Fast facts

• Tshwane is South Africa’s capital city and the lens through which the African continent and the entire world see the country.
• Tshwane is the home to 134 foreign embassies and missions, making it the largest home of diplomatic and foreign missions in the world after Washington DC in the USA.
• Tshwane is the third largest metropolitan municipality in the world, by land size, after New York in the USA and Tokyo in Japan.
• Tshwane is developing into a sport mecca and ideal destination for sport enthusiasts owing to its extensive sport infrastructure and moderate climate.
• Tshwane is recognised in the fields of manufacturing, technology, electronics and defence design and construction as the business and investment capital.
• The presence of motoring giants Nissan, BMW, Ford and Tata in the nearby industrial areas has led to Tshwane becoming known as the motor capital of South Africa.
• The City is regarded as the knowledge centre of South Africa and has an impressive concentration of academic, research, technology and scientific institutes offering levels of education and training.
• Tshwane is the birthplace of democracy. All Presidents in democratic South Africa are inaugurated at the Union Buildings which symbolises the status of the City as the administrative headquarters of the national government.
• Tshwane is renowned for its natural heritage and recently became the only city in the world with a big-five game reserve within city boundaries - the 90 000 hectares Dinokeng Big 5 Game Reserve.
• Tshwane is also home to the first proclaimed game sanctuary in Africa, the 500 ha Groenkloof Nature Reserve which was proclaimed in 1895.
• Tshwane also has one of the world’s largest urban nature reserves, the Rietvlei Nature Reserve. This is a unique retreat where many bird and animal species can be viewed on the 3 800 hectares of open grassland.
• Tswaing is Gauteng’s best-kept astronomical secret. The Tswaing Meteorite Crater Museum in Soshanguve, 40 km to the north of the city centre, is the only ecotourism destination of its kind in Africa.
• Tshwane is home of the Nan Hua Buddhist Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern hemisphere and the only one in Africa. Many of these products provide conference and accommodation facilities.