of 15 May 1901, is of two sorrowing women and a dying child in the Springfontein camp. The monument was unveiled on 16 December 1913, attended by about 20,000 South Africans. Thirteen years later, Emily Hobhouse's ashes were ensconced at the foot of the monument. Also beside the monument are the graves of Christiaan de Wet, Rev. John Daniel Kestell, President of the Orange Free State Martinus Steyn, and his wife.^[43]