Culture and History

In 1200, Iron Age settlements flourished at Mapunubwe in the Northern Transvaal, but the most documented history of South Africa starts with the arrival in Cape Town of the Dutch settlers in 1652.

In 1886, large amounts of gold were discovered on the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg). British military intervention shifted the balance of power in favour of the white minority. The Union of South Africa, ruled by a white minority, was formed in 1910. It consisted on 4 provinces - the Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal.

The Nationalist Party came into power in 1948 and introduced apartheid. The first non-racial, democratic elections were held in April 1994. The 1994 election saw the inauguration of the first black State President, Nelson Mandela, who headed a government of national unity.

The Mother City and the Western Cape are home to South Africa's parliament and are a major international tourist attraction. Tourism remains the most important economic key to the development of the Western Cape. There are about 75,000 people employed in the tourism industry in this area.