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Sun City Casino, Sun City, North West, South Africa. Photo by South African Tourism.

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Sun City

Sun City was developed by Hotel magnate Sol Kerzner. As part of his Sun International group of properties. It was officially opened on 7th December 1979. 

It is located in the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana. Bophuthatswana had been declared an independent state by South Africa’s Apartheid government. It offered various forms of entertainment.

It offered topless revue shows but they were banned in South Africa. The other forms of entertainment included gambling.

Sun city is relatively close to the large Metropolitan area of Pretoria and Johannesburg. This ensured it became a popular holiday and weekend destination.

There are numerous interesting things we can learn about sun city.

1. Sun City was Built in the Heart of an Extinct Volcano

Sun City Golf Course, Sun City, North West, South Africa. Photo by South Africa Tourism

Sun City is located on the outskirts of Pilanesberg National Park. The park is located in the crater of an extinct volcano.

The volcano erupted about 1,300 million years ago. Sun City is also created in the crater of this volcano. The volcanoes were once active but they are now dormant.

2. The Resort has held Music Performances and Boycotts

Sun City Casino, Sun City, North West, South Africa. Photo by South African Tourism.

Kenzar offered financial incentives to performing artists to use Sun City as a venue. This was after the United States had held a cultural boycott on South Africa in condemnation of apartheid.

On 25 Oct 1980, it hosted a racially mixed world heavyweight boxing championship. It was hosted by Suncity’s ‘ Superbowl ‘.

In 1985, an E Street band guitarist Steven Van made it to the venue and made it the focus of his music industry activist group’ Artists united against apartheid.

3. The Sun City’s Segments and Divisions

Sun City Gold Course, Sun City, North West, South Africa. photo by South Africa Tourism.

The resort contains four hotels:
Soho Hotel (Formerly known as Sun City Hotel or The Main Hotel), Cascades Hotel, The Cabanas, The Palace of the Lost City, and Sun City had the Vacation Club which was a hotel but also sold in a timeshare scheme.

Sun City also has two international-standard 18-hole golf courses, the Gary Player Country Club and the Lost City Golf Course, they were both designed by Gary Player. The Gary Player Country Club is home to the Nedbank Golf Challenge which is held annually.

4. It has Held Various Major Functions

Sun City Casino, Sun City, North West, South Africa. photo by South African Tourism

It hosted the Miss South Africa and Miss South Africa Teen Pageant. These pageants take place annually in Sun City’s Super Bowl Arena and the Valley of Waves.

It also hosted the Miss World pageant five times, the first one was held from 1992 to 1995, and in 2001. The resort was also the site of the Sun City Agreement. The agreement was signed between some of the warring parties in the Second Congo War on 2 April 2003.

In 2001, it also was the site of the 2nd IIFA Awards. It was held at the Super Bowl Arena, it honored both the cultural and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood for that year. On 19 May 2001, Irish vocal pop band Westlife held a concert for their Where Dreams Come to True Tour boosting their album Coast to Coast.

5. Sun City Hosted the 2019 Tennis Tournament

Sixteen regional tennis clubs gathered at Sun City for the 2019 Growthpoint Top Guns National final. It was set for a sophomore edition.
It was held at the famous North West province tourist attraction. There were 11 world-class hard outdoor surface courts.

The tournament’s opening ceremony was hosted at the South African Hall of Fame. The facility had a rich history of the country’s sporting achievements.

6. Discover  Different Water Resorts in Sun City

Sun City – Panoramio. photo by Wee Bugger

Sun City is famous for its tremendous variety of water resorts. The Roaring Lagoon at Sun City Resort is one such phenomenon that attracts tourists.

It has massive size wave pools. There’s also Valley of the Waves water park that is filled with thrilling joy rides.

7. A Home to Variety of Wildlife Reserves

Some of the gorgeous wildlife reserves located in Sun City include Kwena Gardens Crocodile Sanctuary and Predator World. They have a variety of different animals.

Other wildlife havens include Madikwe Game Reserve and Pilanesberg National Park which also lie within touching distance of the city. These splendid nature hubs breed magnificent creatures.

The animals found there are such as crocodiles, cheetahs, brown hyenas, Meerkats, spotted hyenas, Bengal tigers, lions, and leopards. They attract tourists from all over.

8. Sun City was Struck by a Huge Storm which Destroyed Several Establishments

A severe hail storm and flash flood caused damage to buildings and vehicles at the Sun City resort in the North West. Guests had to be evacuated from some facilities after the storm struck. A hail storm hit the North West region of the Pilanesberg and surrounding areas.

Day visitors had to be evacuated from the welcome center precinct. It sustained most of the storm damage, and they were taken back to their vehicles at the main car park.

9. It Acted as a Covid 19 Vaccination Centre

South Africa’s first tourism and hospitality industry COVID-19 department vaccination site was opened at Sun City Resort’s Convention Centre. The resort aimed to vaccinate 7 500 people in three phases.

The resort announced that the vaccination drive would include an outreach program to target other locals. They set to vaccinate those from the surrounding area.

10. Sun City Resort was Awarded an ISO 14001 Certification

The North West resort received the award for water and energy management. It joined the ranks of prestigious European hotels.

Sun City implemented a freshwater management project. The project focused on specific business partners, pools, and mechanical plants/equipment that require vast amounts of water to operate. The project resulted in substantial water savings.

The resort also installed its wastewater treatment factory. The plant was meant to produce grey water used to irrigate the Gary Player Country Club and the Lost City golf courses.

Sun City also completed a solar installation project for its staff village. This project was meant to mitigate the rising cost of electricity.

The project also Guaranteed a reliable power supply. It involved replacing 700 old element geysers with 216 solar units, saving at least 90 000kWh per month and more than 1MWh per year.