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Cruising Gauteng’s Riviera
Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng
A luxury pleasure boat on the Vaal River, Vanderbijlpark
Did you know?
Vanderbijlpark is home to over 500 000 trees planted to offset industrial air pollution.
Initially, Vanderbijlpark was a blue-collar town developed in the late 1940s for steel factory employees and their families. Today the town of Vanderbijlpark is the riverside playground of millionaires.
The town’s steelworks, Vanderbijlpark Steel, is part of ArcelorMittal South Africa Limited (the largest steel producer on the African continent), and still forms the backbone of the town’s economy. VECOR, the largest comprehensive heavy engineering works in the southern hemisphere, is also located in Vanderbijlpark.
However, contrary to expectations for a steelworks town, Vanderbijlpark suburbs on the Vaal River are scenic, upmarket, and cater to a cosmopolitan mix of permanent and weekend residents. The latter are wealthy business people and celebrities who own palatial properties on a stretch of the waterway called Millionaire’s Mile.
‘The Vaal’, as locals call the river, is the focal point of leisure and entertainment activities in Vanderbijlpark. Jet skiing, water surfing, wake boarding, angling and white water rafting are popular activities.
River cruising on the Vaal is a year-round pastime, and Vanderbijlpark boasts several pleasure vessels that range from super-luxurious to rustic. These can be privately hired, enjoyed as a 3-hour Sunday buffet cruise, or as an hourly sightseeing shuttle.
There are also self-navigable houseboats for hire, from superior floating hotels, to wallet-friendly snooze-and-cruise options.
Off the water, Vanderbijlpark’s recreational offerings include the Emerald Casino Resort, a multi-entertainment complex with gaming, a safari zoo, an indoor water park, restaurants, and an adjacent nature reserve.
Along the river, numerous Vanderbijlpark guesthouses and hotels offer relaxed outdoor lunches, pubs, sports facilities, outdoor activities for the kids, and wellness spas.
Other Vanderbijlpark destinations include guided tours of Sharpeville township, including a visit to the Sharpeville Human Rights Precinct that commemorates the deaths of 69 residents shot on 21 March 1960 while protesting against apartheid pass laws.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Vaal Meander Information Office:
Tel: +27 (0)16 424 1121 / +27 (0)78 705 7040
Fax: 086 274 47096
E-mail: pro@vaalmeander.co.za
How to get here
From Johannesburg/Pretoria, follow the N1South/Bloemfontein through the Grasmere toll plaza. After approximately 20 kms, take the Vanderbijlpark off-ramp.
Around the area
The following clubs open to the public: Riviera on Vaal Country Club, Maccauvlei Golf Club, the Holly Country Club, and the Meyerton Golf Club. The exhibitions at the Vaal Teknorama Museum in Heidelberg cover the liberation struggle in the Vaal area, as well as anthropological discoveries. Visit the Modal Bottle store in Meyerton, allegedly the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, for wine tasting and an extensive wine and spirits collection. Outside Heidelberg, hike and mountain bike in the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve.
Tours to do
River tours are popular, available year-round, and priced to suit most budgets.
Get around
You’ll need a car or the services of a tour operator to visit Vanderbijlpark. Selected river cruise boat operators offer a limousine chauffeur service from Johannesburg to Vanderbijlpark.
Length of stay
A day or a weekend.
What to pack
In summer, sun protection and insect repellent are recommended. Vanderbijlpark can get very chilly in winter. Warm clothing is advised.
Where to stay
Vanderbijpark hotels and riverside lodges offer full service 5-star to self- catering accommodation.
What to eat
There are a number of restaurants and fast food outlets in Vanderbijlpark.
What's happening
The Rotary River Festival in March, the Vaal Meander Wine Route usually from June to July, and the VaalWed Expo, a bridal show, in August. Consult the Vaal Meander website for vintage car, agricultural, and other annual festivals in the area.
Best buys
Along the Vaal River, a number of resident artists produce paintings, sculpture, and craft items for sale.