South Africa: Springboks' 2025 home test schedule confirmed!

The South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) has announced the Springboks' home test schedule for 2025. South African rugby fans can look forward to seeing the Boks in action against four different national teams between July and September 2025.
As part of the Castle Lager Incoming Series 2025, the Springboks will take on Italy at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on 05 July 2025, followed by a second Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on 12 July 2025. They will then face Georgia at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on 19 July 2025 - only the third time the two nations have met in a test match.

The Boks will kick off their Castle Lager Rugby Championship title defence with back-to-back clashes against Australia at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on 16 August and at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 23 August 2025. They will then travel to New Zealand for two Tests against the All Blacks, set for 6 September 2025 in Auckland and 13 September 2025 in Wellington.

Returning to South Africa, the Springboks will wrap up their home season with a test against Argentina at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on 27 September 2025. Their final match of the competition will take place a week later at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, London, where they will face the Pumas once more.

Details regarding ticket sales will be announced in due course.

Pretoria: Temporary closure of Rietvlei Nature Reserve due to disruptive rains!

The City of Tshwane has announced the temporary closure of Rietvlei Nature Reserve due to flooding caused by persistent rainfall over the past few days. Roads within the reserve have become impassable, and most bridges are submerged, posing significant risks to vehicles and visitors.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve, located about 18 km southeast of Pretoria’s city center, encompasses the Rietvlei Dam and spans approximately 40 km². It is home to around 1,600 large mammals, including white rhinos, cheetahs, buffalo, hippos, zebras, and various antelope species such as eland, blesbok, and waterbuck. The reserve is also a paradise for birdwatchers, with over 400 recorded bird species, including the African fish eagle, secretarybird, and numerous cisticolas and larks.

South Africa: Springboks 2024 home test schedule has been revealed!

The South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) has confirmed the Springboks 2024 home test schedule. Rugby fans in South Africa will see the Boks playing against four different national teams between July and September 2024. In July 2024 Ireland and Portugal will travel to South Africa to meet the Springboks in Pretoria and Durban (Ireland). The venue for the test against Portugal is set to be confirmed in due course. At the end August 2024, the All Blacks will be back in South Africa for tests in Johannesburg and a week later in Cape Town. The home test season concludes in Nelspruit at the end of September 2023 with a match between the Springboks and the Pumas from Argentina.
The Springboks’ away test schedule includes two matches against the Wallabies in Australia in August 2024, and an away match against Argentina in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship in September2024 , as well as engagements in Europe in November 2024.

The Springboks’ home Test schedule for 2024 is:

• Saturday, 6 July: SA vs. Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
• Saturday, 13 July: SA vs. Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
• Saturday, 20 July: SA vs. Portugal (venue TBC)
• Saturday, 31 August: SA vs. New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
• Saturday, 7 September: SA vs. New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
• Saturday, 28 September: SA vs. Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

South Africa: This street in Pretoria is one the most beautiful streets in the world!

UK-based property experts GetAgent recently conducted a study using eye-tracking software to reveal which streets around the world caught people's gaze the most. According to the study, Herbert Baker Street in Pretoria's residential suburb Groenkloof is the forth most eye-catching street in the world. The street is known for its rows of 100 white, rather than purple, jacarandas that are usually in bloom between September and November. 

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The study revealed that Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto (Japan) is the most beautiful street in the world, follwed by the Rue Principale in Rocamadour (France) and the Via Baldassarre Galuppi on Burano (Italy).

The 20 Most Eye-Catching Streets In The World:

1. Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto, Japan
2. Rue Principale in Rocamadour, France
3. Via Baldassarre Galuppi on Burano, Italy
4. Herbert Baker Street in Pretoria, South Africa
5. Lombard Street in San Francisco, USA
6. Circus Lane in Edinburgh, UK
7. The Circus in Bath, UK
8. Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, UK
9. Lijnbaansgracht in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
10. Orchard Road in Singapore
11. Bourbon Street in New Orleans, USA
12. Cherry Blossom Avenue in Bonn, Germany
13. Quechua Street in Cusco, Peru
14. Rua do Bom Jesus in Recife, Brazil
15. Vicars' Close in Wells, UK
16. Rue de l'Abreuvoir in Paris, France
17. The Street in Castle Combe, UK
18. Arlington Row in Bibury, UK
19. Via Torre Belvedere in Perugia, Italy
20. Elm Hill in Norwich, UK

A list of 50 streets from around the world was compiled using desk research. A sample of 40 participants were shown a series of images of the streets, and eye-tracking software was used to record the number of times people looked at each image and the duration spent looking at them. The average fixation time was then used to rank each street according to how “attractive” it is.

Five destinations in South Africa among the "Leading Places: The 100 Most Loved Destinations in the World"!

According to the findings of the global Tourism Sentiment Index (TSI), a travel data intelligence solution created by the destination marketing agency Destination Think, five destinations in South Africa are among the "Leading Places: The 100 Most Loved Destinations in the World" in 2021, with Knysna ranking in the Top 20 at #19, Stellenbosch #23, Hermanus #41, Cape Town #54 (all in the Western Cape) and Pretoria #73 (Gauteng).

Leading Places: The 100 Most Loved Destinations in the World

19. Knysna - Tourism Sentiment Score® 30.23
23. Stellenbosch - Tourism Sentiment Score® 29.31
41. Hermanus - Tourism Sentiment Score® 27.65
54. Cape Town - Tourism Sentiment Score® 26.44
73. Pretoria - Tourism Sentiment Score® 24.77

The Tourism Sentiment Index (TSI) tracked the sentiment of travellers online across a staggering 1.6 billion online conversations and content pieces publicly available about 21,330 global destinations to determine how people felt about destinations around the world. The Tourism Sentiment Score® is a measure of a destination’s ability to generate positive word of mouth about its tourism offering. It is an aggregate score that focuses solely on online conversations and content that reference or affect a potential traveller’s perceptions of a destination’s tourism offering.

Pretoria (Tshwane): The Pretoria National Botanical Garden is going cashless!

The Pretoria National Botanical Garden, located in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria, has announced that it is migrating to a card only payment system, phasing out cash payments. Cash will still be accepted, but the management of the National Botanical Gardens encourages visitors to make the switch to cashless as card payments are considered safer for visitors and staff.

The Pretoria National Botanical Garden in Pretoria is one of South Africa's thirteen National Botanical and Zoological Gardens managed by the the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). The Pretoria National Botanical Garden is situated in 2 Cussonia Ave, Brummeria, Pretoria. It has a total size of 76 hectares, of which 50 hectares are devoted to developed garden, using almost exclusively South African plants. All the flowering plant species to be seen, including 50% of the country’s tree species, make this garden a botanical tapestry.
Pretoria National Botanical Garden's operational hours are daily from 09:00 to 18:00 with no entry after 17:00. The entrance fees are R45/adult, R30/student and R15/scholar. Free entry is provided for children under the age of 6 years and for senior citizens (60 years +, Tuesdays only).

Pretoria: Rietvlei Nature Reserve has introduced new operating hours!

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve, situated south east of Pretoria, has announced new operating hours. The Nature Reserve now operates daily between 07:00 and 18:00. Rietvlei Nature Reserve closes for the last visitor to enter at 16:00 to allow all visitors to make their way out of the Nature Reserve by 18:00. Visitors can only access the Nature Reserve through the main gate and all visitors entering the reserve will be screened for Covid-19 symptoms at the entrance. In line with the level three restrictions in South Africa, Rietvlei Nature Reserve's vehicle capacity is 100 vehicles per day, available on a first come, first served basis. All picnic spots, braai areas as well as the bird hides are closed to visitors. No alcohol is permitted in Rietvlei Nature Reserve.

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve surrounds and include the Rietvlei dam and is situated south east of Pretoria. The Nature Reserve covers an area of about 40km² and is home to a variety of different mammals including cheetah, leopard, bufallo, hippo, zebra and eland.

Pretoria (Tshwane): Voortrekker Monument reopens to the public!

The Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site in Pretoria (Tshwane) reopens to the public today (04 August 2020), following a four month closure (since 27 March 2020) due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Monument is open for visitors from Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 and 15:00. It will be closed on Mondays. The entrance fees have been reduced, so that visitors only have to pay half price until the end of February 2021. Visitors have to adhere to the Covid-19 regulations when visiting, including body temperature checks and the wearing of face masks during the visit. The Voortrekker Monument's library and archive centre is open but only by appointment.

The Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site is situated in a nature reserve just south of Pretoria (Tshwane) in South Africa's Gauteng Province. The unique monument was inaugurated in 1949 and commemorates the pioneer history of Southern Africa and the history of the Afrikaner. It was  declared a National Heritage Site by the South African Heritage Resource Agency in July 2011.

A new independent art centre has opened in Pretoria!

Pretoria has a new independent art centre aimed at exhibiting and exploring the art of Africa. The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) officially opened on South Africa's Heritage Day (24 September 2019) with four exhibitions. They include a collection of 101 signature works of South African art selected from collections around the country; the Javett Family Collection of South African modern art, an exhibition of significant gold pieces from the Mapungubwe Gold Collection, and AngloGold's Barbier-Mueller Collection of more than 350 items of gold from West Africa. The Javett-UP is situated on the south campus of the University of Pretoria and connects the university with the City of Tshwane via a bridge over Lynwood Road. 



Entrance prices range from R150 (GBP8 | €9 | US$10) for adults, R75 (GBP4 | €4.5 | US$5) for pensioners, and R50 (GBP2.5 | €3 | US$3.5) for under 18s. Entry is free for children under six and for university students who have a valid student card. Entrance is free for all on International Museum Day (18 May 2020), Youth Day, Heritage Day, Workers' Day and Women's Day. The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) is the result of collaboration between the University of Pretoria and the Javett Foundation, a South African charitable trust established in 2013 by the Javett family.

South Africa's vehicle hijacking & theft hotspots!

Tracker, South Africa's most popular Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) company, has released its vehicle crime statistics for the year July 2018 to June 2019. The "Vehicle Crime Index" - from Tracker's 1.1 million installed vehicle base - covers vehicle theft and hijacking, and provides insight into the time of day and day of the week when vehicle crime is most likely to occur in South Africa.
According to the "Vehicle Crime Index", most activations (Tracker initiated recovery action) for vehicle hijackings take place on Fridays between 11:00 and 13:00 and between 20:00 to 23:00, while most activations for vehicle  theft occur Saturdays between 12:00 to 14:00.

Hijacking hotspots in Gauteng:

• Kensington (Johannesburg)
• Arcadia (Pretoria)
• Eldorado Park (Johannesburg)
  

Theft hotspots in Gauteng:

• Pretoria CBD
• Arcadia (Pretoria)
• Sunnyside (Pretoria)
  

Hijacking hotspots in KwaZulu-Natal:

• Sydenham (Durban)
• Imbali (Pietermaritzburg)
• Avoca Hills (Durban)
  

Theft hotspots in KwaZulu-Natal:

• Glenwood (Durban)
• Morningside (Durban)
• Musgrave (Durban)
  

Hijacking hotspots in the Western Cape:

• Philippi (Cape Town)
• Khayelitsha (Cape Town)
• Maitland (Cape Town)
  

Theft hotspots in the Western Cape:

• Philippi (Cape Town)
• Claremont (Cape Town)
• Dunoon (Cape Town)

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Tshwane: Free entry to museums from 16 - 25 May 2019!

Ditsong Museums of South Africa, an amalgamation of eight national museums, seven in Tshwane and one in Johannesburg, has announced that all museums in Tshwane will collaborate to celebrate International Museum Day (IMD) 2019, celebrated annually on 18 May. This year's IMD will focus on the new role of museums as active participants in their communities under the theme "Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition". The museums in Tshwane have planned a week-long programme from 16 - 25 May 2019 that includes free entry to all museums over this period. There will be a coordinated dialogue between youth and adults on this year's theme on 17 May 2019 at DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History in Tshwane from 10:00 – 12:00.

The following museums in Tshwane are participating in International Museum Week 2019:

• The City of Tshwane Museums including the Pretoria Art Museum, Melrose House and Fort Klapperkop.
• Ditsong: Museums of South Africa including the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Cultural History, National Museum of Military History, Kruger Museum, Pioneer Museum, Sammy Marks Museum, Tswaing Meteorite Crater and Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum.
• Voortrekker: Monument and Nature Reserve
• Freedom Park
• Geoscience Museum
• South African Police Services Museum
• South African Post Office Museum
• University of Pretoria Museums
• Veterinary Historical Society of South Africa
• South African Mint

Please note that, according to Ditsong's press release, entrance fees are still applicable at some museums (?) so please confirm before your visit. The museums have also developed special programmes for this period but prior booking is essential.

Pretoria: Church Square is set to re-open on 11 October 2018!

The project to rejuvenate Church Square in Pretoria's CBD has been completed. The City of Tshwane will therefore host a re-opening event to highlight the completition of the project. The event, which will inlude music acts and other activities, is set to take place on 11 October 2018 from 08:00 to 16:00.



Church Square is a square at the historic centre of the city of Pretoria. Built in 1855, the square is surrounded by the Palace of Justice, the Old Capitol Theatre, the Tudor Chambers, the Old Council Chamber (Ou Raadsaal) and the General Post Office. Church Square is the grandest civic square in Pretoria and among the great attractions in Gauteng.

Gauteng: The Gautrain strike has ended!

Gauteng's commuter rail system Gautrain, which connects Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekhuruleni and O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), has announced that the strike* has ended. The full services will resume on 15 August 2018. In the meantime, the reduced service that is currently operational will be further enhanced for today (14 August 2018). Marlboro station will be opened and trains will operate between Hatfield station and Park station during peak (every 15min) and off-peak (every 40min). The airport service will operate during peak and off peak (every 20 min) and trains will travel between Sandton station and O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), stopping at Marlboro station and Rhodesfield station. All bus routes will be operated during peak and off-peak.

*Gautrain employees affiliated to the United National Transport Union (UNTU) went on a wage strike on 30 July 2018.

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Gauteng: Gautrain train service unavailable over the upcoming weekend!

Gauteng's commuter rail system Gautrain, which connects Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekhuruleni and O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), has announced that the Gautrain train service will not operate over the upcoming weekend. In light of the current reduced service due to the strike*, Gautrain decided to bring daytime maintenance works, which were actually scheduled to be conducted later in 2018, forward, so that the train service will be unavailable on 04 August - 05 August 2018. A subsitute bus service will be available to cater for passengers who have no alternate means of transport. Please see Gautrain's website for more information.

*Gautrain employees affiliated to the United National Transport Union (UNTU) went on a wage strike on 30 July 2018.

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Pretoria (Tshwane): Voortrekker Monument goes cashless!

The management of the Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site in Pretoria (Tshwane), including the adjacent restaurant and gift shop, has implemented cashless systems on side. Visitors who only have cash on hand will not be turned away, but it is recommended by the management of the monument that visitors rather consider paying with either a debit or credit card or purchase tickets online prior to their visit. 

The Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site is situated in a nature reserve just south of Pretoria (Tshwane) in South Africa's Gauteng Province. The unique monument was inaugurated in 1949 and commemorates the pioneer history of Southern Africa and the history of the Afrikaner. It was  declared a National Heritage Site by the South African Heritage Resource Agency in July 2011.

Airlink to suspend flights between Pretoria <> Cape Town!

South African carrier Airlink will suspend its domestic service between Wonderboom Airport (PRY) in Pretoria and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town from 08 May 2018. According to the airline's CEO, Rodger Foster, the route has not developed as Airlink expected it would and has not become profitable. Until recently, the airline operated up to four daily return flights between Pretoria and Cape Town, using a combination of 83-seat Avro RJ85 and 37-seat Embraer ERJ135LR regional jets to deliver an effective full-service value proposition offering on the route. Customers holding confirmed tickets for travel after the 08 May 2018 will be re-booked on alternative flights with South African Airways between OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and Cape Town, or offered a full refund.

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Airlink to increase flights between Cape Town <> Pretoria!

South African carrier Airlink will add new early morning and late afternoon flights to its daily Cape Town <> Pretoria service. The new flights will depart Mondays to Fridays from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town at 06:45 and will arrive at Wonderboom Airport (PRY) in Pretoria at 09:00. The afternoon return flight will depart from Pretoria at 17:30 and arrive in Cape Town at 20:00.
Pretoria's Wonderboom Airport, situated in the northern Pretoria area, is only 15km from the Pretoria CBD and Arcadia, and 22km from Hatfield.

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Pretoria: Free entrance to three Museums (15 - 21 May 2017)!

The International Museum Day (IMD) is taking place worldwide on 18 May 2017. To celebrate the occasion, visitors to the Pretoria Art Museum (Arcadia, Pretoria), the Melrose House Museum (Central Pretoria) and the Fort Klapperkop Heritage Site (Groenkloof, Pretoria) will have free entrance between 15 May 2017 and 21 May 2017.

• Pretoria Art Museum
  Corner of Francis Baard and Wessels Streets, Arcadia Park, Arcadia
  Open to the public on Tuesdays to Sundays, 10:00 to 17:00
  Tel: 012 358 6750
• Melrose House Museum
  280 Scheiding Street, Central Pretoria
  Open to the public on Tuesdays to Sundays, 10:00 to 17:00
  Tel: 012 322 0420
• Fort Klapperkop Heritage Site
  Johan Rissik Drive, Groenkloof
  Open to the public on Tuesdays to Sundays, 10:00 to 17:00
  Tel: 012 346 7703

Free poster download: The Common Snakes of Johannesburg/Pretoria & Cape Town!

Herpetologist Johan Marais, author of "A Complete Guide to Snakes of Southern Africa", has published new posters about the common snakes of Johannesburg/Pretoria and Cape Town. The posters are available as a free download in high resolution and is designed to be printed in A3 (or A4).

via africansnakebiteinstitute.com. KUDOS!

To download the poster "Common Snakes of Johannesburg/Pretoria" click here (pdf, 8mb) or here (jpg, 161kb)!

via africansnakebiteinstitute.com. KUDOS!

To download the poster "Common Snakes of Cape Town" click here (pdf, 8mb) or here (jpg, 161kb)!

South African Airways and Airlink the first to offer flights between Pretoria <> Cape Town!

South Africa's flag carrier, South African Airways (SAA), and its feeder partner airline, Airlink, have formed a joint commercial venture which as a first ever will offer scheduled air services at Tshwane City’s Wonderboom Airport (PRY). Effective 16 August Airlink will operate a three times a day return service between Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town and the recently upgraded Wonderboom Airport using the SAA franchise intellectual property, including the SAA flight code (SA).

Flights from Cape Town to Wonderboom will depart at 06:45 with afternoon flights at 15:00 and 17:30; flights from Wonderboom to Cape Town will depart at 06:45 and 09:45 in the morning as well as at 17:45 in the afternoon. A 83 seater Avro RJ85 quad jet aircraft will be used to operate the route.

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