South Africa has three capitals: Here’s why 

How many capitals does a country have? One, right? Well, no! There are a few countries in the world that has more than one capital. For instance, Sri Lanka’ s commercial capital is Colombo, while Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital. Similarly, Chile too has two capitals, original one at Santiago and the other at Valparaiso. Then, there’s Bolivia with two capitals: La Paz and Sucre.  

However, there’s only one nation in the world that has three capitals. Yes, you read that right! It’s none other than the Republic of South Africa. Its three capitals are at Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein. So, other than macadamia nuts, exotic beaches and wildlife, swimming with Penguins and Nelson Mandela, here’s another valid reason to be keen to know more about this nation. 

A sneak peek at South Africa’s 3 capitals 
South Africa’s three capital cities are all important in their own unique ways. They are also placed strategically across the country. Here, a look into them. 

Pretoria: It is the administrative capital of South Africa and houses the entire executive panel of the government, starting with the President to the Cabinet. Pretoria also harbours other important government departments as well as foreign embassies. It is located in the northeast of the country in the province of Gauteng, near the city of Johannesburg.  

Cape Town: Deemed as the legislative capital of the country, Cape Town is home to South Africa’s National Assembly alongside the National Council of Provinces. It is situated in the southwest corner of the country and is part of the Western Province. It is the second largest city by population in South Africa.  

Bloemfontein: Located in the Free State province, Bloemfontein is strategically located right at the centre of South Africa and happens to be its judicial capital. Both the Constitutional Court (highest court) as well as the Supreme Court of Appeal (one of two) are located here. The other Supreme Court of Appeal is at Johannesburg. Its name means “fountain of flowers” and the city is at times regarded as the “City of Roses” thanks to the annual Mangaung Rose Festival it hosts.  

But why the three capitals? 
If you are familiar with the sad history of South Africa, you would know that it has had its share of political, cultural and racial struggles since the Victorian times. In fact, Apartheid, an extreme policy of racial separation, segregation and discrimination that was enforced in the country from pre-1948 to 1991, has had a significant impact on the country’s growth and development. So, when the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, there was a lot of conflict regarding the location of the new nation’s capital. This is when the parties involved deduced a comprise that suggested a spread of power across the republic.  

As for the logic, making Bloemfontein the judicial branch of the South African government was decided based on its unique location right in the middle. On the other hand, Pretoria had been home to foreign embassies and several government departments long before South Africa was an independent nation. Why? It’s located near the country’s largest and most developed city, Johannesburg. In fact, it was the only capital of Apartheid South Africa. In contrast, Cape Town was declared as a convenient place to host the parliament as it has been the centre of legislature since the colonial days.  

Although the country has three power centres, it has only one head of state, the President.