Pretoria
South AfricaCwa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Praevalet veritas | Truth prevails
Why visit
Pretoria's headline image, the jacaranda blooms of October and November, makes streets like Herbert Baker and the University of Pretoria campus surreal. Visit Herbert Baker's Union Buildings amphitheater, which holds Mandela's 9-meter bronze statue and panoramic city views. The Voortrekker Monument is a controversial but architecturally striking memorial to Boer settlers. Day-trip to the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO site (where Australopithecus 'Mrs. Ples' was unearthed), the Pilanesberg game reserve for Big Five wildlife, or the Cullinan Diamond Mine that produced the largest diamond ever found.
When to avoid
Pretoria's central business district has serious crime issues, muggings, carjackings, and smash-and-grabs at traffic lights. Stay in Hatfield, Brooklyn, or Waterkloof. Don't walk after dark anywhere. Township tours in nearby Mamelodi should only be done with vetted local guides. The city is heavily car-dependent, use Uber or Bolt rather than minibus taxis. Load-shedding (rolling power cuts) can disrupt services unpredictably. Skip the bushveld in malaria season without prophylaxis.
