Do You Know? There Are Even 3 Capitals of South Africa

The Capitals of South Africa at a Glance

City	Role	Province	Known For
Pretoria	Administrative capital	Gauteng	Union Buildings, government, jacaranda trees
Cape Town	Legislative capital	Western Cape	Parliament, Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula
Bloemfontein	Judicial capital	Free State	Supreme Court of Appeal, City of Roses

South Africa’s government officially recognizes Pretoria as the administrative capital, Cape Town as the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital.

Why Does South Africa Have 3 Capitals?

So, why does South Africa have three capitals?

The answer is rooted in the country’s political and administrative history. Rather than concentrating all major government functions in one city, South Africa divided key national functions between different cities. Today, each of the three capitals of South Africa has a specific role:

• Pretoria handles the administrative and executive functions of national government.
• Cape Town is where Parliament meets and therefore serves as the legislative capital.
• Bloemfontein is the judicial capital and home to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

This unusual arrangement is one of the reasons South Africa’s capital cities are such an interesting geography and travel fact.

Is Johannesburg a Capital of South Africa?

No, Johannesburg is not one of the three official capitals of South Africa.

However, it is one of the country’s most important economic and business centers. Johannesburg is home to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Africa’s largest securities exchange, and plays a major role in finance, commerce, industry, and business.

Interestingly, Johannesburg is also home to South Africa’s Constitutional Court, while Bloemfontein remains the judicial capital and home to the Supreme Court of Appeal. Besides that, Johannesburg is one of the ‘highest cities in the world by elevation‘.

So, if someone asks, “Is Johannesburg the capital of South Africa?” the answer is no. It is an economic powerhouse, but the country’s three capitals are Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein.

The Country Names

South Africa actually has 11 different names, which correspond to 11 official languages. According to Wikipedia (Aug 2020), they are:

Language	Long Form	Short Form
Afrikaans	Republiek van Suid-Afrika	Suid-Afrika
English	Republic of South Africa	South Africa
Northern Sotho	Repabliki ya Afrika-Borwa	Afrika Borwa
Southern Ndebele	iRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika	iSewula Afrika
Southern Sotho	Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa	Afrika Borwa
Swazi	iRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika	iNingizimu Afrika
Tsonga	Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga	Afrika-Dzonga
Tswana	Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa	Aforika Borwa
Venda	Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe	Afurika Tshipembe
Xhosa	iRiphabliki yomZantsi Afrika	uMzantsi Afrika
Zulu	iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika	iNingizimu Afrika

Other 10 Interesting Facts About South Africa

South Africa is full of fascinating facts beyond its three capitals. Here are a few that are worth knowing.

1. Route 62 Is Famous for Its Wine Route

Route 62 runs through parts of the Western and Eastern Cape and is famous for its wine-producing regions, scenic landscapes, small towns, and road-trip opportunities. It is commonly promoted as the world’s longest wine route, although South African Tourism more specifically describes the R62 Wine Route as the longest wine route in the Western Cape.

Along the route, travelers can find wineries, restaurants, museums, mountain landscapes, and outdoor activities.

2. South Africa Is Much Larger Than You Might Think

South Africa covers approximately 1.22 million square kilometers, making it more than three times the size of Japan and considerably larger than Texas. Its enormous size helps explain the country’s incredible geographic diversity, from beaches and mountains to deserts, forests, grasslands, and major cities.

3. South Africa Is Important to the Study of Human Evolution

South Africa is home to the Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing important evidence of early human evolution. The sites include fossil evidence dating back millions of years. UNESCO says the area has produced scientific information about human evolution spanning at least 3.5 million years.

So instead of saying South Africa has the “world’s oldest fossils,” which is too broad, this is a much more accurate and powerful fact.

4. South Africa Has 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

South Africa currently has 12 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Robben Island – one of the world’s dark-tourism destinations, the Fossil Hominid Sites, the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, Vredefort Dome, and several newer inscriptions.

That’s another impressive reason to put South Africa on your travel list.

5. Blyde River Canyon Is One of the World’s Largest Canyons

Located in Mpumalanga, Blyde River Canyon is one of the largest canyons in the world and is particularly famous for its lush subtropical landscape. South African Tourism describes it as the third-largest canyon in the world and highlights attractions such as God’s Window, the Three Rondavels, and Bourke’s Luck Potholes along the Panorama Route.

The combination of dramatic cliffs, forests, waterfalls, and sweeping viewpoints makes it one of South Africa’s most spectacular natural attractions. Just make sure you don’t miss this great Blyde River Canyon experience!

6. Sudwala Caves Are Among the World’s Oldest Cave Systems

The Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga are associated with some incredibly ancient geology. Guinness World Records recognizes Sudwala Caves as the oldest caves, with the surrounding Precambrian dolomite rock estimated at around 3.8 billion years old. The caves themselves are believed to have formed around 240 million years ago.

7. Vilakazi Street Has Two Nobel Peace Prize Winners

Vilakazi Street in Soweto has a remarkable place in South African history. It is the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners lived, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Today, the street is an important cultural and historical attraction in Johannesburg.

8. South Africa Was Home to the World’s First Human Heart Transplant

On December 3, 1967, Dr. Christiaan Barnard and his team performed the world’s first human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town (Brink and Hassoulas, 2009). The groundbreaking operation became a major milestone in medical history.

9. Sabie Is at the Center of South Africa’s Largest Man-Made Forest

Sabie in Mpumalanga is the center of South Africa’s largest man-made forest, making the area particularly interesting for travelers who enjoy forests, waterfalls, hiking, and outdoor activities.

10. You Can See African Penguins Near Cape Town

South Africa is also home to a remarkable penguin colony at Boulders Beach, near Cape Town. African penguins are the only penguin species found on the African continent, and Boulders Beach became home to a colony after a pair was first spotted there in 1983.

The colony has become one of Cape Town’s most popular wildlife attractions, allowing visitors to see these unusual birds in their natural coastal environment.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Capitals of South Africa

Why is Johannesburg not the capital of South Africa?

Johannesburg is not one of South Africa’s three official capitals because the country’s national government functions are divided between Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein. Johannesburg is instead the country’s major economic and business center, and it is home to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the Constitutional Court.

Which country has three capitals?

South Africa is the country best known for having three capitals: Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein. Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

What are the 9 provinces and their capital cities in South Africa?

South Africa has nine provinces, each with its own provincial capital:

Province	Capital City
Eastern Cape	Bhisho
Free State	Bloemfontein
Gauteng	Johannesburg
KwaZulu-Natal	Pietermaritzburg
Limpopo	Polokwane
Mpumalanga	Mbombela
Northern Cape	Kimberley
North West	Mahikeng
Western Cape	Cape Town

These are provincial capitals, which are different from South Africa’s three national capitals.

Which is the only country without a capital city?

Nauru is generally recognized as the world’s only country without an official capital city. The island nation has no designated capital, although Yaren District is commonly considered its de facto administrative center because the country’s government offices and parliament are located there.

Why does South Africa have three capitals?

South Africa has three capitals because its major national government functions are divided between different cities. Pretoria serves as the administrative capital, Cape Town as the legislative capital where Parliament sits, and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital and home of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

This unusual arrangement developed from South Africa’s political history and the compromise involved in forming the Union of South Africa in 1910, rather than concentrating all three branches of government in a single city.

Conclusion

South Africa is certainly an unusual country when it comes to its capital cities. Instead of having just one, the country has three capitals of South Africa, each with its own important role: Pretoria handles administration, Cape Town handles legislation, and Bloemfontein serves as the judicial capital.

But the country’s fascinating facts don’t stop there. From 11 country names and ancient fossils to world-famous wine routes, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the world’s first human heart transplant, South Africa has plenty to discover.

So, the next time someone asks, “What is the capital of South Africa?”, you can surprise them with the answer: there isn’t just one!