When I read South Africa tour itineraries, I always wondered why they keep including this place. Yet here we were, visiting Sun City as part of a tour.
Overview
It felt a bit tacky overall, but once you're inside, the atmosphere gets more enjoyable. We did the zipline and it was great fun, soaring through the forest over the pools.
In a normal country, this would be a perfectly pleasant resort. But in a place with such extreme income inequality, it just makes you angry. The resources poured into building and operating this place could have gone toward something far more beneficial for the country. Then again, the fault doesn't lie with Sun City's founders; it lies with those who let the country reach this state over decades.
Food & Drink
Restaurant prices inside are reasonable. The beach and waves look nice, but the artificial ocean floor is actually concrete, which is pretty ridiculous. The steep water slide looks seriously intense too. You definitely want to visit in hot weather.
Nightlife
There's a Hard Rock Cafe and casinos inside. The locals at the casino are serious gamblers, I don't think I've ever seen a gambling atmosphere quite like it anywhere else.
Tips & Advice
If you're planning your own itinerary, I'd say skip Sun City entirely. Add an extra day of safari at Pilanesberg instead, much better value. And coming all the way from Turkey to swim in Sun City's fake pools is frankly absurd. But if your tour already includes a stop here, I definitely recommend doing the zipline.