Destinations / North-West Province >>

Confusingly named, the North-West Province is in the north, but not the west, of South Africa. Large tracts of it formed the apartheid homeland of Bophuthatswana and this remains a very poor province, contrasting with it’s pre-colonial history as a powerful trading kingdom.

A largely flat area recently found to be rich in platinum, there’s not much reason to visit other that the non-malarial, big five game reserve of Madikwe which is renowned for its rare African Wild Dogs. If you’re short on time, this makes a good alternative to Kruger in order to get your safari hit, being a just three hours drive from Johannesburg.

Sun City is probably the most internationally-known attraction, but apart from a couple of great golf courses, this Las Vegas-lite has little to redeem itself for all but the one-armed bandits playing the tables. However, the nearby and geologically-fascinating Pilansberg National Park is definitely worth a visit if you’re unlucky enough to be staying at Sun City.