Gauteng (/xaʊˈtɛŋ/ khow-TENG,[6] Sotho: [xɑ́.úˈtʼèŋ̀]; Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; Zulu: eGoli or iGoli [îːˈɡóːlì]) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa.

Gauteng was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first multiracial elections on 27 April 1994.

[10] The term "PWV" describing the region existed long before the establishment of a province by that name,[12] with the "V" sometimes standing for "Vaal Triangle" rather than Vereeniging.

[15] The first records are from the early 19th century, when settlers originating from the Cape Colony defeated chief Mzilikazi and started establishing villages in the area.

[15] The city of Pretoria, established in 1855 as the capital of the South African Republic, witnessed rapid growth until the discovery of gold in the Witswatersrand area in 1886, which led to the founding of Johannesburg.

[12][15] Despite slower development compared to Johannesburg, Pretoria maintained significance, notably due to its pivotal role in the Second Boer War.

The provincial government is responsible for the topics allocated to it in the national constitution, including such fields as basic education, health, housing, social services, agriculture and environmental protection.

Between Johannesburg and Pretoria, there are low parallel ridges and undulating hills, some part of the Magaliesberg Mountains and the Witwatersrand.

In the southern half of Gauteng, the Witwatersrand area is an older term describing a 120 km wide oblong-shaped conurbation from Randfontein in the West to Nigel in the East, named after the Witwatersrand, a geologically and economically important series of low ridges and their associated plateau that greater Johannesburg developed on.

According to the 2022 census, in Gauteng, the most spoken languages at home were:[31] 86.1% of residents are Christian, 4.3% have no religion, 1.6% are Muslim, 0.1% are Jewish, and 0.7% are Hindu.

[36] Thomas Brinkhoff lists a "Consolidated Urban Area" in Gauteng as having a population of 13.1 million as of January 2017[update].

[37] The future governmental plans for the region indicate the gradual urbanisation and consolidation towards the creation of a megalopolis that connects these metros.

[35][non-primary source needed] Gauteng is considered the economic hub of South Africa and contributes heavily in the financial, manufacturing, transport, technology, and telecommunications sectors, among others.

It also plays host to a large number of overseas companies requiring a commercial base in and gateway to Africa.

[47] SANRAL, a parastatal, is responsible for the maintenance, development and management of all national road networks in South Africa.

The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project led to a large decrease in traffic congestion when construction finished 2011–2012.

[51][52] PUTCO, the largest commuter bus operator in South Africa,[53] services the Gauteng area extensively.

[54] The bus rapid transit system Rea Vaya also serves to transport people from Johannesburg's southern neighbourhoods into and around the CBD.

[61][62][63] There is a large informal transport sector in Gauteng, consisting of thousands of minibus taxis, which many of the urban and rural population makes use of.

[64] The City of Johannesburg stated that: "major initiatives are under way to completely reform the taxi industry and provide more comfort and safety to customers."

In March 2017, it is reported that Gauteng alone has 4,7 million registered vehicles under the "GP" abbreviation via the eNatis system.

[67] In 2017/2018, the Gauteng Provincial government spent R42.4 billion on education which accounted for 38% the province's total expenditure.

Several teams from Gauteng play in the country's top-level association football (more commonly referred to as soccer) league, the Premiership, including Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Three Gauteng-based teams play in the country's domestic competition, the Currie Cup: the Blue Bulls from Pretoria, the Golden Lions from Johannesburg and the Falcons from the East Rand.

In 1995, South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup and proceeded to win the tournament at Ellis Park Stadium on 24 June 1995.

[79][80][81][82] Gauteng's favourable weather conditions throughout the year make it an ideal hub for sports and other out door activities.

[87][88] The Ticketpro Dome and the Gallagher Convention Centre, which are both popular events and expos venues, are also located within Gauteng.