Dating in Pretoria

• Jacaranda season. In October and November the streets go purple. Walk through Arcadia or Brooklyn and let the trees do the talking.
• The Union Buildings. The gardens and the view over the city, best late in the afternoon.
• Groenkloof Nature Reserve. Walk or ride among zebra and giraffe, a few minutes from the city centre.
• Pretoria National Botanical Garden. Paths along the ridge in the east of the city, and a picnic lawn.
• Freedom Park. On Salvokop hill: a heritage site with one of the best views of Pretoria.
• The Magaliesberg. About an hour away, for a morning hike and a long lunch after.

• Your suburb, never your GPS. You choose your suburb or town. Distances are measured from suburb to suburb, in kilometres, so nobody can work out where you actually are.
• Every photo checked. A photo is hidden until it has been checked. No bots, and no made-up members to make the place look busy.
• One opening message. Anyone can say hello once, and can't write again until you reply. Nobody gets flooded.
• A lounge to chat in. One shared room for everyone on Dateclub, every message checked, for when you'd rather talk than browse.
• Free. Messages and seeing who likes you included.

Dateclub is new and South African. How many people you'll find near you depends on who has joined so far, and every new member makes it better for everyone around them.

• First date ideas in South Africa Easy first dates that aren't dinner: coffee, a hike, a market, a braai. What makes a good first date, and ideas for every budget.
• Meeting someone from online, safely How to meet someone from a dating site safely in South Africa: before you meet, on the day, and the signs of a romance scam.
• How to write a dating profile bio What to put in a dating profile bio so the right people say hello: be specific, sound like yourself, and give them something to ask about.
• What to say in a first message How to write an opening message that gets a reply: use their profile, ask one real question, and keep it short. With examples.

Johannesburg · Cape Town · Durban · Gqeberha · Bloemfontein