Subscribe

Udo Kieslich/Shutterstock

North West Province

This stretch of bushveld between Pretoria and the Kalahari is famous for Sun City, the southern hemisphere’s answer to Las Vegas. Though its slot machines and kitsch edifices are grotesquely fascinating, it's the nearby parks and reserves that we really love – Madikwe Game Reserve is a real gem, while Pilanesberg has terrific wildlife and is very accessible. And for that once-in-a-lifetime, romantic Out of Africa–style experience, a night in the bush at Madikwe’s exclusive lodges can’t be beaten.

Conveniently, these opportunities to encounter both big cats and one-armed bandits are all within four hours’ drive of Jo’burg. En route, the Magaliesberg area offers detours from the N4, ranging from zip lining to rural accommodation near Rustenburg.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout North West Province.

  • See

    Madikwe Game Reserve

    Madikwe is the country’s fourth-largest reserve and one of its best, covering 760 sq km of bushveld, savannah grassland and riverine forest on the edge of the Kalahari. It offers Big Five wildlife watching and dreamy lodging among striking (and malaria-free) red sand and clay-thorn bushveld. Madikwe does not allow self-drive safaris or day visitors, which means you must stay at one of its upmarket lodges to explore the reserve, but you get what you pay for at these exclusive bush hideaways.

  • See

    Pilanesberg National Park

    Occupying an eroded alkaline crater north of Sun City, in a transition zone between the Kalahari and wet lowveld vegetation, the 550-sq-km Pilanesberg National Park is a wonderfully scenic place to see a stunning variety of South African wildlife. Conceived in the late 1970s as a back-to-nature weekend escape for nearby city dwellers, Pilanesberg remains a haven where lions, buffaloes and day-trippers still roam

  • See

    Sun City

    At Sun City, the legendary creation of entrepreneur Sol Kerzer, Disneyland collides with ancient Egypt in Africa’s version of Vegas. Filled with gilded statues of lions and monkeys, acres of artificial beaches, a golf course, a water park, 1200 hotel rooms and line upon line of clinking slot machines, it serves no other purpose than to entertain. Yet although there’s no question that this gambling-centric resort is almost grotesquely gaudy, a visit here can also be pretty damn fun.

  • See

    Mafikeng Museum

    Among the many displays in this excellent regional museum are exhibits charting the rise of the Boy Scout Movement and a presentation on the famous 217-day siege (from the Second Anglo-Boer War), with original photographs and documents, and information about the role played by the town’s black population. Look out for the shredded corrugated iron roof that was struck by the Boers’ Long Tom artillery gun. The museum occupies the handsome former town hall, which was built in 1902.

  • See

    Batlhako Dam Hide

    Batlhako Dam Hide, in the park's west, gets very few visitors and is excellent for birds; keep an eye out also for rhinos nearby and take the detour to the lonely plaque marking the spot of an abandoned Dutch Reform Church 1km away. The views here are lovely, shut off from the rest of the park by enclosing hills, further increasing the sense of isolation.

  • See

    South African Hall of Fame

    Opened in 2016, this celebratory exhibition pays homage in words and photos to South Africa's high achievers. Most come from the world of sports, but there are also some musicians and actors among the stars. Think golfer Gary Player, the 1995 World Cup–winning South African rugby team and musicians Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

  • See

    Makorwane Hide

    A good option for birdlife, Makorwane Hide tends to get a few visitors, given its proximity to the main roads. Hippos, elephants and even the occasional predator are always possible sightings and the scenery of rolling bushveld is classic Pilanesberg terrain.

  • See

    Entertainment Centre

    As well as housing smoking and nonsmoking casinos, this two-storey centre has food courts, shops, cinemas and the Superbowl performance venue. Its style might best be described as 'nouveau Flintstone', embellished by a jungle theme.

  • See

    Ruighoek Hide

    You never quite know what you'll get at this hide, although you'll probably have it to yourself as not many people make it out here. Hippos, lions, waterbirds and even rhino or brown hyena are all a chance.