Close Menu
Interesting FactsInteresting Facts
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Interesting FactsInteresting Facts
    • Home
    • Explore
    • Categories
      • Business
      • Games
      • Geography
      • History
      • Movies
      • Music
      • People
      • Sport
      • Technology
      • TV
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram TikTok YouTube
    Subscribe
    Interesting FactsInteresting Facts
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram TikTok YouTube
    Subscribe
    Home » Geography » Gauteng: 21 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    Gauteng: 21 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    Henno KrugerBy Henno Kruger7 Mins Read3,549 ViewsApril 6, 2025
    Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Copy Link

    I’ve lived in South Africa’s Gauteng province since the mid to late 1990s. The province was created after 1994 democractic elections. The region has been buzzing with economic activity for longer than that though. There’s probably a lot of things that you don’t know about this province, but today my aim is to change that.

    NetfloristOfferforge

    Here are 21 Interesting Gauteng Facts You Might Not Know

    1. Even though Gauteng takes up only 1.5% of the land area, it’s South Africa’s most populous province

    Gauteng has a land area of roughly 18,000 square kilometres (7,000 square miles), but it contains two of South Africa’s biggest cities: Johannesburg and Pretoria. As of 2021 the province’s population is estimated at 16 millon.

    25.8% of the country’s population live in Gauteng. It’s also the only landlocked province in the country without a foreign border. The province is bordered by Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and the Free State provinces.

    2. The region was known as the PWV region pre-1994

    Before Gauteng province was created, it was referred to as the PWV (Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Vereeniging) region and was part of South Africa’s Transvaal province. Before 1994, South Africa only had 4 provinces, but that amount increased to 9 after the first democratic elections were held.

    3. Gauteng is the province with the second highest life expectancy in South Africa

    Females have a life expectancy of 69 years and males have a life expectancy of 64 years.

    4. The province is considered to be the economic hub of South Africa

    The province is responsible for one third of South Africa’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). It’s also the home of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (the largest stock exchange in Africa). Gauteng generates about 10% of the total GDP of sub-Saharan Africa and about 7% of the African continent’s GDP.

    JSE - Gauteng

    5. It’s the home of the Gautrain

    The Gautrain started servicing commuters in 2010. This 80 km commuter rail system was constructed between 2006 and 2011 to help reduce congestion between Johannesburg and Pretoria. By 2013 an average of 40,000 commuters per day were using the rail system and an average of 12,000 commuters were making use of the Gautrain buses daily.

    6. Three of the Nine South African Botanical Gardens are in Gauteng

    The Pretoria National Botanical Garden is located in Cussonia Avenue in South Africa’s capital city and takes up 76 hectares. The Johannesburg Botanical Garden is located in Emmerentia and takes up 125 hectares. The Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden is located in Roodepoort and takes up 300 hectares.

    Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Gauteng

    7. Some famous people were once residents of Gauteng

    The Oscar-Winning actress Charlize Theron was born and grew up in Benoni (on Gauteng’s East Rand), American singer, songwriter, musician, actor and record label owner, Dave Matthews was born in Johannesburg and the world famous business magnate, industrial designer and engineer, Elon Musk was born and raised in Pretoria.

    NetfloristOfferforge

    Charlize Theron - Born in Gauteng

    8. The Ben Schoeman highway is the busiest road in South Africa

    The Ben Schoeman highway is made up of sections of the M1, N1 and N14 highways and carries an estimated 300,000  a vehicles a day between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Gauteng is the province with the most highways in South Africa.

    9. Despite being heavily urbanised, the province has more than 30 game reserves

    This is quite impressive, especially for an urbanised region. The list of notable game reserves include Dinokeng Game Reserve, Rietvlei Nature Reserve and Wonderboom Nature Reserve (all within driving distance from Pretoria / Johannesburg). Green space actually accounts for 75% of the province’s total area.

    10. Pretoria has been around for 30 years longer than Johannesburg

    Pretoria was founded in 1855. Johannesburg has only been around since 1886. The area around Johannesburg rapidly developed when gold was discovered in the region in the late 19th century. This caused a huge influx of people.

    Pretoria in 1920s - Gauteng

    11. The Cradle of Humankind is home to 40% of the planet’s human fossils

    This UNESCO World Heritage site is located 50 km (31 miles) North West of Johannesburg. A cave in this area was the site of the discovery of a 2.3-million-year-old fossil Australopithecus africanus (nicknamed “Mrs. Ples”) in 1947.

    12. Gallagher Convention Centre is the largest conference centre in South Africa

    The convention centre was previous known as Gallagher Estate and is located in Midrand (a suburb located halfway between Pretoria and Johannesburg). The 32-hectare property offers 27 multi-purpose venues which cater to a variety of events such as conferences, dinners, luncheons, cocktails, exhibitions and private events. The centre hosts +/- 30 exhibitions and 350 events annually.

    13. Fourways Mall is the biggest shopping mall in South Africa

    This Johannesburg mall has been around since 1994 and its retail space was rapidly expanded to 178,000 square metres in 2019. The mall now has more than 400 stores. Menlyn Park Shopping Centre (located in the Eastern suburbs of Pretoria) is the second biggest mall in the country. There are 500+ stores in Menlyn Park, but the retail space is less than Fourways Mall (177,000 square metres). These two malls are the 3rd and 4th biggest malls in Africa.

    Fourways Mall Johannesburg Gauteng

    14. The Cullinan Diamond was found in this province

    The diamond was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. It weighed 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g) and was discovered at the Premier No.2 mine in Cullinan (a town located 30 km from Pretoria).

    15. Four of the world’s deepest active gold mines are located in the province

    At 4 km deep, the Mponeng gold mine (formerly known as Western Deeps Level #1 Shaft) is the deepest active gold mine in the world. It’s located near the town of Fochville. 3 other gold mines in Gauteng are on the top 10 list (the TauTona Mine, the Driefontein Mine and Kusasalethu mine).

    16. The province has hosted three different World Cup Finals

    Emirates Airline Park (also known as Ellis Park) hosted the 1995 IRB Rugby World Cup final, The Wanderers Stadium hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup final and FNB Stadium hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup final. All three stadiums are located in Johannesburg.

    Ellis Park Stadium - Gauteng

    17. Johannesburg is the home of the tallest building in Africa

    The Leonardo (a hotel building located in Sandton, Johannesburg) has been the continent’s tallest building since 2019. It’s 234 metres (767 feet) tall and has 55 storeys. Before 2019 the 50 storey Carlton Centre (located in Johannesburg CBD) was the highest building on the continent. The 38 storey South African Reserve Bank building is the highest building in Pretoria.

    The Leonardo - Tallest Building in South Africa

    18. South Africans born outside of Gauteng make up 37% of the provinces population

    This is proof that urbanisation is definitely happening in the country. According to 2019 estimates, Johannesburg has a population of 5.6 million and Pretoria has a population of 2.5 million. It’s also interesting to note that 10% of people living in Gauteng were born outside of South Africa.

    19. Lots of Hollywood Films have been shot in Gauteng

    Scenes for the 2015 film, Avengers: The Age of Ultron, the 2012 film Dredd, the 2009 film District 9, the 2015 film Chappie were shot in Johannesburg. Scenes for the 1977 film Pumping Iron, the 2003 film Stander and the 1996 film The Ghost And The Darkness were shot in Pretoria.

    20. Gauteng has had 6 premiers to date

    Tokyo Sexwhale was the first Gauteng premier (May 1994 to January 1998). He was succeeded by Mathole Motshekga (January 1998 to June 1999), Mbhazima Shilowa (June 1999 to September 2008), Paul Mashatile (October 2008 to May 2009) and Nomvula Mokonyane (May 2009 to May 2014), David Makhura (May 2014 to October 2022) and Panyasa Lesufi (October 2022 to present). All Premiers are members of the African National Congress (South Africa’s ruling party).

    21. Gauteng is a tech and innovation hotspot

    The province is the home of Africa’s first AI research hub at the University of Pretoria and also has the headquarters of major companies like MTN and Naspers. It’s also home to Wits University, one of Africa’s top-ranked academic institutions.

    Well, there you have it, 21 interesting facts that you might not have known about Gauteng. If I left out something important, feel free to comment below.

    Watch this space for updates in the Geography category on Interesting Facts.

    Craving fresh facts in your Inbox? Get Factual! Subscribe To Our Newsletter.

    Feel free to explore our website or feel free to check out a list of related posts below.

    Looking for a gift for that special person in your life? Check out Netflorist.co.za, South Africa's top online florist and gift service. They offer flowers, gifts, and hampers for all occasions AND reliable nationwide delivery.

    Gauteng: 21 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know
    Gauteng Provinces South Africa
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Copy Link
    Previous ArticleThe Righteous Gemstones (TV Show): 10 Interesting Facts
    Next Article Pedro Barbosa: 11 Interesting Facts You Did Not Know
    Henno Kruger
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)
    • Instagram

    Founder and owner of Running Wolf's Rant, Interesting Facts and SA Music Zone.

    Related Posts

    South Africa
    By Henno KrugerDecember 26, 2024

    South Africa: 129 Interesting Facts you might not know

    1,951 Views18 Mins Read
    Port Elizabeth
    By Henno KrugerAugust 6, 2024

    Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha): 13 Interesting Facts

    865 Views3 Mins Read
    Bloemfontein
    By Henno KrugerApril 24, 2024

    Bloemfontein: 14 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    1,433 Views3 Mins Read
    Algeria Flag
    By Henno KrugerJanuary 17, 2024

    Algeria: 23 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    561 Views5 Mins Read
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    NetfloristOfferforge
    More Geography Facts
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    September 23, 2024

    Bosnia and Herzegovina: 20 Interesting Facts

    26 Views5 Mins Read
    Pretoria Skyline
    July 17, 2023

    Pretoria: 30 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know

    1,767 Views11 Mins Read
    Cairo
    July 24, 2024

    Cairo: 17 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    91 Views7 Mins Read
    Nassau - The Bahamas
    February 17, 2024

    The Bahamas: 27 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    82 Views7 Mins Read
    Categories
    More Facts
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    November 21, 2024

    One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: 21 Facts You Might Not Know

    31 Views6 Mins Read
    Midjourney
    February 5, 2023

    Midjourney: 10 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    746 Views5 Mins Read
    Yellowjackets TV Show
    February 19, 2025

    Yellowjackets: 17 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

    137 Views6 Mins Read
    The Gentlemen - Netflix
    April 1, 2024

    The Gentlemen (TV Series): 10 Interesting Facts

    40 Views3 Mins Read
    NetfloristOfferforge
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter

    Let's Get factual!

    Get fresh facts via email

    Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

    Recent Comments
    • David Devo Oosthuizen on Gareth Haze: 18 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know
    • David Devo Oosthuizen on Ryno Theron: 10 Interesting Facts You Did Not Know
    • David Devo Oosthuizen on Ryno Theron: 10 Interesting Facts You Did Not Know
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram TikTok
    © 2025 Interesting Facts - Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.