Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the country's second-largest city, after Johannesburg, and the largest in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.
The Eastern Cape is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha. Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also known for being home to many anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela.
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi), and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province. The two largest cities are Cape Town and George.
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mountainous vicinity and named the area after their leader. The Lebombo mountains are also named after them. The river has been called the Vhembe by local Venda communities of the area. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is situated in Lebowakgomo.
The N21 is a proposed national route in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. It is also known as the Peninsula Expressway ring road. Once complete, it will link the northern suburbs on the Atlantic seaboard with the southern suburbs on False Bay (Muizenberg). The R300 freeway is entirely part of the proposed route.
Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, and colloquially referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa's second-smallest metropolitan municipality by area. It is the sixth-most populous city in South Africa and is the cultural, economic and financial hub of the Eastern Cape.
South Africa is a tourist destination with the tourist industry accounting for 2.34% of GDP in 2019 followed by a sharp drop in 2020 to 0.81% of GDP due to lack of travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The official marketing agency for the country South African Tourism is responsible for marketing South Africa to the world. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the tourism industry directly contributed ZAR 102 billion to South African GDP in 2012, and supports 10.3% of jobs in the country. The official national marketing agency of the South African government, with the goal of promoting tourism in South Africa both locally and globally is known as South African Tourism.
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres of coastline that stretches along the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini; and it encloses Lesotho. Covering an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres, the country has over 62 million people. Pretoria is the administrative capital, while Cape Town, as the seat of Parliament, is the legislative capital. Bloemfontein has traditionally been regarded as the judicial capital. The largest and most populous city is Johannesburg, followed by Cape Town and the busiest port city in sub-Saharan Africa, Durban.
The economy of the Western Cape in South Africa is dominated by the city of Cape Town, which accounted for 72% of the Western Cape's economic activity in 2016. The single largest contributor to the region's economy is the financial and business services sector, followed by manufacturing. Close to 30% of the gross regional product comes from foreign trade with agricultural products and wine dominating exports. High-tech industries, international call centres, fashion design, advertising and TV production are niche industries rapidly gaining in importance.
The nine provinces of South Africa are governed by provincial governments which form the second layer of government, between the national government and the municipalities. The provincial governments are established, and their structure defined, by Chapter Six of the Constitution of South Africa.
The Northern Cape province of South Africa is governed in a parliamentary system in which the people
Alan Richard Winde is a South African politician and businessman. He is the 8th and current Premier of the Western Cape, having held the position since 2019. He has been a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament since 1999 and belongs to the Democratic Alliance.
The marine protected areas of South Africa are in an area of coastline or ocean within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of South Africa that is protected in terms of specific legislation for the benefit of the environment and the people who live in and use it. An MPA is a place where marine life can thrive under less pressure than unprotected areas. They are like underwater parks, and this healthy environment can benefit neighbouring areas.
Maruping Matthews Lekwene is a South African politician serving as the Northern Cape MEC for Health since June 2020. He has been a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature for the African National Congress (ANC) since June 2014. He was the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism from May 2019 until June 2020. Lekwene is also the provincial chairperson of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC's deputy provincial secretary.
Abraham Vosloo is a South African educator and politician who has been the Northern Cape's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education since June 2024 and a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since May 2019. He was the MEC for Roads and Public Works from May 2019 until June 2020, when he was appointed the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism. Vosloo was previously the Executive Mayor of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality. He is a member of the African National Congress (ANC).
McCollen Ntsikelelo Jack, known as Mac Jack, was a South African educator and politician. A member of the African National Congress, Jack was appointed to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in June 2013. He served as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Transport, Safety and Liaison from June 2013 until May 2014, when he was appointed the MEC for Health. Following a cabinet reshuffle in March 2016, he was appointed the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism. Jack held the position until his appointment as MEC for Education in May 2019, despite him briefly being demoted from the Executive Council in May 2017.
Mosimanegare Kenneth Mmoiemang is a South African politician who has been a permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces since May 2019. He is a member of the Northern Cape delegation. He was the provincial MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs from 2009 to 2013 and the speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2013 to 2019. Mmoiemang is a member of the African National Congress (ANC).
Michael John Cardo is a South African author and politician who served as the Shadow Minister of Employment and Labour from June 2019 until February 2024. He was elected to the National Assembly of South Africa in May 2014. Between June 2015 and June 2019, he was the Shadow Minister of Economic Development. He resigned from Parliament effective on 31 January 2024. Cardo is a member of the Democratic Alliance.
Nonkqubela Ntomboxolo Pieters is a South African politician and educator who has been the Eastern Cape's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism since 2024 and a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature since 2019, representing the African National Congress (ANC). She previously served as the MEC for Human Settlements from 2019 to 2021 and then as the MEC for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform from 2021 until 2024. Pieters served as the speaker of the Cacadu District Municipality from 2006 to 2018.
Lorato Venus Blennies-Magage is a South African politician who has been the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism of the Northern Cape since June 2024 and a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since October 2022. She was previously the MEC for Youth, Women, Disability, Communication and E-Government between October 2022 and June 2024. Blennies is a member of the African National Congress.
