Founded in 1851, Rustenburg has developed into a charming city, based on the farming and mining industries, although still surrounded by vast, unspoilt nature. The area is also the traditional home of a number of tribes, adding a great cultural diversity to the city.
The grand cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria are just a short drive from here also, making Rustenburg a great place to base yourself while exploring this part of South Africa with your rental car.
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Travelling in Rustenburg with a Rental Car
Like many other South African cities, Rustenburg has the best of both worlds, with all convenient things you expect with city life available, and then unique untouched wilderness found close by. Rustenburg in fact has a number of great nature parks and reserves to choose from, each slightly different from the next.
The main parks in the area though are the Magaliesberg Nature Reserve, which is just south of the city, and the Pilanesberg National Park, which is located in the northwest. Just a short drive from Pilanesberg National Park with your rental car, is a place almost separate from the outside world, where the rich and famous from around the world come to play.
Known as Sun City, this is regarded as South Africa’s premium holiday resort, purpose built in the 1970s. Made up of luxurious hotels and casinos, and featuring amazing swimming pools and impressive architecture, it’s easy to see why it has become so popular.
To visit a place like no other, jump in your hire car and head east from Rustenburg, to an area known as the Cradle of Humankind. Here you will find an area which features a great number of limestone caves which have been found to contain one of the highest concentrations old human-like fossils in the world, some of which dating back millions of years. Be sure to check out the Maropeng Visitors Centre, which features exhibitions on natural history, human evolution, and lots of interactive displays for the kids!