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Southeast of the centre, desegregated Sunnyside is the central suburb with the strongest African feel, with a busy street life, distinctive old houses and a multitude of cafes. Oeverzicht Artists' Village , on the corner of Kotze and Gerard Moerdyk streets, once a lively little node of old cottages with interesting craft shops and restaurants, is quickly losing its vitality, and there's now quite a rapid turnover of business and fewer of the venues which gave the place some spark. The Breytenbach Theatre at 137 Gerard Moerdyk St - said to be haunted by the ghosts of those who died there when it was a hospital for Germans - hosts mainly student productions. Nearby Esselen Street is Sunnyside's busiest thoroughfare, brimming with bars and street hawkers. West of Sunnyside is the huge Loftus Versveld Stadium , where major rugby and soccer games are played. On the other side of the railway line, Pretoria University has some excellent gallery and museum space, including an exhibition in the Ou Lettere (Old Arts) building (Tues-Fri 10am-4pm; free) dedicated to the remarkable archeological finds at Mapungubwe, a hill-top fort by the Limpopo River which was the ancient capital of a major southern African kingdom. Among the artefacts on display are a gold rhinoceros made from thin gold foil, figurines, jewellery and decorated pots, all at least 700 years old. Also in the same Ou Lettere building is an art gallery with changing exhibits; the university has a fantastic permanent collection, including Dutch Masters and Chinese ceramics dating back to the Han dynasty (206 BC-221 AD), but this is viewable by appointment only (tel 012 420 3100). Beyond this is Hatfield , which has developed in the last few years into Pretoria's liveliest area, with the trendiest hangouts and nightlife around Park, Burnett and Hilda streets, where you'll find a plethora of studenty cafes, bars and restaurants. To visit the elegant house and museum of acclaimed Afrikaner sculptor Anton van Wouw , 299 Clark St (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; free), you'll need to head southeast of the university to the wealthy suburb of Brooklyn . Van Wouw was responsible for most of the brooding effigies of Afrikaner public figures from the 1890s to the 1930s scattered around the country, including the Kruger statue in Pretoria's Church Square.  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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His most famous work is the Voortrekker Monument, further south of the city. The museum, designed by the celebrated architect Norman Eaton in 1938, houses a collection of his smaller pieces. Van Wouw's figures tend to be placed in rural settings, but here you'll find two striking, non-rural pieces, one of a mine worker, the other an accused man standing in the dock. Keep an eye out, too, for The Guitar Player , a feisty-looking woman strumming away with a trace of a smile on her face.
Your Tips For Sunnyside and Hatfield
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