Transvaal (province)

Transvaal was a historical province in northeastern South Africa that existed in the 20th century as one of the country’s primary administrative divisions. It encompassed a large and economically important area that included major cities, mining districts and extensive conservation lands.

The province included major urban centres such as Johannesburg, the country’s financial hub, and Pretoria, which served as an administrative capital. The region also contained large tracts of Highveld and bushveld, with important national parks and reserves in its eastern lowveld.

Transvaal’s administrative and political identity changed after the end of apartheid; in 1994 the province was dissolved and its territory divided into the present-day provinces of Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. The historical province played a central role in South Africa’s economic development through its mining and agricultural sectors.

Geographically the former Transvaal stretched from the Highveld eastwards to the lowveld bordering Mozambique and included the country’s most densely urbanised corridors around Johannesburg and Pretoria.

• Provincial timeline: Existed as a province of South Africa from the establishment of the Union in 1910 until provincial reorganisation in 1994.

What to See #

• Pretoria: Pretoria - the administrative capital and seat of many national government institutions that were located in the old Transvaal province.
• Johannesburg: Johannesburg - the region's largest city and economic centre, historically linked to the province's gold-mining economy.
• Kruger and Lowveld areas: Kruger National Park and adjacent game reserves in the eastern lowveld, part of the province's former conservation and tourism areas.