A new feature film called the Human Factor, directed by
Clint Eastwood is about to start shooting. Based on South
Africa's 1995 World Cup victory and Nelson Mandela this
reflects a great moment in our country's history. You only
have to watch some of the commercials on television to
realise how much of our advertising reflects this.

2010 has brought with it the opportunity to upgrade many of
our Province's facilities, adding world class glamour to
these potential locations. But be prepared for some major
filming restrictions before, during and after both the
Confederations Cup in June 2009 and the World Cup in June
2010, especially in the surrounding precincts of the three
official stadia.

There are also expected to be minor restrictions for
training stadia and base camps (some of which still have to
be announced). Although Johannesburg and Tshwane may be
over-subscribed during the Confederations Cup and World
Cup, remember that Gauteng has many other great
opportunities in terms of sports grounds and accommodation
and would be delighted to host film crews!

Gauteng definitely is not just about the 'big three' 2010
FIFA World Cup stadiums and the Province has many sports
grounds throughout the main cities and towns, some of which
have been in the international spotlight before.

Two of South Africa's most important rugby stadia are in
Gauteng: Loftus Versfeld in Tshwane, home of the Blue
Bulls, and Ellis Park (recently renamed Coca-Cola Park) in
Johannesburg, where the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup
in 1995. Also within the Ellis Park precinct is the Joburg
Stadium, which is dedicated to athletics. The official home
of Gauteng cricket is The Wanderers Cricket Stadium.
Together with Supersport Park in Centurion, Tshwane, and
Willowmoore Park in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, it played a
significant role in the success of the 2003 Cricket World
Cup.

Gauteng is to be home to three 2010 FIFA World Cup
stadiums. Ellis Park stadium and Soccer City stadium in
Johannesburg and Tshwane's Loftus Versfeld are all being
upgraded to World Cup standards. Loftus Versfeld and Royal
Bafokeng are privately-owned venues, while Ellis Park is on
long-lease arrangement, with Soccer City stadium, which was
previously owned and managed by the South African Football
Association, being returned to the State, and managed by
the City of Johannesburg.

Johannesburg 2010: Soccer City Stadium, or the FNB Stadium
as it is known, situated in Nasrec, is the flagship venue
for the Soccer World Cup 2010, and it will be hosting both
the opening match and the final. Soccer City Stadium is the
largest in Africa. The stadium provides 80 000 plastic
bucket seats, and has a two metre 'moat' to protect the
players from the fans. The upper tier has been extended
around the stadium and 99 corporate boxes added, to
increase the capacity to 94 700. An encircling roof was
added, creating the impression of a giant calabash. Soccer
City is home to the South African Football Association and
the home ground for Orlando Pirates.

With four months to go before the 2009 FIFA Confederations
Cup kicks off in June, renovations at Ellis Park, the host
stadium of the opening and final matches, are complete with
only final touches left. Ellis Park has undergone major
changes. A new roof has been added with the west, south and
north stands being revamped and additional seating added.
New change rooms, VIP, media and medical facilities and a
new entrance facade to the north stand have been built. It
can now seat 62 000 football fans.

With the completion of the stadium, the focus has shifted
towards the precinct upgrade, which is also nearing
completion. Landscaping includes a water feature between
Ellis Park Stadium and Johannesburg Stadium as well as
public art installations. The Olympic-size swimming pool in
the sports precinct has also been upgraded.

Johannesburg is also host to training venues. Dobsonville
Stadium in Soweto has undergone refurbishments to the tune
of R69million in preparation for being one of the three
official training venues for the World Cup. The old stadium
has been completely revamped, with a new grandstand and
world-class facilities added. It has a contemporary design
with a roof covering spectators on the grandstand. Four
floodlit towers at each of the four corners of the stadium
will provide lighting. New polycarbonate seat have been
installed all round the stadium and it will double up as an
athletics venue and a synthetic track.

The other two training venues are Orlando Stadium, also in
Soweto, and Rand Stadium, in the south of the City.

Tshwane 2010: Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Sunnyside is one
of South Africa's oldest and most established stadiums and
the site has been used for sports events since 1903.
Construction at the stadium is almost complete. The new
roof over the eastern pavilion is a major upgrade project.

In addition, the stadium is also receiving new media and
venue operations centres. Loftus is home to the premier
soccer league club, Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as the Blue
Bulls.

Tshwane's training venues include the Super Stadium at
Atteridgeville, a 25 000 seat stadium. Since 2007 the
stadium has undergone substantial upgrade including the
construction of a new main pavilion, VIP suites and new
flood lighting and is now at a stage where it can be used
for international matches. The HM Pitje Stadium is also a
25 000 seater and its 2010 upgrade includes a brand new
main pavilion.

Ekurhuleni 2010: While none of the World Cup matches will
be played in Ekurhuleni, there are four potential practice
stadiums namely Sinaba, Vosloosrus, Makhulong, and
Katlehong stadiums. Construction at Makhulong Stadium is
well on track and scheduled to be ready by the middle of
2009.

With a planned capacity of about 15 000 seats, the stadium
will comply with all FIFA and Premier Soccer League (PSL)
requirements. These include flood lights, player and
management facilities, security, amenities, VIP and V-VIP
areas as well as a 200 square meter media facility. Mogale
City Kaizer Chiefs will become the first team in South
Africa to own their own stadium when the 55 000 Seater
Amakhosi Stadium is completed this year.

The new stadium, which is being developed at a cost of R1.2
billion, will be part of a greater sports precinct being
developed 40km West of Johannesburg.

Sedibeng: Although not an official training ground the
George Thabe Stadium in Vereeniging has been upgraded. A
lot of work is being done in and around the stadium as part
of a larger Sedibeng 2010 precincts project.

It's hard to believe that Gauteng as the smallest and most
industrialised of all South Africa's provinces also
contains such a collection of traditional and cultural
homesteads. A wide variety that stretches from turn of the
century Voortrekker white and coloured farmsteads to
colourful Ndebele, Zulu huts to Credo Mutwa's garden of
mythical African figures. There is certainly location for
just about any film shoot.

Of interest in Johannesburg are various historic farmsteads
including the Driefontein Farmhouse built in 1906, which
can be found on Olympia Road in Parkmore, and the original
Emmarentia farmhouse on Greenhill Road in Emmarentia.
Filming often takes place on the well known Nash's Farm in
the Cradle of Humankind, where there are various rural
locations including an old Transvaal farmhouse setting, and
Lesedi is often used for African cultural locations.

The location highlight has to be the Onverwacht settlement.
Onverwacht's fascinating history is reflected in its many
old, welcoming and well kept plots. Situated North East of
Cullinan, it was occupied by descendants from freed Malay
slaves who arrived with the Malan "na-trek" in 1857. They
inter-married mainly Pedi people, who now call themselves
Black Afrikaners and consider their land "bloedgrond" given
to them by President Paul Kruger for their assistance
during the Anglo Boer War.

There is a big old church, the Verenigde Gereformeerde Kerk
of Onverwacht, replete with an old church bell mounted on
four poles at the entrance to the church yard. The
settlement includes a cemetery, a plethora of donkey carts,
old stone houses and plots surrounded by stone walls
containing vegetable gardens, vines and fruit trees.

It's not surprising that Gauteng is the hub of South
Africa's film industry if you take into account the number
of hidden historic gems to be found - all in close
proximity to main centres.

19th century farmsteads: The Willem Prinsloo Agricultural
Museum features an 1880 farmstead furnished with late
Victorian furniture, a working outside oven, blacksmith's
shop, dairy, water mill and peach brandy still. Various
domestic animals roam around while live demonstrations of
traditional farming activities, such as baking bread,
making butter, shearing sheep and distilling peach brandy
continue. The museum is situated at Rayton, ten kilometres
from Cullinan. The Diepkloof Farm Museum, situated in the
Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, is an old farmhouse built in
1850 that has been restored to its former beauty.

The Diepkloof farm was built by JG Marais, one of the first
trekkers to farm in the Highveld in the 1800s. Vintage
furniture and personal belongings give insight into another
time. Various animals add to the farmyard atmosphere like
the sheep, cows and geese.

Pioneer Museum, in Silverton, Pretoria, is an open-air
museum and pays homage to the Voortrekker lifestyle. David
Botha, a Cape farmer who migrated first to Natal and then
to Ohrigstad in the Northern Transvaal, built the original
pioneer dwelling and outbuildings on the premises of what
is today known as the Pioneer Museum in Silverton in 1848.

Demonstrations of traditional farming activities include
milking cows, making butter, baking bread and grinding
coffee beans. The house is a t-shaped dwelling with a
thatched roof, dung smeared floor and pioneer furniture
dating from 1848 with outside oven and outbuildings. A
tanning pit, wagon shed, water furrow, threshing floor,
water mill, animals, and duck pond can be seen.

Victorian homesteads: The Sammy Marks Museum - Just outside
Pretoria is the home of wealthy entrepreneur and good
friend of President Paul Kruger, Sammy Marks. Sammy Marks'
last will stated that nothing could be changed in his house
for three generations after his death. His wish was
fulfilled and today his home holds the distinction of being
the only Victorian museum with an authentic interior.

Designed by the London Architect WT Wale in 1886, Melrose
House in Pretoria is a beautiful example of Victorian
architecture. During the Second Anglo-Boer War, Lord
Roberts and Lord Kitchener used the house as their
headquarters. Today, the Melrose House Museum is a national
monument.

Indigenous African cultural homesteads: The Mapoch Ndebele
Traditional Village is home to a group of Ndebele people
who still adhere to the old way of life and belong to the
Msiza family. The Ndebele are well known for their artistic
abilities and the intricate designs and blends of gay
colours that adorn their walls and clothing. This 'living'
cultural village is situated opposite the Loopspruit Wine
Estate near KwaMhlanga, north of Bronkhorstpruit.

Two locations offer glimpses into traditional Zulu
lifestyles. The Sibaya Zulu Boma Cultural Village situated
on Main Road, Kyalami provides visitors with an authentic
Zulu experience. At the Voortrekker Monument outside
Pretoria there is a medium size Zulu hut. It is a replica
of the huts built during the reconstruction of a section of
the Royal Capital of Umgungundlovu during the 1980s.
Characteristic of the traditional hut is its beehive-style
construction. The hut is typical of the dwellings found in
the then Zululand.