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Rustenburg

Rustenburg - South Africa World Cup Host City

Translated as "town of rest", tranquil Rustenburg, lies in the western foothills of the beautiful Magaliesburg Mountains of the North West province. Rustenburg operates at a slower pace than the buzzing metropolis of neighboring Johannesburg. It serves a large and booming platinum mining industry and a farming community. One of the country's oldest cities, Rustenburg is steeped in history. Within easy distance of its borders, you can encounter both modern-day and ancient attractions appealing to diverse interests. Of course, Rustenburg will have plenty going on during the madness of the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

Adventure Sports

The nearby Magaliesburg Mountains are where you'll find those out-of-the-ordinary adventurous experiences. Set high above the trees is the Magaliesburg Canopy eco-tour, where participants glide down steel cables suspended over a canyon, making stops at a series of platforms to view the bird life and vegetation. It's the third operation of its type in the country, and zigzagging the entire course will take two-and-a-half hours. A bird's-eye vista of this ancient mountain range can also be enjoyed by microlighting, hot air ballooning and gliding operations. An up close and personal meeting with African elephants can be enjoyed at The Elephant Sanctuary at Hartbeespoortdam, where daily programmes allow the visitor to walk trunk-in-hand with these majestic and gentle beasts, feed them and watch them go for a dip on hot days. There's the opportunity to ride an elephant too. Quad biking, microlighting, parasailing and 4x4 adventures are also available at this scenic dam. A growing adventure sport industry has taken place at the The Vredefort Dome crater, the result of a massive and destructive collision between earth and a large meteorite millions of years ago. Recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, much of the sporting activity takes place on the nearby Vaal River. White water rafting, canoeing, abseiling and rock climbing are just some of the challenges you can set for yourself.

Eating Out

Mampoer, a home-made brandy distilled from fruit, is a typically South African drink. It's strongly associated with an author called Herman Charles Bosman and his leading character Oom (uncle) Schalk Lourens, who hails from the town of Groot Marico, which means Big Marico, but is in fact very small. Oom Schalk was a storyteller in all senses of the word, his talent aided and abetted by his love of mampoer. To get your head around Bosman's sense of humor, a mampoer tour in the Marico district is highly recommended. You'll soon discover that you need something to stop that gut-stripping mampoer in its tracks, and here comes the opportunity to sample boerekos, loosely translated as "farm food". Potjiekos, a stew cooked in a three-legged cast-iron pot on an open fire, is one such dish. It should be followed by melktert (milk tart), a custard mixture served on a pastry base topped with cinnamon, or by a koeksister, something like a fried doughnut doused in syrup. Should you drop by one of the cultural villages such as Lesedi Cultural Village, don't miss the opportunity to try some traditional African fare such as pap, a creamy or crumbly maize porridge served with a tomato and onion sauce and teamed with marogo, greens fried with onion, or maybe even try mopani worms - though these are for discerning tastebuds only. Rustenburg has many fast food outlets with all the burgers, pizzas and pies to satisfy crabby appetites. There are also sociable pubs where you can chat with the locals. The Sun City resort has some excellent haute cuisine restaurants, worth driving 50km down the road for.

Attractions & Activities

From Rustenburg it's a short trip to reach Big Five wildlife reserves, heritage landmarks, scenic splendors and diverse cultures. It's highly recommended that you make the effort to travel this province, yielding as it does an impressive array of attractions. Be sure to put the Magaliesburg Mountain Range on your itinerary, it's right in Rustenburg's backyard and offers beautiful environs and stimulating activities. You can also enjoy a wealth of watersports on Hartbeespoort Dam, a highlight of the region. Two premier game parks, a fast-paced entertainment resort at Sun City, some of the world's oldest archaeological finds and geological phenomena are some of the sights it would be a pity to miss. Make the time to find out more about fascinating local cultures during your stay. There are also a number of rural township bed and breakfasts offering wonderful home-grown hospitality.

Entertainment and Leisure

The name Sun City is synonymous with entertainment, visitors to this complex are often awed by the choice on offer. Just 50km from peaceful Rustenburg, the tempo goes upbeat by a couple of notches at this temple of pleasure. Besides its gambling and gaming amenities, Sun City has tons of attractions, among them the Valley of the Waves waterworld. There are four hotels on site, including the super-luxurious Palace of the Lost City. Two famed golf courses, theatres featuring live shows, restaurants galore and shops selling South African jewelry, curios and wine are among the other features to keep you out of mischief. You can also pop over to the Big Five Pilanesberg Game Reserve next door. Back in Rustenburg, the pace is more sedate. A walk around the city centre yields some historic buildings and notable monuments. A statue indicating Rustenburg's rich Boer heritage is that of the Voortrekker girl outside the Dutch Reformed Church. Beyond city limits, you can don a hard hat and go underground at one of the platinum mines on the city's outskirts, or learn about the turbulent history of the Bafokeng people of the area at their residential centre, Phokeng. In the evenings, spend some time in local pubs and clubs to exchange a word with the locals, they'll analyze the day's football games with you and run bets on the outcome of the next one.

Health and Wellness

The peaceful Magaliesburg Mountains, a stone's throw from Rustenburg, are surroundings highly conducive to pampering the body and soothing the soul. During your travels to SA for 2010, a bit of time out may be just what the doctor ordered. Whispering Pines is a four-star country estate with a wellness studio where grapeseeds, African potatoes and clay are used to purify, exfoliate, buff and energies you. The Sparkling Health Spa at the Sparkling Waters Hotel comprises an indoor heated pool, treatment and therapy rooms, a gym, steam bath, sun deck, sun bed, gazebos and a Jacuzzi for open-air treatments. A Magaliesburg landmark is the Mount Grace Country House and Spa, nestling on the side of a mountain. Built of natural stone and thatch, it emphasizes water therapies and serves healthy, detoxifying meals from its Spa Café. Hot stone massages, mineral therapy ponds and plunge pools are some of the methods used by the Rose Well Spa and Guest House to ensure the wellbeing of their guests, while the Oude Landgoed Lodge & Spa, on the farm Waterkloof, closer to Rustenburg, features a steam room, outdoor hydrotherapy bath, flotation centre and spa baths. One would hardly expect a retreat with a Zulu name to be a place of Buddhist meditation. The Emoyeni Retreat Centre (meaning "place of spirit") is just that, providing peace and tranquility in the quietude of the Magaliesburg. The centre welcomes Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike, anyone with an interest in cultivating wisdom and compassion.

History & Culture

Historically relevant to many local communities, North West province markets itself as the "Heritage Province". Of significance to all humankind is the two million-year-old fossilized skull of a child, found at a location known as the Taung Heritage Site. This so-called "Taung Skull" proved to fill another piece in the puzzle of the origin of man, adding impetus to the already existing evidence and theory that Africa is the birthplace of humankind. Cultural villages in the province showcase the traditions of local communities. The Lesedi Cultural Village and the Sun City Multicultural Village are in easy distance of Rustenburg and between them cover the Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Basotho, Tswana, Venda and Ndebele cultures. Visitors get to observe the differences in hut construction, dress, ritual and dance. Rustenburg's population is primarily Batswana. Many belong to the Royal Bafokeng nation, extensive landowners earning royalties from mining operations. The Royal Bafokeng also own the stadium selected as a World Cup 2010 venue. Rustenburg is prominent in Afrikaner history. One of the oldest Boer settlements in the north, it was the home of Paul Kruger, president of the old Suid-Afrikaanse Republic, which preceded the Republic of South Africa. The homestead on his farm, Boekenhoutfontein, is now the Paul Kruger Country Museum. When Boer and British came to blows in the South African War (Anglo-Boer War) of 1899, the territory around Rustenburg became a battlefield. The two sides clashed famously at nearby Mafikeng, where the British garrison found itself under siege for months. These battle sites can be explored from Rustenburg.

Natural Attractions

Set in the foothills of the 196km Magaliesburg mountain range, Rustenburg is a great point from which to venture into this serene neck of the woods. Hiking trails will lead you to waterfalls and streams, small animals and much birdlife. You can also opt to do your exploration on horseback or mountain bike. In and around the village of Magaliesburg, in the southern part of the range, are romantic country retreats and hotels, arts and craft studios, tea gardens and working farms. The Van Gaalen Cheese Farm produces unique recipes such as stinging nettle cheese following traditional Dutch methods, while Western Cane Trading has an established reputation for cottage furniture and gifts. About two hours drive from Rustenburg is the Vredefort Dome, a meteorite impact site some 40km in diameter. The meteorite, estimated to have equaled the size of Table Mountain, slammed into earth some 2,000 million years ago with devastating effect. The resulting geological phenomenon is so significant that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Several landowners in the area have established the Vredefort Dome Conservancy and utilize the dome's fascinating geographical features for abseiling, hiking and a host of other adventurous activities. In Rustenburg, the Paul Bodenstein Park is the place to enjoy the outdoors, picnic or braai (barbecue). Outside the Rustenburg city limits, the Mountain Sanctuary Park has a deep ravine and landscape suited to hiking, while the Olifantsnek Dam is perfect for fishing and relaxation.

Surrounding Areas

A somewhat quiet city, Rustenburg is fortunate in that it has activities and attractions to match all moods on its very doorstep. The Sun City resort, with its glitz and glamour, endless entertainment, gaming, sports and world-class hotels, can be reached in under an hour's drive. So too can the African wild, the Pilanesberg Game Reserve is Sun City's neighbor, and while you may spot international celebrities at the entertainment complex, at the Pilanesberg it's lions and leopards you'll be seeking. There's yet more wildlife further north at Madikwe Game Reserve, with its 70 mammal species and rich birdlife. You can join our avian friends by opting for tree-house accommodation in this Big Five sanctuary. Rustenburg lies within the Magaliesburg, one of South Africa's most tranquil mountain ranges. A small distance to cover and you will find yourself in an idyllic world of crisp air, deep greenery and sparkling streams. Here rural retreats pander to your every craving, be it for wholesome country cooking, for rest and relaxation, or for re-energizing the body and spirit in opulent wellness centers. At the man-made Hartbeespoort Dam, the weekend playground of stressed city slickers from Johannesburg and Pretoria, there are thrills galore in the air, on water and on land. The vicinity in and around Rustenburg offers you history and culture in the form of the South African War (Anglo-Boer War), Iron and Stone Age sites, cultural villages, the hospitable Groot Marico & geographical phenomena like the Vredefort Dome.