Pretoria is South Africa’s capital and one of its major economic centres. In addition to the business opportunities here, there is also a wealth of interesting historical sites to visit.
Situ's serviced apartments in Pretoria include fully-furnished kitchens, spacious dining and living rooms, homely bedrooms, and free wi-fi. There are laundry facilities, and many apartments also have housekeeping services. Our long- and short-term accommodation in Pretoria is ideal for the corporate traveller and has more space and privacy than the typical hotel room or bed and breakfast can offer.
Of course, apartment hotels in Pretoria are also an option. Often these are also called ‘aparthotels’. These give the traveller all the privacy and necessities available in a serviced apartment, with the facilities offered by a hotel. These might include a front desk, business meeting rooms, and often a restaurant and gym, or outdoor pool.
Pretoria is South Africa's political capital and fifth-largest city, in Gauteng province in the country's central area.
The third largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg, just 33 miles south of Pretoria. From Pretoria, Cape Town is 813 miles southwest and Durban is 332 miles southeast.
South Africa has as many as eleven official languages, so English is used as something of a ‘lingua franca’ and is widely spoken in the business world and elsewhere. The most common first language amongst Pretoria residents is Northern Sotho, also known as Sepedi, followed by Afrikaans, Setswana, and English.
The currency here is the rand, with one rand divided into 100 cents.
It’s likely that you would fly into Johannesburg as an international traveller. Pretoria and the nearby city of Jo’burg are connected by a superb metro rail network.
South Africa has one of the top three national economies in Africa, and ranks in the top 40 economies worldwide, based on its GDP. Gauteng Province, which includes Pretoria, contributes around one-third of the country’s GDP, more than any other region. Pretoria itself generates around 9% of the national GDP.
As in most capital cities, the national government is one of the largest employers. The city's economy relies heavily on industries like automotive and iron and steel.
Some of the best-known companies with a significant presence in Pretoria include Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Siemens, Coca-Cola, Nestle, BMW, Ford Motor Company, and Samsung.
Gauteng means 'place of gold' and while you might not visit one of the region's goldmines when you're here, there are plenty of other treasures to discover.
Pretoria is a fairly large city, but it boasts a number of fine gardens and nature reserves, including the the Pretoria National Botanic Garden.
The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa is a great place to see lions, tigers, hippos, elephants, and sharks. Anyone wanting to see springboks, ostriches, and zebras, as well as scores of different wild bird species, can visit the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve.
The Voortrekker Monument is not only a memorial to those who died in the Boer War, but it’s also a great place to get a view of the city.
The Union Buildings are another set of fine buildings located on a hill overlooking the city, as is the Victorian-era Melrose House.
There are also great views of Pretoria to be had from many of its best restaurants – and if you enjoy cooking, you can always make use of the fully-equipped kitchen in your self-catering accommodation in Pretoria.
Wonderboom National Airport is the principal airport serving Pretoria, and is located six miles north of the city centre. Most international travellers to the area will arrive at O.R. Tambo International Airport, which is Johannesburg’s principal airport, indeed it’s the largest in all of Africa, and it’s located 26 miles south of central Pretoria.
You can fly to O.R. Tambo from more than 60 cities worldwide, which include London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Doha, Nairobi, Cairo, Singapore, Sydney, Abu Dhabi, and Shenzen. The airport also has internal connections to Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, and Pietermaritzburg.
Pretoria is part of one of the world’s largest metro rail networks. The Gautrain system connects Pretoria with O.R. Tambo Airport, Johannesburg, and the Jo’burg township of Soweto. Pretoria is on the North-South line, where trains run every 20 minutes between 5am and 9pm between the northern Pretoria suburb of Hatfield and Johannesburg Park Station, with the full journey taking 45 minutes. You would change at Marlboro for the airport.
Metrorail links Pretoria with the western suburbs of Saulsville and De Wildt, as well as with Mabopane to the north. Metrorail also provides additional inter-city services between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The Tshwane Bus system has 62 stations, connecting central Pretoria with Pretoria West, Sunnyside, Groenkloof, and the University. Buses run along dedicated bus lanes at intervals of between two and ten minutes, between 6am and 8pm.
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