Historical and Cultural Tours

Nestled on the southernmost tip of Africa, South Africa is a top tourist attraction with its rich mix of culture, scenic beauty and chequered history. Known as the “rainbow nation”, the country offers unbeatable value for sightseeing, game drives, world-class accommodation, pristine beaches and cultural attractions.

Cultural Village

The Light of the Nation

We will visit a cultural gem in the beautiful Magaliesberg, Gauteng, in the heart of the African bushveld at the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site. This popular attraction offers a variety of exciting activities, including craft markets, horseriding, bird watching, tennis, bowls, game drives, walking trails, a scenic cableway ride and the world-famous cultural tour and dance show.

Discover the fascinating cultures and traditions of the people of Africa, visiting five traditional homesteads inhabited by Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Basotho and Ndebele tribes who live according to tribal folklore and traditions of their ancestors.

Nyama Choma

“Our culture is the light of our nation – whoever walks here amongst our cultures can also see the light”.

The 160-seater restaurant, Nyama Choma (“The Great African Feast”) invites guests to enjoy a gastronomic banquet incorporating dishes from the far corners of Africa in its three-tiered facility. The restaurant is an authentic setting with vibrant decor and it offers an exotic buffet with meat delicacies ranging from ostrich to crocodile.

Delight in the variety of colours, sights, smells, tastes and sounds of the various African customs – all of which are complemented by the tradition-inspired and friendly service.

Hartbeespoort

The area around Hartbeespoort Dam, 35 kilometres north-west of Johannesburg, offers shopping hotspots and is a favourite locale for artists who exhibit their paintings, sculptures, handmade dolls, furniture and a wide variety of original clothing.

The famous De Wildt Cheetah breeding farm is situated on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg, and a Cape Vulture colony resides on the southern cliff face. There is also a choice of restaurants and special pubs in the area, including a floating restaurant on the Dam. Ox wagon trails are available and the well-known Sterkfontein and Wonder Caves, together with the Rhino Reserve, are situated a few kilometres south of the Cultural Village.

Union Buildings

Official Seat of South African Government

Like an ancient temple adorning the city it governs, the Union Buildings is an acropolis built at the highest point of South Africa’s capital city, Pretoria. It forms the official seat of South Africa’s government and houses The Presidency.

Designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1908, construction began in 1909 and was completed in 1913. The Union Buildings took approximately 1265 artisans, workmen and labourers almost three years to construct, using 14 million bricks for the interior office walls, half a million cubic feet of freestone, 74 000 cubic yards of concrete, 40 000 bags of cement and 20 000 cubic feet of granite.

Decadent Layer of South Africa’s History

The buildings represent a decadent layer of South Africa’s history. Originally built to house the entire Public Service for the Union of South Africa, it was then the largest building in the country and possibly the largest building work undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere at that time.

For the overall design of the building, architect, Herbert Baker, chose the neo-classic architecture of the Italian Renaissance, and also combined an idiom of the English Renaissance, as well as significant elements of Cape Dutch detail, such as in the carved main doorways and fanlights and in much of the wrought-iron brass work and balustrades of the smaller areas.

Scene of Much Jubilation

In 1994, the buildings were the scene of much jubilation as they played host to the inauguration of former President Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically-elected president, and heralded the beginning of a new era in South Africa’s history.