What you need to bring with you
Food and Drink
Religions
Posting
Geography
South Africa occupies the southern tip of Africa, its long coastline stretching more than 2 500km from the desert border with Namibia on the Atlantic coast southwards around the tip of Africa and then north to the border with subtropical Mozambique on the Indian Ocean.
The low-lying coastal zone is narrow for much of that distance, soon giving way to a mountainous escarpment that separates it from the high inland plateau. In some places, notably the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the east, a greater distance separates the coast from the escarpment.
Although the country is classified as semi-arid, it has considerable variation in climate as well as topography.
The great inland Karoo plateau, where rocky hills and mountains rise from sparsely populated scrubland, is very dry, and gets more so as it shades in the north-west towards the Kalahari desert. Extremely hot in summer, it can be icy in winter.
In contrast, the eastern coastline is lush and well watered, a stranger to frost. The southern coast, part of which is known as the Garden Route, is rather less tropical but also green, as is the Cape of Good Hope - the latter especially in winter. This south-western corner of the country has a Mediterranean climate, with wet winters and hot, dry summers. Its most famous climatic characteristic is its wind, which blows intermittently virtually all year round, either from the south-east or the north-west
Cape Town
Warmed by the African sun, the city is dominated by a towering, table-shaped mountain, set on a peninsula of soaring, rocky heights and lush valleys, where two oceans converge- Indian and Atlantic. Immense natural beauty and the fast pace and bright lights of a great urban centre meld effortlessly here. Firmly positioned on the international map, Cape Town offers a myriad things to do and places to see, whatever your tastes, inclinations or budget.
View our selection of Cape Town Hotels.
MAJOR CITIES
There are three capital cities: Cape Town (legislative), Pretoria (administrative) and Bloemfontein (judicial). Johannesburg is the largest industrial, financial and cultural centre in South Africa. Cape Town and Durban are two of the most popular holiday playgrounds. Notable cities and towns from a historical and cultural point of view include: Pietermaritzburg, Grahamstown, Graaff-Reinet, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley and Stellenbosch.
Money Major credit cards, including Visa, Master Card, American Express and Diners Club, are accepted widely. Most hotels and lodges in South Africa accept foreign currency or travelers' Cheques.
There are also Exchange bureaus everyplace. Credit card cash advances are available in major cities through Cash transfers are easiest through Western Union money transfer. Please note that credit card cash is also available:
ATM availability widely available in all cities in South Africa, convenient travel.
South African Rand (ZAR)
Government Website: www.reservebank.co.za
• Coins
Nickel plated R5, R2 and R1
Brass plated 50 Cents, 20 Cents, 10 Cents
Bronze plated 5 Cents, 2 Cents, and 1 Cent
• Notes
R200, R100, R50, R20, R10
When you leave claim your Vat refunds
VAT (Value-Added-Tax) of 14% is levied on nearly all goods and services in South Africa. Foreign tourists may claim back VAT paid on items, with a total value exceeding R250.00, which will be taken out of the country with them. Original tax invoices, foreign passport, plus all the items on which a refund is claimed, must be presented at the VAT refund administration office on departure, and the total VAT on these items will be refunded.
The VAT can be claimed at airports and/or harbours of departure, and customs offices. Visitors will be requested to fill out a VAT Refund Control Sheet (VAT 255).
Where a visitor does not export all the goods specified on a particular tax invoice, only the value of the goods and the tax paid on such goods exported must be declared on this form.
• NBS Bank Limited
• Mercantile Bank offers a full range of comprehensive banking services
• Wes Bank, the "The Wheels Bank" is leading financier of vehicles in SA
• Deutsche Morgen Grenfell is an integrated investment bank.
• Standard Bank of South Africa Limited
• ABSA Bank is South Africa's largest Bank & financial services group.
• First National Bank
• Invested is an independent, international specialist banking group
• Ned bank
Banking Hours
Monday to Friday:
09h00 to 15h30
Saturday: 09h00 to 11h00
Auto banks (ATM's, automated teller machines) are found in most towns and operate on a 24 hour basis.
Safety
The level of violence remains high throughout South Africa and care should be taken when you travel, to safeguard yourself against the risks of random mugging and theft - day and night. Casual remarks should not be made about the political situation; which is complex. There is a risk of car-jacking and armed robbery. It is unwise for outsiders from any race to enter into a black township without a guide. Daylight muggings are not uncommon especially in parts of Johannesburg. Unauthorized overstaying can result in arrest at departure and imprisonment until trial when a high fine is likely to be imposed.
Important telephone numbers
• Police – 1011
• Ambulance – 10222
• Fire – 1022
TELEPHONE SERVICES
• Country Code: 27
• Outgoing Code: 09
• IDD: International Direct Dialling is available.
TRAVELLERS CHEQUES EMERGENCY NUMBERS
• Thomas Cook: 0800 99 8175
MONEY WIRING SERVICES
• Money Gram: 0 800 996 048
• Western Union: 0 800 126 000
WEATHER
South Africa Cape Town
• Summer
Summer is from November through to March, days are hot and dry.
• Winter
The winters are cold and rainy from June to August. Best time to travel to Cape Town, South Africa is from December to April Generally warm and sunny Winds are usually mild.
Seasons
• SUMMER - December to March
• AUTUMN - April to June
• WINTER - July to September
• SPRING - September to November
•Average temperatures in ºC
| Summer | Winter | |
| Cape Town | 20 | 12.6 |
| Durban | 23.6 | 17 |
| Johannesburg | 19.4 | 11.1 |
| Pretoria | 22.4 | 12.9 |
VISAS
PASSPORT INFORMATION
Valid passport required by all and must be valid for 6 months after proposed departure years. Return Travel Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the High Commission before departure
Basic requirements for entering South Africa
• You must have a passport valid for long enough to cover your intended stay in South Africa - along with a valid travel visa, if required.
• You must be of sound mind and body, and have a clear record as far as certain criminal offences are concerned.
• You must have enough money both to support yourself for a reasonable period after your arrival, and to pay for your return passage if you do not already have a return or onward ticket.
• Yellow fever
If you come from or have or traveled through or disembarked in a country in the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America, you must have proof of inoculation against the disease. Note that a yellow fever inoculation certificate only becomes valid 10 days after inoculation - after which it remains valid for 10 years
Who needs a visa?
• No visa requirements
If you fall under any of the following categories, then you do NOT need a visa to travel to SA for tourist, business or transit purposes (unless you have been specifically advised that your visa exemption has been withdrawn):
1. Holders of South African passports (or official travel documents issued in place of a passport) do NOT require visas.
2. Holders of passports of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - including the British Islands Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey, Isle of Mann and Virgin Islands - as well as the Republic of Ireland, are totally exempt from South African visa control.
HOWEVER Nationals of the British Dependent Territories are subject to visa control. These Territories are: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Cucie and Oeno Islands, the Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Turks and Caicos Islands.
3. Holders of passports of the following countries may visit South Africa for holidays or business of unspecified length or for transits - without a visa (unless specifically advised that their visa exemptions have been withdrawn):
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Italy
• Japan
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United States of America
• No visa requirements for up to 90 days
Holders of passports of the following countries may travel to South Africa for holiday or business trips of up to 90 days - or for transits - without a visa (unless specifically advised that their visa exemptions have been withdrawn):
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Ecuador
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Malta
• Paraguay
• St Helena
• Swaziland
• Uruguay
• Venezuela
• No visa requirements for up to 30 days
Holders of passports of the following countries may visit South Africa for holiday travel or business trips of up to 30 days - or for transits - without a visa (unless specifically advised that their visa exemptions have been withdrawn):
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Barbados
• Belize
• Benin
• Bolivia
• Botswana
• Cape Verde
• Costa Rica
• Cyprus
• Gabon
• Guyana
• Hong Kong (Only holders of Hong Kong British National Overseas passports, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports, or Hong Kong Certificates of Indemnity)
• Hungary
• Jordan
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Namibia
• Peru
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Slovak Republic
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Turkey (Turkish Republic of North Cyprus passport not acceptable)
• Zambia
Health
The main function of the Health Resource Centre is to support the staff of the City's clinics, Environmental Health offices, the Specialized Support services and the other services of the health department with regard to primary health care information and health promotion resources. Some health issues covered are HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, maternal health, and child health. There are also resources covering community nursing, management and leadership and environmental health. However, anyone working in the primary health care arena or involved in health promotion is welcome to use the resources.
• Malaria
is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness
If you become ill with a fever or flu-like illness either while traveling in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year), you should seek immediate medical attention and should tell the physician your travel history
Risk in the low altitude areas of the Mpumalanga Province, Northern Province, and northeastern KwaZulu-Natal as far south as the Tugela River (No Risk in Kruger National)
• Yellow fever
There is no risk for yellow fever in Southern Africa. A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain of these countries if you are coming from countries in South America or sub-Saharan Africa
What you need to bring for South Africa Travel
- Long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat to wear whenever possible while outside to prevent illnesses carried by insects (e.g., malaria, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis).
- Insect repellent containing deet
- Bed nets impregnated with permethrin. (Can be purchased in camping or military supply stores. Overseas, permethrin or another insecticide, deltamethrin, may be purchased to treat bed nets and clothes.)
- Flying-insect spray or mosquito coils to help clear rooms of mosquitoes. The product should contain a parathyroid insecticide; these insecticides quickly kill flying insects, including mosquitoes.
- Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicine to take if you have diarrhoea.
- Iodine tablets and water filters to purify water if bottled water is not available. See Do's above for more detailed information about water filters.
- Sun block, sunglasses, hat.
- Prescription medications: make sure you have enough to last during your trip, as well as a copy of the prescription(s).
Water outside of municipal areas is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products except those bought sealed from supermarkets as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.
LANGUAGES
English and Afrikaans with 9 other African languages, Ndebele, Pedi, Soto, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu
RELIGIONS
Christian in many forms including Afrikaner Calvinist and African independent churches with significant Hindu; Muslim and Jewish communities Traditional Animist beliefs are widely practiced sometimes in conjunction with Christianity.
POSTING
Airmail takes 1 week although it is often much longer.