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Overview:

The North West Province is situated with the provinces of Free State and the Northern Cape to its South, the Limpopo Province and Gauteng to the northeast and east and Botswana to the north.

Much of the province consists of flat areas of scattered trees and grassland. The Magaliesberg mountain range in the northeast extends about 130 km (about 80 miles) from Pretoria to Rustenburg. The Vaal River flows along the southern border of the province. There's always plenty to see and do in the popular holiday resort of Rustenburg, you can spot wildlife in the Pilansberg National Park, the towns of Lichtenburg, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom are of interest from a historical point of view and Sun City offers a multitude of attractions and activities.

Climate:

Temperatures range from 17° to 31° C (62° to 88° F) in the summer and from 3° to 21° C (37° to 70° F) in the winter. Annual rainfall totals about 360 mm (about 14 in), with almost all of it falling during the summer months, between October and April.

'© South African Tourism

Top Destinations:

Hartbeespoort Dam

One of North West's more popular attractions is the Hartbeespoort Dam, in the heart of the Magaliesburg, which attracts those on day trips and weekend getaways. It is roughly a 45 minutes' drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria. 

Tourist accommodation is very good and there are a number of restaurants too. The Hartbeespoort Dam offers an array of water sports, a local bird sanctuary, challenging hikes and gentle walks. The scenic beauty of the region can be admired from the cable car, while the aquarium, snake park and the Crocodile Ramble will keep tourists entertained for hours.

Main Attractions:

Pilanesberg

Pilanesberg Game Reserve is in the Bojanala Region of the North West Province, adjacent to Sun City. It has an abundance of wildlife like the nocturnal brown hyaena, the fleet-footed cheetah, the majestic sable, as well as giraffe, zebra, hippo and crocodile, to mention but a few. The Pilanesberg National Park was opened in 1979. In the "Operation Genesis", the largest game resettlement project in the history of South Africa, more than 6,000 animals from other parks were settled here. There are various types of accommodation available in the park including restcamps with chalets, restcamps with safari tents and some luxurious lodges and hotels.

Sun City

Sun City is a luxury South African casino resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg National Park. 

Sun City has four hotels including Sun City Hotel, The Cabanas, Cascades and the Palace of the Lost City as well as self catering facilities called The Sun City Vacation Club.  Sun City has something for everyone – it has two international standard golf courses both designed by Gary Player, The Valley of the Waves provides much outdoor fun and excitement for kids and adults alike and there is also a top class for entertainment.

Madikwe Game Reserve

Malaria free Madikwe game reserve is situated within the Pilansberg game reserve.  It is just three hours drive from both Johannesburg and Pretoria and is one of South Africa's prime safari destinations. Madikwe is a Big Five game reserve covering 75,000 hectare. It is one of the largest game reserves in South Africa. The rich diversity of vegetation ensures a wide range of game and the topography offers ideal game viewing opportunities.  There is a great variety of accommodation options available within the park including a number of lodges and camps.

North West Game Reserve

There are a number of game reserves in the North West, the two most famous are the Pilansberg game reserve and the Madikwe game reserve.  Both these game reserves are home to the "Big Five". Madikwe Game Reserve is a malaria-free reserve and is home to the second largest population of elephants in South Africa.  Accommodation in the numerous parks and reserves always retains its rustic ambience no matter if it’s a tented camp or a luxurious lodge.