Area Profiles

Bergrivier Bergrivier Municipality is situated in the West Coast District of the Western Cape. The Bergrivier Local Municipality covers Dwarskersbos, Aurora, Laaiplek, Piketberg, Porterville and Velddrif. It is 130 km from Cape Town, and is situated to the north of the Saldanha Bay and Swartland municipalities and south of the Cederberg Municipality. The Berg River (also called Great Berg River or in Afrikaans: Bergrivier) is a river located just north of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is approximately 294 km (183 mi) long with a catchment area of 7,715 km² (2979 mi²) and outlets into the Atlantic Ocean. About 65% of the...

Jeffreys Bay Jeffreys Bay(Afrikaans - Jeffreysbaai), home to the perfect wave, referred to as J’Bay by locals and loyal visitors, boasts long stretches of golden sand, lapped by the warm waves of the Indian Ocean. The town is named after Captain Jeffreys who sailed his cargo ship up and down the East Coast of South Africa on trading expeditions in the 1840’s. During one of these trips an epidemic of scurvy broke out aboard his ship. He was forced to land his vessel and soon he realized the potential of the place where he had landed and built a primitive port on what is now the main beach. Jeffreys Bay is located in the Eastern Cape province of...

Alberton Alberton is a large residential town situated on the East Rand of the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The town was founded in 1904 and has now become a part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. Alberton is known as a typical bedroom community, meaning that is it a community primarily residential in character, with most of its workers commuting to a nearby town suburb or city to earn their livelihood. Situated on the banks of the Natal Spruit close to the major urban centres of Johannesburg (15 kilometres) and Pretoria. The only reason for Alberton's location is its proximity to the major population centre. It has large industrial...

Irene Irene (pronounced "eye-REE-nee") is a small township south of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. Stone arrowheads and tools, discovered in the Hennops River bed and dating back many years prove that people have been living in the area for a very long time. Irene lies within the town of Centurion; in 2000, along with the rest of Centurion, Irene was incorporated, into the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. It is situated next to the R21 and N1 highway, and has seen increased development in recent years. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the United States men's national soccer team based its training camp in the township and were...

Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital. Pretoria is contained within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality as one of several constituent former administrations (among which also Centurion and Soshanguve). Pretoria in South Africa is popularly known as The Jacaranda City due to the thousands of Jacaranda trees planted in its streets, parks and gardens. Here you will find many significant old...

Randburg Randburg is a large city in Gauteng, South Africa. Once a separate municipality, its municipal government has since become a part of the City of Johannesburg. Randburg has over 32 suburbs, most of them residential. It is an upmarket area filled with many family friendly entertainment facilities and park like areas. The residents in Randburg tend to be more affluent than most Johannesburg dwellers. Here one will witness large lavish homes and an abundance of boutiques. In fact, Randburg is well known for its plethora of shopping centres and entertainment areas, including the Brightwater Commons, Cresta Centre, NorthGate, Sanlam Shopping Centre and...

Roodepoort Roodepoort, means "red valley" in Afrikaans. It is a residential area whichgets its name from the red soil in the area. It dates back to 1884, when Fred Struben discovered the first payable gold in the area at what he called the Confidence Reef, a large rocky outcrop in the centre of Roodepoort. At the time the area was settled by scattered Boer farmers on nine farms. Four of the farms - Roodepoort, Vogelstruisfontein, Paardekraal and Wilgrespruit - were soon declared public diggings. Jan Bantjies secured the prospecting rights on the farm Roodepoort and the next year, gold was discovered. The farm was opened for public diggings. The...

Amanzimtoti Amanzimtoti is situated to the south of the centre of Durban in KwaZulu Natal. The name ‘Amanzimtoti’ means ‘sweetwaters’ and is generally attributed to the famed King Shaka of the Zulus. During one of Shaka’s campaigns, he and his army stopped to rest here. He was brought a calabash filled with water from the local river and once he sipped the water, he said “Kanti Amanz'amtoti' meaning ' the water is sweet'. Amanzimtoti is a popular seaside destination for the family. One of the reasons for this is that Amanzimtoti borders the warm Indian Ocean. This warm water contains a diversity of wonders!...

Ballito Also known as the Dolphin Coast, our area includes everything between the Tongaat River in the South and the Tugela in theNorth. One of the most popular holiday destinations in Africa, the area is easy to reach from Gauteng, about a 1 hour flight or a six hour drive from Gauteng. It is also an increasingly popular residential destination being only 40 minutes from Durban and 20 minutes from Umhlanga. New developments abound and includes the likes of Zimbali, Seaward Estates, Simbithi, Dunkirk, Mount Richmore, Palm Lakes, Blythedale and many more.  Commercial and Industrial activity is escalating at a very fast pace afterthe go ahead for new King Shaka...

Bluff The headland known simply as ‘the Bluff’ - a thick green belt that has a strong attraction for those who steer clear of the built-up beachside areas of Amanzimtoti and even Umhlanga Rocks - is a collection of suburbs that cover the stretch from the military base in the north to Treasure Beach in the south including Wentworth, Austerville and even Fynnlandscloser to the harbour. The Bluff is an area about which its residents are fairly possessive. Certainly in the past, one did not say that one was from Durban if you lived on the Bluff. People who live here regard themselves as a breed apart - just speak to the surfers who think their beach...