South Africa 2: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Shakaland

Part of the Series: Exploring the World Series: Africa

Many people may find it hard to believe that Johannesburg is not only the largest city in South Africa, but also one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world. In fact, Johannesburg and Pretoria today act as a single functional entity, forming a Mega-city of nearly 10 million people. Not surprisingly, Johannesburg is the economic and financial hub of South Africa, while Pretoria is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive/administrative capital. Johannesburg is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade and the area's incredible growth is due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. Touring this incredible city includes a stop at Gold Reef City, which takes us back to the area's pioneering days in the early 1900s, when the lure of discovering gold brought people here from around the world; then we take a hot air balloon ride over Pretoria, home of the South African Parliament. Next we travel to Durban, the country's third most populous city, which is famous as the busiest port in Africa; here we get a glimpse of its spectacular Victorian and Indian architecture. Lastly, we travel to Shakaland, the oldest "Zulu Cultural Village" in Zululand. Originally built for the movie "Shaka Zulu," the village is a popular destination, where people gain an insight into the Zulus' former traditional way of life; we too learn of Shaka, the king and builder of the Zulu Nation.