Pretoria

Pretoria is the executive capital of South Africa, home to the presidency and the embassies. It was founded in 1855 and named after the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius. The city lies 56 km north-north-east of Johannesburg at 1,339 m, lower and a little warmer than its neighbour. People come for the Union Buildings, the Afrikaner monuments, and in October for the purple haze of 60,000 to 70,000 jacaranda trees. You will also see the name Tshwane on signs; a proposal to rename the city has been argued over for years.

Getting there

O.R. Tambo International is about 45 km south. The Gautrain runs from the airport and central Johannesburg to Pretoria; it is the simplest option and the one most travellers use. Lanseria airport is roughly 35 km to the south-west. By road, the N1 and the R21 link Pretoria to Johannesburg and the airport; both carry e-tolls.

In the city, Uber works well and is the sensible way to move between sights. Minibus taxis and municipal buses exist but are hard for a visitor to use.

When to go

Summer, October to March, brings warm days of 16 to 30 °C and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter, April to September, is mild and dry, 5 to 20 °C, with cold nights and houses that were not built for them. The jacarandas flower from late September into October, peaking in the middle to late part of the month. Brooklyn, Arcadia and Hatfield are the streets to see. Spring and autumn are the pleasant seasons for walking between the museums.

What to do

The Union Buildings, the presidential offices, sit on a hill above the city. Nelson Mandela was inaugurated here in 1994, and the terraced gardens below are free to wander. Church Square is the historic centre, ringed by the Old Raadsaal and the Palace of Justice. Paul Kruger’s modest house nearby is a museum. Melrose House is where the treaty ending the Anglo-Boer War was signed in 1902.

South of the centre, the granite Voortrekker Monument faces Freedom Park across the valley. Seeing both on the same day is the point: one tells the Afrikaner pioneer story, the other remembers everyone who died in the struggles for freedom.

For green space there is the National Botanical Garden, the National Zoological Gardens, Groenkloof Nature Reserve with hiking trails, and Rietvlei, a reserve on the edge of the city with rhino and cheetah. Hatfield and Brooklyn have the restaurants and markets, Menlyn the biggest mall.

Good to know

Pretoria is calmer than Johannesburg but the same rules apply. The centre empties after dark and is not a place to walk at night. Smash-and-grab theft and carjacking happen at traffic lights, so keep windows up and valuables out of sight. Hatfield and the malls are fine by day and well into the evening. From a mobile phone, 112 is the emergency number. The altitude is noticeable and the winter sun is strong; drink water and wear a hat.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikivoyage, Wikipedia, The Capital Hotels, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.