Union Buildings
The seat of South Africa's presidency. In front of the semicircular sandstone building stands a 9-meter bronze statue of Mandela on a terraced garden.
The Union Buildings were designed by Herbert Baker and completed in 1913. They house South Africa's government administrative center and the president's office, and Nelson Mandela was sworn in here in 1994. The building itself is not open to the public, but the terraced garden in front is free to enter. There you can get close to the 9-meter bronze statue of Mandela with his arms outstretched, erected in 2013, and enjoy views over Pretoria. Around October each year, the jacaranda trees bloom, and the city turns purple. The Union Buildings are about one hour from Johannesburg. You can take the Gautrain to Pretoria and then a taxi.
Opening hours
Garden open all day
Nearby sights
- Pretoria Art Museum
- National Zoological Garden (Pretoria Zoo)
- Church Square, Pretoria
- Melrose House
- Ditsong National Museum of Natural History
- Kruger House Museum
- Freedom Park
- Fort Klapperkop