Union Buildings

The official seat of the South African government and the office of the president, this sandstone complex crowns Meintjieskop hill above central Pretoria. Designed by Herbert Baker and completed in 1913, its twin curved wings and colonnaded amphitheatre symbolise the union of the country's provinces. Terraced gardens descend the slope in formal beds and lawns. A nine-metre bronze statue of Nelson Mandela, unveiled in 2013, stands on the upper terrace where he was inaugurated in 1994, drawing visitors for sweeping views over the capital.