Provinces of South Africa - Definition and Overview

South Africa is divided into nine provinces. These are in order with capital:

1. Western Cape (Cape Town)
2. Northern Cape (Kimberley)
3. Eastern Cape (Bisho)
4. KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi)
5. Free State (Bloemfontein)
6. North West (Mafikeng)
7. Gauteng (Johannesburg)
8. Mpumalanga (Nelspruit)
9. Limpopo (Polokwane)

Historical Provinces

The division of South Africa into different administrative regions can be divided into three distinct periods, of which the first two fade into one another.

From the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the main division was into four provinces. As early as 1913, however, ownership of land by the black majority was restricted to certain areas covering about 13% of the country, and from the late 1950's these areas were gradually consolidated into "homelands" (also known as bantustans) to serve as the de jure national states of the black population in fulfilment of the white minority government's policy of Apartheid. In 1976 the homeland of Transkei was the first to accept independence from South Africa, and although this independence was never acknowledged by any other country, three other homelands followed suit.

From 1994 onwards, South Africa has been divided into nine provinces as shown in the top of this article. The former homelands were reintegrated into the Republic on the eve of the April 1994 general election which ended minority rule.

See also: Ranked list of South African provinces.

1910 to 1994

Provinces

• Cape of Good Hope Province (Cape Town)
• Natal (Pietermaritzburg)
• Orange Free State (Bloemfontein)
• Transvaal (Pretoria)

Independent Homelands

• Bophuthatswana (Mmabatho). Declared independent in 1977.
• Ciskei (Bisho). Declared independent in 1981.
• Transkei (Umtata). Declared independent in 1976.
• Venda (Thohoyandou). Declared independent in 1979

Non-Independent Homelands

• Gazankulu (Giyani)
• KaNgwane (Louieville)
• KwaNdebele (Siyabuswa)
• KwaZulu (Ulundi)
• Lebowa (Lebowakgomo)
• Qwaqwa (Phuthaditjhaba)

External Link

• Map (http://www.world-gazetteer.com/s/s_za.htm)