Sun City is a renowned luxury resort and casino located in the North West Province of South Africa. Situated between the Elands River and Pilanesberg, it was officially opened on 7 December 1979 by hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as part of his Sun International group of properties. It also borders the Pilanesberg National Park, making it an ideal destination for nature lovers as well as those seeking to experience world-class entertainment and gaming.
The complex is made up of several themed sub-resorts with hotels on each, including The Cabanas, The Cascades and the Lost City (The Palace). As Bophuthatswana had been declared an independent state by South Africa’s apartheid government (although unrecognised as such by any other country), Sun City could provide activities such as gambling which were banned in South Africa at that time. This combined with its proximity to Johannesburg and Pretoria meant that it soon became one of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations.
Despite being subject to a cultural boycott from the United Nations due to its location within an unacknowledged state during apartheid, many international singers disregarded this ban and performed at Sun City anyway – including Frank Sinatra (1981), Shirley Bassey (1981), Olivia Newton-John (1982) Dolly Parton (1982) Neil Sedaka(1982), Status Quo[3] Rod Stewart (July 1983)[2][3], Elton John(October 1983)[2]. In October 1984 British rock band Queen caused considerable controversy due to their performance at Sun city despite being included on the United Nations blacklisted artists list – leading them to donate money towards a school for deaf/blind children to affirm their philanthropic values [3].
In January 1986 Skytrain people mover was built using Otis Hovair technology connecting remote parking lots directly with the Entertainment Centre over a 1.71 km route which ran two trains consisting of 3 cars per shuttle [6]. This Skytrain has since become an iconic part of the Sun City experience.
Sun City has gone through many changes since first opening its doors over four decades ago but continues today as one of South Africa’s top tourist attractions thanks largely due its combination of stunning natural beauty, amazing amenities, lively entertainment options like casinos, golf courses & shopping centres all within confines luxurious resorts.