This modern train will offer international standards of public transport with high levels of safety, reliability, predictability and comfort.
Travelling at maximum speeds of 160 to 180 kilometres per hour it will reach Tshwane from Johannesburg in less than 40 minutes.
The minimum frequency between Johannesburg and Tshwane will initially be six trains per hour per direction and it will operate approximately 18 hours per day.
This public transport service will include dedicated, exclusive bus services to transport passengers to and from stations.
The Gautrain rail system has two major corridors: South-North and West-East.
Information on the history of Gauteng and surrounding suburbs
Gauteng Happenings has a wide range of Gauteng holiday accommodation, as well as a vast selection of Gauteng Guest Houses, Gauteng B&B accommodation and Gauteng self-catering accommodation, so it's easy to find the perfect holiday accommodation for your Gauteng visit.
The suburbs and surrounding areas and smaller towns of Johannesburg, in Gauteng Province includes:
The Cradle of Humankind.
These suburbs of The Cradle of Humankind, cater for every tourist's requirements.
There is a huge variety of accommodation for the holidaymaker or businessman visiting Gauteng. This accommodation ranges from budget, very affordable accommodation, to luxurious, up-market accommodation. If you are looking for B&B accommodation, self-catering accommodation, chalets, lodges, Game Lodges, hotels, motels, Guest Houses or Backpackers, you will find it all here in Gauteng Happenings! Johannesburg and the suburbs are vibrant, exciting and filled with entertainment of all sorts.
There are clubs, restaurants, live entertainment venues, places to see and things to do! Museums and places of historic interest abound for the discerning tourist and holiday maker to Gauteng. There are also numerous art galleries & museums in the city and suburbs. The Head Office of ABSA Bank houses up to 20,000 art works at any given time in "The Gallery", one of the largest art collections in the corporate world.
Gauteng Province stretches from Pretoria, in the North, to Vereeniging, in the South. Johannesburg is the capital of the Gauteng province in South Africa and is considered to be the unofficial commercial capital of South Africa Johannesburg was founded in 1886, when gold was discovered in the area, and since then there have been four main "phases" of development. The original tented camps, which sprang up almost overnight (giving it the nick-name of "Mushroom City") gave way to tin shantys. These were replaced in turn by large 4 story Edwardian types of brick buildings. Finally it became a modern city (one of the "youngest" cities in the world) with skyscrapers, of which the Carlton Centre is the tallest in South Africa - 50 stories high.
The Hillbrow Tower (formerly the JG Strijdom Tower ) is the equivalent of 90 stories high.
It even has 6 casinos, one of which is the famous Monte Casino, where locals and tourists can play roulette and blackjack .
Although Johannesburg only became officially a city in 1928, it was set up as a town as early as 1886. The town was previously a farm called Randjieslaagte. At that time the Government owned the property and auctioned off 980 stands which lead to the establishment of the town.
The City of Johannesburg has had numerous "firsts" in South Africa over the last 120 years, some of the earlier ones being: First Chemist - the "Golden Mortar Dispensary", founded by Mr Heymann in 1886, and situated on Commissioner Street.
First Brewery - The Wilshire Brewery - situated north of Booysens, in 1887. First Concert - Staged in Thompsons Store on President Street ( the offices of the "Star" newspaper house is now situated there) to celebrate Queen Victorias' Golden Jubilee, on 21 June 1887. First Roller Skating Rink - on Kerk Street, in 1891. First Ice-Skating Rink - named "Niagara, near Park Station, in 1910 First Cafe - Cafe Francoies, on the corners of Market & Joubert Streets.
Cradle of Humankind - World Heritage site and surrounding areas, including:
Muldersdrift, Lanseria, Sterkfontein etc. where fossils over 4 million years old have been discovered. The "Crocodile Ramble" is a highly recommended tour.
The population of Johannesburg is in the region of 3,2 million, and the city provides in excess of 800,000 employment opportunities. The JDA - city wide economic development - stimulates and supports economic development throughout the city.
SUBURBS OF JOBURG
The different suburbs of Johannesburg are generally categorised by compass direction, as different areas
of the city have greatly different personalities. Since Johannesburg
is such a large city, there is great variety in the suburbs that
comprise it. While the Central
Business District and the surrounding areas were formerly
highly desired wealthy areas, they have lost their former reputation
after migrants took over abandoned buildings, and the crime level
rose accordingly. The suburbs to the south of the city are mainly
lower-class residential suburbs along with some townships, although most suburbs in the South tend to be extremely large
and undistinguished.
The northern and northwestern suburbs like Sandton have become the centre
for the wealthy, containing the high-end retail shops and well
as several upper-class residential areas. To the southwest of
the City Centre is Soweto,
a mostly black urban area constructed during the apartheid regime
specifically for housing African people who were then living
in areas designated by the government for white settlement.
Today, Soweto is among the poorest parts of Johannesburg.
The northern and northwestern suburbs have become the centre for the wealthy, containing the
high-end retail shops and well as several upper-class residential
areas including Houghton, where Nelson Mandela makes his home.
The northwestern area in particular is vibrant and lively, with
the mostly-black suburb of Sophiatown a hotbed of political activity
and the Bohemian-flavoured Melville featuring lively gathering
places and nightlife. Auckland Park is home to the headquarters
of the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the University
of Johannesburg.
To the southwest of the City Centre is Soweto,
a mostly black urban area constructed during the apartheid regime
specifically for housing African people who were then living in
areas designated by the government for white settlement. Today,
Soweto is among the poorest parts of Johannesburg. The eastern
suburbs include Yeoville, a hot spot for black nightlife despite
its otherwise poor reputation, and several residential areas that
are slowly gaining respectability.
TRANSPORT
Johannesburg, much like Los Angeles, is a young and sprawling city
geared towards private motorists, and lacks a convenient public
transportation system. A significant number of the city's residents
are dependent on the city's informal minibus taxis.
Johannesburg's metro railway system connects central
Johannesburg to Soweto, Pretoria,
and most of the satellite towns along the Witwatersrand. The railways
transport huge numbers of workers every day. However, the railway
infrastructure was built in Johannesburg's infancy and covers
only the older areas in the city's south. In the past half century
Johannesburg has grown largely northwards, and none of the northern
areas, including the key business districts of Sandton, Midrand, Randburg,
and Rosebank,
have any rail infrastructure.
The Gauteng Provincial Government's Blue IQ Project, Gautrain,
however, has made provisions for the creation of a rapid rail
link, running north to south, between Johannesburg and Pretoria,
and east-west between Sandton and Johannesburg
International Airport.
JOBURG TRANSFORMED
The city is currently undergoing a transformation in an effort to attract business back into the city centre.
The city of Johannesburg is also known as "Egoli", meaning City of gold - appropriately - as 40% of the worlds gold has been produced by the gold mines in and around the city!
JOHANNESBURG ENTERTAINMENT
Johannesburg has a large variety of vibrant cultural entertainment - theatre, dance, music and clubs. For those who prefer to go to the Cinema, there are several comfortable, air-conditioned houses, which screen the latest releases. The Coca-Cola Dome, in North Riding, caters for multi-purpose indoor entertainment - exhibitions, concerts, conventions and indoor sporting events. Another of the many venues is the Expo Centre in Nasrec - the largest Expo Centre in Southern Africa - which caters for music festivals and event staging, in addition to exhibitions and conferences. There are also several casinos, for those who feel lucky!
NAMING OF JOBURG
Johannesburg was named after two commissioners - Johannes Rissik and Christiaan Johannes Joubert who had confirmed the discovery of gold by George Harrison in the area. Street names such as Rissik, Harrison and Commissioner in Johannesburg are named after these individuals.
PRETORIA
Pretoria was first settled about 350 years ago by Nguni speaking people known as maTebele or refugees, who settled on the banks of the Apies river (Tswane or small ape) named after a chief in the area.They were displaced in 1825 by Mzilikazi who had fled from the Zulu king Shaka.
He in turn was driven out, in 1832, by Shaka's regiments and the area was abandoned.
In 1837 the Voortekkers found this pleasant valley and established farms on the site.
Andries Pretoruis, one of the Voortrekker leaders, owned a farm called Grootplaats, near to where the Apies flows into the Crocodile. In 1853 he died of pnuemonia.
Shortly after his death it was decided to select a site for a central capital of the Republic, to be named Pretoria in his honour.
In 1855 his son Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
purchased portions of the farm Elandspoort
and Pretoria was laid out by a self taught surveyor named Andries du Toit.
Pretoria is known as "Jacaranda City"because of the abundance of Jacaranda Trees - exotic to South Africa - with their stunning purple blossoms, which line the streets in summer.
Pretoria is ansophisticated, quiet city in contrast to hyper-active Johannesburg, just half an hour away.
Pretoria has a long, involved and fascinating history - first as the capital of the independent Boer republic of the Transvaal, then as one of the three capitals of South Africa.
It became synonomous for apartheid.
In 1994, however, wiith the inauguration of Nelson Mandela, the Union Buildings became overnight the representation of unity.
We provide tourist information on accommodation, businesses, tourist destinations and things to do in Pretoria, South Africa, as well as other related information such as business as regards to property, real estate and property developers.
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