North West (South Africa)

Introduction

The North West is a province in South Africa, located in the central north of the country, bordering Botswana. It has some fantastic landscapes, including parks like Pilanesberg and Madikwe.

Geography

Much of the province consists of flat areas of scattered trees and grassland. The Magaliesberg mountain range in the northeast extends about 130 kilometres from Pretoria to Rustenburg. The Vaal River flows along the southern border of the province.

Cities

• Brits, just outside of Pretoria is a hub for tourist activity.
• Gopane is a typical large village for North West Province.
• Klerksdorp
• Lichtenburg
• Mafikeng is the provincial capital.
• Potchefstroom
• Rustenburg
• Sun City is the Las Vegas of South Africa.
• Zeerust

Sights and Activities

Pilanesberg National Park

Pilanesberg Park Elephant

© Utrecht

The relatively small Pilanesberg National Park (around 580 square kilometres) is located just a few hours of driving northwest from Johannesburg and Pretoria near Sun City and despite the fact that it is small, there are huge numbers of animals. It is a park which is somehow undervalued but for no apparent reason. The park is centred around a crater of a long extinct volcano and Pilanesberg is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world, with rare rock types and structures making it a unique geological landmark. The park has enormous numbers of both birds and mammals, and although for some mammals this wouldn't have been their national habitat, numbers have been introduced here in the 1970's and have been growing ever since. Lions, elephants, white and black rhinos, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles are all present, but not in the numbers you would find in Kruger National Park. On the other hand, you can visit most of the park in 1 or 2 days, so densities are almost comparable. Have a look at the official Pilanesberg Game Reserve website for more information.

Madikwe Game Reserve

African Wild Dogs meet White Rhino

© Utrecht

The Madikwe Game Reserve is an off the beaten track park in the central north of the country. In the north the border of the park forms the border with Botswana. Despite the fact that it might not be known to the general public, it is the 5th largest park in South Africa and is regarded as one of the better conservation areas in Africa. It offers all the major species, including lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, both white and black rhino (Big Five) along with almost all the regular antelope species on these plains. The park can be reached by a short drive from Pilanesberg National Park (see above) via a good gravel road. You can also take a longer route along tarmac roads, approaching the park from the south instead of the east. From Johannesburg and Pretoria it is roughly a 4-hour drive. It is quite a luxurious place to stay and you need to arrange accommodation before you arrive (you can not drive in the park yourself!). These usually include fullboard and a couple of game drives and sometimes a minimum stay of 2 nights is required (which is actually the minimum to enjoy a stay anyway). There is only one relatively affordable accommodation but prices are already around $200 a night! For more information check the official Madikwe Game Reserve website.

Other sights and activities

• The De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre.
• Hartbeespoort Dam.
• Lesedi Cultural Village.
• Kwena Gardens Crocodile Paradise.

Events and Festivals

World Cup 2010

The big upcoming event on the South African horizon is of course the FIFA World Cup beginning on the 11th of June 2010. One of the most prestigious and popular world sporting events, the World Cup 2010 promises to bring throngs of passionate supporters from around the globe. Held once every four years, it's a football tournament (known as soccer in South Africa) where 32 world nations vie for the famous golden trophy.
Rustenburg will be hosting some of the World Cup matches at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, which has a capacity of 42,000.

Education

The Province is proud of its two universities:

• University of North West - in Mmabatho, founded in 1979 but previously known as the University of Bophuthatswana.
• Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education - since 1869 but did not become an independent university until 1951.

Weather

Temperatures range from 17° to 31 °C in the summer and from 3° to 21 °C in the winter. Annual rainfall totals about 360 mm, with almost all of it falling during the summer months, between October and April.

Getting There

By Plane

The most convenient airport to the southern part of the province is OR Tambo International Airport. Travelers to the northern part of the province may wish to fly into Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. Be sure to note that the latter is in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

By Train

Currently there are no trains going to or from the North West Province.

By Car

The N12 highway runs from Kimberley trough the eastern part of the province (Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom) to Johannesburg. The N14 from Upington joins the N12 in Wolmaranstaad. The N4 runs through the north of the province. It comes from Gaborone in Botswana, goes through Zeerust and Rustenburg and from there to the north of Pretoria.

By Bus

Several interstate bus lines run into North West, mostly to Rustenburg, notably Greyhound, and Intercape.

Getting Around

By Car

If you would like to travel around by car, there are numerous car rental companies available from the airports and downtown locations. Just make sure that you have sufficient insurance to cover you if the need arises. Some of them offer the possibility to reduce excess (the amount you pay when involved in an accident) for a daily fee. Car hire companies include Avis, Imperial, CABS, First Car Rental as well as many other international and local ones. Usually, the local ones are cheaper but don't have the same standard as the international ones, which have more branches throughout the country and therefore are able to help you more quickly if needed.

If travelling by car, be sure to plan your routes carefully to insure that there are sufficient places to fill the tank with petrol as some towns are located quite a distance apart with no filling stations in between. It's a good idea to fill up with fuel when you have about half a tank left if possible.

By Boat

There will be plenty of boating of various sorts on Hartbeespoort Dam, but it's not a very practical mode of transportation.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourist Website