In historic Pretoria, travelers encounter the vibrant spirit of a new South Africa

Though Pretoria is rich in history, one of its most visited sites owes its popularity to a more recent event that has drawn a surge of visitors.

This place is the North Gauteng High Court, and the event is the high-profile trial of athlete Oscar Pistorius.

“People always want to know about Oscar,” says Jaco, a local guide showing me around Pretoria, one of South Africa’s three capital cities.

He gestures toward a mobile cafe across from the courthouse. “It was once packed with media from around the world. The owner made a fortune.”

Gold – the tangible, rather than symbolic, treasure – is both a blessing and a curse for South Africa.

It’s often held responsible for the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War, the aftermath of which reshaped borders and eventually gave rise to apartheid.

Efforts to heal the wounds of decades of division are at the heart of present-day Pretoria, where there’s a deliberate push to blend the city’s black and white legacies.

The revival of the region’s connection to pre-colonial leaders like Tshwane, an 18th-century chief whose name now defines the area, is a key part of this movement.

A statue of Tshwane, erected in 2006, stands proudly in front of the city’s town hall, flanked by monuments to Andries Pretorius and his son Marthinus, the Dutch-descended leaders who founded the city and left it their name.

The combination of statues highlights the city’s ongoing effort to merge black and white histories. In the past, the city was primarily linked to the Afrikaners, descendants of European settlers.

7 compelling reasons to explore South Africa’s Waterberg

Monumental grandeur

The past glorification of Afrikaner history is most apparent at the massive Voortrekker Monument, perched atop a hill on the outskirts of Pretoria.

It honors the Afrikaner farmers who left the British Cape Colony to venture into the interior and establish the two independent Boer republics.

The monument was unveiled on December 16, 1949, marking the anniversary of the Battle of Blood River, where a group of Voortrekkers defeated a large contingent of previously unbeaten Zulu warriors.

During the apartheid era, the battle's anniversary was a national holiday. It continues to be observed today, though it is now known as the Day of Reconciliation.

In true African fashion, the Voortrekker hill doubles as a nature reserve, where we encounter blesbok – an elegant antelope with a distinct white face – and black wildebeest, a rarer cousin to the more common blue wildebeest known for its migrations.

“This was once sacred ground for the Afrikaners,” Jaco explains to me. “Now, monthly music concerts are held within the monument grounds at Fort Schanskop, one of the four forts that once protected the city.”

10 essential things to know before visiting South Africa

A legacy preserved

A fiberglass statue of Danie Theron, an Afrikaner hero who died during the Boer War and whose great-great niece is Hollywood star Charlize Theron, welcomes us at the entrance.

The sculpture was relocated from Kimberley, in central South Africa, in November 2001. During its unveiling, Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader and former president, paid his respects.

This reworking of history, blending Afrikaner heroes with more contemporary figures, is the story of modern South Africa, with Pretoria at its epicenter.

A prime example of this narrative is the Union Buildings, the offices of South Africa’s president.

Designed by Herbert Baker in 1911, the Union Buildings stand as the most elegant and unified architectural complex in the country.

The statue of General J.B.M. Hertzog, an Afrikaner nationalist, which once stood on the main staircase, was relocated to a remote corner of the gardens in November 2013.

In its place now stands a towering sculpture of Mandela, which attracts far more visitors than Hertzog ever did.

Despite these changes, the Afrikaner legacy remains safeguarded.

The home of Paul Kruger, the last president ousted by the British during the Boer War, is now a museum.

His imposing statue still overlooks Pretoria’s Church Square, though it stands behind barbed wire to protect it from frequent vandalism.

The diverse cultures of modern South Africa are united in the Freedom Park and museum, fulfilling one of Mandela’s final wishes.

Located opposite the Voortrekker Monument and linked by Reconciliation Road, the Freedom Park honors all who have sacrificed their lives for South Africa, both old and new.

Etched into the granite slabs of the Wall of Names are not only those who fought in the World Wars but also the names of those who perished in the Anglo-Boer War and the women and children who died in British concentration camps.

Names such as Theron, Pretorius, and Grobbelaar are now listed alongside those of Nkopo and Mqolo, who lost their lives in the fight against apartheid, and across from the victims of Indian indentured labor.

The timeless allure of South Africa’s Otter Trail

A love for wine

The following day, Jaco takes me to a party at Pretoria’s former vegetable market, a space that blends street food, live entertainment, and art installations.

This is just one of many initiatives by the Capital Collective, a private project focused on revitalizing the city center.

Here, people of all backgrounds come together to eat and dance, unbothered by race – a freedom still missing in many parts of modern South Africa, despite the country’s post-apartheid goals.

I encounter more signs of a socially mobile South Africa when I later dine at Hemingway’s – arguably the city’s best restaurant.

The pizza chef isn’t Italian: “Small” Thekgo has been perfecting his dough for seven years and loves every moment of it.

The sommelier is Isaac Kubheka, a Zulu who left his homeland as a child and was raised by his aunt in the Mamelodi township just outside Pretoria.

In 1989, he began working as a gardener in the Pretoria suburb of Faerie Glen for an Afrikaner who soon shared his passion for wine.

Kubheka saved up enough to attend a wine course in Stellenbosch, where he learned about viniculture, winemaking, and wine etiquette.

Today, he’s one of the country’s leading sommeliers, and perhaps a symbol of the evolving city.

Vineyards of Cape Town, where the food is as exceptional as the wine

How to get there

Ulysses Tours offers guided tours around Pretoria, along with safaris and other local experiences.

10 of the world’s most stunning new nature reserves

Cape Town: An Expert Travel Guide