Springs, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Springs is a city
on the East Rand in the Gauteng
province of South Africa
.It lies 50 km east of Johannesburg
. The name of the city derives from the large number of springs
in the area; it has a population of more than 200,000, and is situated at 5,340 ft a.s.l. It is part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
was discovered in the area in 1887 and three years later the Transvaal Republic's first railway was built to carry coal from the East Rand coalfields to the gold mines of the Witwatersrand
.
Gradually, especially after coal was discovered further east in South Africa in Witbank
, the Springs collieries were closed. In the meanwhile, however, gold
had also been discovered in the area. A village was laid out in 1904 and in 1908 the first gold mining
began. Springs was granted municipal
status in 1912. By the late 1930s, there were eight gold mines near Springs, making it the largest single gold-producing area in the world.
. Mining has been replaced by manufacturing and engineering industries of economic importance; products of the region include processed metals, chemicals, paper and foodstuffs. The only Kelloggs factory in South Africa is situated in Springs. Springs is also home to Impala Platinum
's precious and base metal refineries as well as PFG Building Glass, the only producer of float glass
on the continent. Zincor, the only zinc
producer in Africa, is also located here; its refinery produces all South Africa's requirement of this metal.
PAM Brink Stadium
is a sports stadium currently used for soccer and rugby
.
Springs is part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which includes much of the East Rand.
Springs was divided during the Apartheid era into the middle- and upper-income white suburbs around the city centre, the Indian area of Bakerton east of the CBD
, while blacks were relocated to KwaThema, southwest of the CBD. This divide has faded since democracy
, with mixed races in all areas. The influx of poor black families has given rise to informal settlements near all of the industrial areas, which has been blamed for higher crime rates and falling property prices.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
on the East Rand in the Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.It lies 50 km east of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. The name of the city derives from the large number of springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
in the area; it has a population of more than 200,000, and is situated at 5,340 ft a.s.l. It is part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
History
The original 7 km² farm on which the city of Springs was later to be built, The Springs, was surveyed in 1883. CoalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was discovered in the area in 1887 and three years later the Transvaal Republic's first railway was built to carry coal from the East Rand coalfields to the gold mines of the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
.
Gradually, especially after coal was discovered further east in South Africa in Witbank
Witbank
Witbank , also known as eMalahleni is a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, within the eMalahleni Local Municipality. The name Witbank is Afrikaans for White Ridge and is named after a white sandstone outcrop where wagon transport drivers rested...
, the Springs collieries were closed. In the meanwhile, however, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
had also been discovered in the area. A village was laid out in 1904 and in 1908 the first gold mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
began. Springs was granted municipal
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
status in 1912. By the late 1930s, there were eight gold mines near Springs, making it the largest single gold-producing area in the world.
Today
Springs is currently one of the industrial centers of the WitwatersrandWitwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
. Mining has been replaced by manufacturing and engineering industries of economic importance; products of the region include processed metals, chemicals, paper and foodstuffs. The only Kelloggs factory in South Africa is situated in Springs. Springs is also home to Impala Platinum
Impala Platinum
Impala Platinum Holdings Limited is in the business of mining, refining and marketing of platinum group metals , as well as nickel, copper and cobalt. In the 2009 financial year, Implats produced 1.7Moz of platinum and 3.4Moz of PGMs...
's precious and base metal refineries as well as PFG Building Glass, the only producer of float glass
Float glass
Float glass is a sheet of glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten metal, typically tin, although lead and various low melting point alloys were used in the past. This method gives the sheet uniform thickness and very flat surfaces. Modern windows are made from float glass...
on the continent. Zincor, the only zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
producer in Africa, is also located here; its refinery produces all South Africa's requirement of this metal.
PAM Brink Stadium
PAM Brink Stadium
PAM Brink Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Springs, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Benoni Premier United and has long been the lair of the Eastern Transvaal rugby team who plays in the Currie Cup first division. The stadium holds 25,000...
is a sports stadium currently used for soccer and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
.
Springs is part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which includes much of the East Rand.
Springs was divided during the Apartheid era into the middle- and upper-income white suburbs around the city centre, the Indian area of Bakerton east of the CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, while blacks were relocated to KwaThema, southwest of the CBD. This divide has faded since democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, with mixed races in all areas. The influx of poor black families has given rise to informal settlements near all of the industrial areas, which has been blamed for higher crime rates and falling property prices.
Education
There are several schools, ranging from pre-primary to secondary schools, and a tertiary college in Springs.- Bakerton Primary School
- Job Maseko Primary School
- KwaThema Primary School
- Laerskool Christiaan Beyers
- Laerskool Jan van Riebeeck
- Laerskool Morester
- Laerskool PAM Brink
- Laerskool Selection Park
- Laerskool Welgedag
- Laerskool Werda
- Montessori School
- Olympia Park School
- Pinegrove Primary School
- Protea School
- Selcourt Primary School
- Selpark Primary School
- Steboo High School
- Springs Muslim School
- Strubenvale Primary School
- Eureka High School
- Hoer Tegniese Skool Springs
- Hoerskool Hugenote
- Hoërskool Dr Johan Jurgens High School
- Jameson High School
- Springs Boys' High School
- Springs Girls' High School
- Springs Secondary School
- Veritas College
- Ekurhuleni East College, Springs Campus
Notable residents
Famous people who are associated with Springs include:- Roger Joyce BushellRoger BushellSquadron Leader Roger Joyce Bushell RAF was a South African-born British Auxiliary Air Force pilot who organised and led the famous escape from the Nazi prisoner of war camp, Stalag Luft III. He was a victim of the Stalag Luft III murders. The escape was used as the basis for the film The Great...
RAFRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(30 August 1910 – 29 March 1944), a Springs-born BritishBritish peopleThe British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
lawyer and Auxiliary Air Force pilot, organised and led the famous escape from the NaziNazismNazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
prisoner of war campPrisoner-of-war campA prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
, Stalag Luft IIIStalag Luft IIIStalag Luft III was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force servicemen. It was in the German Province of Lower Silesia near the town of Sagan , southeast of Berlin...
in 1944. - Ernest George BockErnest BockErnest George Bock was a South African cricketer who played in one Test in 1935.Bock was born in Kimberley, South Africa. He was a lower-order right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler who played only two full seasons of first-class cricket in South Africa, one for Griqualand West...
(17 September 1908 - 5 September 1961), a South African cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
player in one testTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
(1935/ 1936), who once held one of the top Currie CupSuperSport SeriesThe SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title...
bowlingBowling (cricket)In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
averages and was also a Griqualand West cricket and rugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
player, relocated from Kimberley, Northern CapeKimberley, Northern CapeKimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, to Springs. - Nadine GordimerNadine GordimerNadine Gordimer is a South African writer and political activist. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature when she was recognised as a woman "who through her magnificent epic writing has – in the words of Alfred Nobel – been of very great benefit to humanity".Her writing has long dealt...
(born 20 November 1923), the first South African Nobel LaureateNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in LiteratureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
(1991) and recipient of the 1974 Booker Prize, was born in Springs and attended the local Our Lady of Mercy Convent school (now known as Veritas College). - Ferdinand Chauvier (d.1985), a hydraulics engineerHydraulic engineeringThis article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
from the Belgian CongoBelgian CongoThe Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
who moved to Springs in 1951, invented the first automated pool cleanerAutomated pool cleanerAn Automated Pool Cleaner is a vacuum cleaner intended to collect debris and sediment from swimming pools with minimum human intervention.-History:...
- Kreepy Krauly - at his Springs home in 1974. Today, the Kreepy Krauly concept is used in over 90% of swimming pools worldwide. - Koos du PlessisKoos du PlessisJacobus Johannes du Plessis was a prominent South African singer-songwriter and poet, colloquially known as Koos Doep...
(10 May 1945 - 15 January 1984), a prominent South African singer-songwriterSinger-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, was born in Rustenburg, and grew up in Springs, attending PAM Brink Primary School and High School Hugenote. - Andre Viljoen (born ?), former president and CEO of South African AirwaysSouth African AirwaysSouth African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
(SAA) (2001-2004), grew up in Springs and attended Springs Boys' High School. - Madi PhalaMadi PhalaMadi Phala was a South African artist. His most recent works were predominantly painting, and collage and dealt with the theme of the African herd boy.Phala was born February 2, 1955 in Kwa-Thema, Springs, South Africa....
(2 February 1955 - 2 March 2007), well-known artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, designerDesignerA designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, and educator, was born and raised in KwaThema, Springs. - James PhillipsJames Phillips (musician)James Phillips was a South African rock singer, songwriter and performer.-Biography:Phillips grew up in the conservative East Rand mining town of Springs, the son of a Presbyterian minister. He finished high school at Witbank High in 1976...
(22 January 1959 - 31 July 1995), a South African rock singerRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and performerPerforming artsThe performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
, grew up in Springs. - Glenda Steyn (born 2 January 1964), notable liberal politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the Democratic Party (now Democratic Alliance), grew up in Springs and is now a DA Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, spokesperson on the Standing Committee On Public Accounts, former Chief Whip, as well as a former Provincial Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance. - Fiona CoyneFiona Coyne (presenter)Fiona Coyne was a South African actress, author, playwright and television presenter who hosted the South African version of The Weakest Link....
(22 June 1965 - 18 August 2010), a well-known theatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
actress, playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and television presenterPresenterA presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
(The Weakest LinkThe Weakest LinkThe Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
, South Africa), was born, raised, and married in Springs, and attended the Springs Convent school (now Veritas College). - Rudi BrysonRudi BrysonRudi Edwin Bryson was a former South African cricketer who played seven One Day Internationals in 1997.-References:*...
(born 25 July 1968), a former South African cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played seven One Day Internationals in 1997, and played for Northern Transvaal and Eastern Province cricket teams, was born and raised in Springs, and attended Springs Boys' High School. - Brandon Auret (born ?), a well-known stage (Winnie), television (Isidingo, Angel's Song, One Way, Breathe), and film (Catch a FireCatch a Fire (film)Catch a Fire is a 2006 dramatic thriller about activists against apartheid in South Africa. The film was directed by Phillip Noyce, from a screenplay written by Shawn Slovo...
, HansieHansieHansie is a feature film, produced in South Africa by Global Creative Studios and directed by Regardt van den Bergh. It is based on the true story of cricketer Hansie Cronje...
- The Movie, District 9District 9District 9 is a 2009 South African science fiction thriller film directed by Neill Blomkamp. It was written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James...
, Night Drive, The Race-ist) actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, rock singerRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, was born and raised in Springs and attended the local CBC (now Veritas College). - Penny Heyns (born 8 November 1974), double Olympic gold medallist in swimmingSwimming at the Summer OlympicsSwimming has been a sport at every modern Summer Olympics. It has been open to women since 1912. Along with track & field athletics and gymnastics it is one of the most popular spectator sports at the Games and the one with the largest number of events....
(1996 Atlanta Olympic Games1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
), holder of 14 swimming world records, and the only woman in history to complete the Olympic double of winning both the 100Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metre breaststrokeThe finals of the Women's 100 metres Breaststroke event for the 1996 Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 26, 1996.-Final A:-Final B:-Non-Qualifiers:-See also:*1997 Women's World Championships 100m Breaststroke...
and 200 metreSwimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's 200 metre breaststrokeThe finals of the Women's 200 metres Breaststroke event for the 1996 Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 23, 1996.-Final A:-Final B:-Non-Qualifiers:-See also:*1997 Women's World Championships 200m Breaststroke...
breaststrokeBreaststrokeThe breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
, was born in Springs and attended a local primary school. - Shirley Sutherland (born 17 December 1973), a well-known coloratura sopranoColoratura sopranoA coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...
operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer, director, and performer in musicals, grew up in Springs and attended Springs Girls' High School. - Eudy SimelaneEudy SimelaneEudy Simelane was a South African footballer who played for the South Africa women's national football team and an LGBT-rights activist. She was raped and murdered in her hometown of KwaThema, Springs, Gauteng.-Football:...
(11 March 1977 - 28 April 2008), a well-known former South Africa women's national football teamSouth Africa women's national football teamThe South Africa national women's football team, nicknamed Banyana Banyana , is the national team of South Africa and is controlled by the South African Football Association.Their first official match was held in 30 May 1993 against Swaziland....
("Banyana Banyana") midfielder, future South African Football AssociationSouth African Football AssociationThe South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
referee, and gayLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
rights activistLGBT social movementsLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
grew up in and was murdered in KwaThema, Springs. - Dean Hall (born 2 September 1977), a former Springbok rugbySouth Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, Lions rugby, and Sharks rugby player (wingerRugby union positionsIn the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
), and once dubbed "the white Jonah LomuJonah LomuJonah Tali Lomu, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union player. He had sixty-three caps as an All Black after debuting in 1994. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union. He has had a huge impact on the game...
" by the New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
media, was born and raised in Springs and attended Springs Boys' High School. - Lawrence SephakaLawrence SephakaLawrence Sephaka is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at prop, preferably Tighthead.He currently plays in the Super 14 for the Lions....
(born 8 August 1978), a Springbok rugbySouth Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
player (propRugby union positionsIn the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
) from 2001 to 2006 gaining 24 caps and playing in the 2003 Rugby World Cup2003 Rugby World CupThe 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, former Lions rugby player, and current professional player for Rugby Pro D2Rugby Pro D2Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second level of domestic club rugby union in France, below the first division, Top 14. The competition was introduced in 2000. There is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Fédérale 1, the third-level competition...
, the second level of the French professional leagueLigue nationale de rugbyThe French National Rugby League is the name of the national professional rugby union league system of France. It is divided into two divisions:*Top 14*Rugby Pro D2-External links: *...
, for ToulonRC ToulonnaisRC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, attended Hoer Tegniese Skool in Springs. - Justine RobbesonJustine RobbesonJustine Gail Robbeson is a South African athlete who specialises in the javelin throw. She previously competed in the heptathlon, achieving a personal best of 5868 in 2004...
(born 15 May 1985), former world junior heptathlonHeptathlonA heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...
champion (2004), current African record holderAfrican records in athleticsAfrican records in athletics are the best marks set in a track and field and road running events by an athlete who competes for a member nation of the Confederation of African Athletics . The organisation is responsible for ratification and it analyses each record before approving it...
in the women's javelinJavelin throwThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
(63.49m in February 2008), and participant in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, grew up in Springs and attended Springs Girls' High School.