Major towns in the Southern Gauteng region of South Africa include the towns of Meyerton, Heidelberg, Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, and all their surrounding areas. The well known Vaal River is situated on the south border of the Southern Gauteng region. This large river is Gauteng's main water source and a popular water sports playground. The Loch Vaal reservoir, built in 1922, is a water system that provides Southern Gauteng over a billion litres daily.
The Southern Gauteng region of South Africa has a wealth of interesting places to visit with a wide variety of arts and crafts, collectibles and gift shops all over the region as well as a casino in Vanderbijlpark. The most prominent towns in the Southern Gauteng region are Meyerton, Heidelberg, Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark.
The Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, which includes an area of unspoilt highveld that covers some 13000 hectares, is situated just to the West of Heidelberg in Southern Gauteng. The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife and has more than 80 kilometres of hiking trails that are all well marked. The Southern Gauteng town of Heidelberg, situated some 40 kilometres from Johannesburg, has s a Victorian manor that was built in 1906. It is also home to the Heidelburg Motor Museum which is housed in the old station building. The museum collection includes many vintage and veteran motor cars as well as all kinds of cycles.
The Southern Gauteng town of Vanderbijlpark owes its development to the expansion of the iron and steel industry in South Africa. Vanderbijlpark is located alongside the N1 highway from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein and the Cape. Situated along the banks of the Vaal River, is also a popular destination for weekend water sports in the Southern Gauteng region. Vereeniging in the south of Gauteng has its origins in the discovery of coal in the area in 1878. With some of the largest coal deposits in South Africa the town has become one of the country’s largest producers of electricity. Vereeniging is situated close to the Vaal Dam which has become a very popular sailing venue for Gauteng. Close by at Redan is the site of the Redan Rock Engravings, where there are hundreds of paintings and drawings on the sandstone cliffs. Both Stone Age and Iron Age implements have also been found in the area.
The Vaal Meander is a popular arts and crafts route started some 20 years ago with the idea of promoting Artists and Crafters of the Southern Gauteng region. At several establishments in and around Walkerville you can find many examples of arts and crafts included handcrafted ceramics, stoneware and pottery, stained glass and cottage furniture, paintings, silverware, linen, soaps and candles, aromatic oils and esoteric goods, hand made writing paper and cloth.
Information on Southern Gauteng Towns
Heidelberg, Mondeor, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging, Walkerville
