Capital city in Gauteng, South Africa
Pretoria for solo travelers
Is Pretoria good for solo travel?
Calm administrative capital with embassies, jacaranda streets and good restaurants in the east. Cheaper and quieter than Johannesburg, but spread out, car-dependent and with a risky CBD.
Solo travel at a glance
| Solo travel | 3/5 · Good, with some effort |
|---|---|
| Locals | Friendly |
| English | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Safety | 3/5 · Take real precautions |
| Solo women | Solo women travel here, but sexual violence is high nationally. Use app rides at night, stay in Brooklyn or Hatfield and watch drinks. |
How to meet people in Pretoria
Hatfield student bars, Brooklyn cafés and Saturday food markets, parkrun, hiking at Groenkloof, and Gautrain day trips to Johannesburg.
Good things to do alone
- Visit the Union Buildings and gardens
- Walk Groenkloof Nature Reserve
- Browse the Boeremark in Silverton
- See jacarandas in Oct–Nov on a driving tour
- Visit Freedom Park and Voortrekker Monument
Where to stay in Pretoria
| Area | Good for |
|---|---|
| Hatfield | Students, bars and Gautrain access; lively but busy |
| Brooklyn–Menlo Park | Embassies, restaurants and quieter streets with good Uber access |
| Waterkloof | Leafy, upmarket and safer; mostly houses and guesthouses |
| Centurion | Gautrain hub, malls and offices; suburban and safe |
Solo travel across South Africa
| Place | Solo | English |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Kruger National Park | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Stellenbosch | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Hermanus | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Knysna | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Plettenberg Bay | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Jeffreys Bay | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Johannesburg | 3/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Durban | 3/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Pretoria | 3/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Port Elizabeth | 3/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Franschhoek | 3/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Umhlanga | 3/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
Quick answers
Is Pretoria good for solo travelers?
Good, with some effort (3/5). Calm administrative capital with embassies, jacaranda streets and good restaurants in the east.
How do you meet people in Pretoria?
Hatfield student bars, Brooklyn cafés and Saturday food markets, parkrun, hiking at Groenkloof, and Gautrain day trips to Johannesburg. On SoloSquare you can also join small plans with other travelers who are there now.
Do people speak English in Pretoria?
Spoken almost everywhere.
Is Pretoria safe for solo female travelers?
Solo women travel here, but sexual violence is high nationally. Use app rides at night, stay in Brooklyn or Hatfield and watch drinks.
More about Pretoria
Going to Pretoria solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Pretoria meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
Ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.