Midrand, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, between Centurion
Centurion, Gauteng
Centurion is an area with 279,430 inhabitants in Gauteng Province of South Africa, located between Pretoria and Midrand . Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it is now part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality...
and Sandton. It was established as a municipality in 1981, but was incorporated the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa...
in 2000. It was made part of Region 2 and, as of 2006, when the number of regions were reduced to seven, it forms part of Region A.
Midrand's town council officially ceased to exist in 1998 when Act 15 of 1981 Town Council of Midrand Act was repealed by Act 10 of 1998 Rationalisation of Local Government Affairs Act.
Though no longer an independent town, the name Midrand is still on common use to denote the suburbs around the N1 highway
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
north of the Jukskei River
Jukskei River
The Jukskei River is one of the largest rivers in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is mostly shallow and not deep enough for transportation. It is also often very polluted, and occasionally has outbreaks of cholera....
up to the border with City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. (This portion of the N1 highway is also known as the Ben Schoeman Highway.) Suburbs that are generally regarded as being in Midrand include among others: Carlswald
Carlswald, Gauteng
Carlswald is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2....
, Crowthorne
Crowthorne, Gauteng
Crowthorne is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2, in Midrand, between Pretoria and Johannesburg on the previously known Carlswald Agricultural Holdings. The region is surrounded by plots, horse breeding societies and agricultural activities; neighbouring areas like...
, Glen Austin
Glen Austin, Gauteng
Glen Austin is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2 and Region 7. It is a suburb of Midrand, situated about half way between Johannesburg and Pretoria...
, Halfway House
Halfway House Estate, Gauteng
Halfway House Estate is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region AThe name comes from being half way between The Rand and Pretoria....
, Halfway Gardens
Halfway Gardens, Gauteng
Halfway Gardens is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2....
, Kyalami
Kyalami Estates, Gauteng
Kyalami Estates is a gated suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2....
, Vorna Valley
Vorna Valley, Gauteng
Vorna Valley is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2....
and Randjesfontein.
For more information see Region A.
In 2010, it was reported that the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality wished to annex Midrand from the City of Johannesburg, reportedly to boost the City of Tshwane's income, which was severely strained.
Education
The Midrand Graduate InstituteMidrand Graduate Institute
Midrand Graduate Institute is a South African Private Higher Education Institution based in Midrand, Gauteng Province. It offers Bachelor's degrees in Commerce, Information Technology, Law, Social Sciences, Creative Arts, Communications and Science...
and UNISA
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
's Graduate School of Business Leadership is located in Midrand.
The city is relatively modern, having experienced much growth in the last decade. Many businesses have relocated there due to its proximity to good highway links and its location in the economic centre of Gauteng Province. Midrand's development has meant there is little break between the outskirts of Johannesburg and those of Pretoria, and the Gauteng Provincial Government envisages that, according to current growth trends, much of the province will be city by 2015.
Midrand is also the location of the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
's Pan-African Parliament
Pan-African Parliament
The Pan-African Parliament , also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union and held its inaugural session in March 2004. The PAP exercises oversight, and has advisory and consultative powers, lasting for the first five years...
.
Trivia
- KyalamiKyalamiKyalami is a motor racing circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng province, South Africa. The circuit has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races and has hosted the South African Grand Prix many times. In recent years, the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and...
, an international renowned racetrack is in Midrand and is the venue for many of South Africa's premier motor racing events. - The South African LipizzanersSouth African LipizzanersThe South African Lipizzaners is the name of a riding academy that operates according to the classical model in Kyalami, Midrand , South Africa. In contrast to other classical riding schools, only women ride and train the 40 Lipizzaner stallions. Public performances take place every week on Sundays...
are situated in the smallholdingSmallholdingA smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
s of Kyalami. - Midrand has the largest conference centre in South Africa which is known as Gallagher Estate which was built on the former site of Laerskool/Primary School Halfway House, which subsequently moved to new grounds near the firestation.