Centurion
South Africa · Africa
About Centurion
Centurion (previously known as Verwoerdburg and before that Lyttelton) is an area with 236,580 inhabitants (2011 census) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, between Pretoria and Midrand. Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it has been part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality since 2000. Its heart is at the intersection of the N1 and N14 freeways. The R21 freeway also passes through the eastern part of Centurion.
The Waterkloof Air Force Base, as well as the Swartkop Air Force Base (which includes the South African Air Force Museum), are in Centurion.
Fossils discovered at the Sterkfontein Caves show that hominids lived in the vicinity of Centurion between 2 and 3 million years ago. The Sterkfontein Caves, a World Heritage Site, is less than 50 km from Centurion, near Mogale City and Krugersdorp.
However, the earliest evidence of modern human habitation in the Centurion area does not go this far back. It dates back to 1200 AD when black African communities settled in this area. They cultivated lands, grazed their cattle, made earthenware containers and melted iron.
Centurion travel guide
Understand
Formerly Lyttelton and Verwoerdburg, the city was renamed following the end of Apartheid after the Centurion Park cricket stadium, now known as SuperSport Park. Irene, a village that is part of Centurion, is covered in a separate article. It is home to the Smuts House Museum and the Irene Dairy Farm.
Climate Centurion sits on the Highveld like Johannesburg and Pretoria and has a similar climate, with dry, sunny winters (max. daytime temperature around 20 °C dropping to an average minimum of 5 °C), and warm to hot summers (October - April) tempered by late-afternoon showers often accompanied by spectacular thunder and lightning. Hailstorms are not uncommon, but a serious hailstorm has not happened for many years. Summer temperatures range from the mid-20s to the mid-30s (°Celsius). Centurion's weather tends to follow the slightly warmer Pretoria, when compared to that of Johannesburg. The Hennops River flows through the heart of Centurion, and causes occasional flooding when heavy rainfall has occurred.
Getting there
By road Centurion is between Pretoria and Johannesburg. If you are coming by plane, you can take a ride from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg using the R21 motorway. From Pretoria, use the R101 motorway to reach Centurion.
By train Centurion has a station on the high-speed Gautrain, running between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It's possible to arrive from OR Tambo by train, via a change at Marlboro station.
1 Centurion railway station. (updated Dec 2020)
See
1 Centurion Art Gallery (Cnr Cantonments Rd and Unie Ave), ☏ +27 12 358-3477. (updated Dec 2020) Cricket: 2 Super Sport Park (Centurion Park), 283 West Ave, Die Hoewes, ☏ +27 12 663 1005. With a capacity of 22,000, this occasionally hosts Test matches and is home to the Titans (representing Easterns and Northerns Cricket Unions) and to Pretoria Capitals. (updated Oct 2023) AFB Swartkop. (updated Jul 2020) AFB Waterkloof. (updated Jul 2020)
Buy
1 Centurion Mall, Heuwel Ave (From the N1 take exit 128 (M19 John Voster), turn right into Lenchen Ave), ☏ +27 12 663-170. Large shopping mall on Centurion Lake. (updated Dec 2020)
Sleep
Protea Hotel Waterfront, Gordon Hood rd (At Centurion Lake), ☏ +27 21 430-5300, [email protected].
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.