I grew up in Pretoria, and lived there for 22 years, so I’m ambivalent about it being worth a visit or not. If most of my relatives didn’t still live there, would I ever go back? Probably not. Would I advise visitors to South Africa to spend one day less on the Garden Route or in a game park in order to visit Pretoria? No, I wouldn’t. So, on a stricly yes/no basis, I have to say it’s not worth visiting.

But if you’re stuck in Pretoria with nothing else to do, you’re more than likely to find some way to while away the time. La Madeleine is a world-class French/Belgian restaurant, Die Werf is an excellent South African restaurant, the Voortrekker Monument and Union Buildings are worth a visit for their sheer architectural scale, and if you’re lucky the jacarandas are still standing and in bloom.