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South Africa Information

Overview

South Africa is a treasure chest of unforgettable scenery, from lofty mountains to sun-baked deserts and dramatic coastlines washed by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Its game viewing equals the best in Africa, and where else can you find both penguins and elephants?

Overshadowed by dramatic Table Mountain and surrounded by the Atlantic, Cape Town is one of the world’s most picturesque cities. You can sample fine wine under the grapes in the tranquil winelands, while the pretty Garden Route offers country towns, lagoons and forests to explore. The Wild Coast boasts isolated beaches, rocky coastline and traditional rural villages, and the resorts along the KwaZulu-Natal coast offer lots of family seaside fun.

Inland are the intriguing and moving battlefield sites that lay testament to the Anglo-Boer war. Here too rise the Drakensberg Mountains where vultures ride on the thermals over deeply green valleys and jagged peaks. To the east is the Kruger National Park where the thorny bush harbours the ‘Big Five’ animals to see (the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino) as well as many other fascinating animals and birds.

South Africa also has a vivid history. Apartheid was broken down in 1990 by President FW De Klerk, and jailed ANC leader Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years of imprisonment. In the first democratic elections to be held in South Africa, Mandela became president in 1994. The story is told in the excellent museums in Johannesburg, by far the most vibrant of the country’s cities with a rich cultural heritage.

Apartheid activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu named the newly integrated South Africa the ‘Rainbow Nation’. It is a fitting name for a country with 11 official languages and people of all colours, races and creeds, living in a vividly coloured and sculpted landscape. It is no wonder then that its cities are so cosmopolitan.

Author

Melissa Shales

Top Things To See

Walk around Cape Town’s main hub, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a beautifully restored old Victorian harbour which offers free entertainment, and a wide variety of shops, museums (including the excellent aquarium), taverns and restaurants (website: www.waterfront.co.za).

Explore the relics of colonial government, centred on Cape Town’s Government Avenue, with fine old buildings and museums, including: the Parliament Buildings; Groote Kerk (mother church of the Dutch Reformed faith); the National Museum; the National Gallery; Bertram House; and centuries-old Company’s Garden.

See the largest colony of jackass penguins to live on the African mainland at Boulders Beach in Simonstown. The penguins live on a protected beach strewn with boulders and visitors can watch them from a boardwalk (website: www.sanparks.org).

Enjoy South Africa’s almost 24,000 species of flowers, many of which can be seen in the world-class and extraordinarily beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, created by Cecil Rhodes in 1895 on the lower slopes of Table Mountain (website: www.sanbi.org).

Venture into Addo Elephant National Park to track down herds of easily-seen elephant and other game, including black rhino, buffalo and antelope. Excellent private reserves nearby include Shamwari, which has upmarket accommodation plus elephants, lions, leopards, rhino and buffalo (websites: www.addoelephantpark.co.za; www.shamwari.com).

See the only place in the world where hippos, crocodiles and sharks share the same lagoon at Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, which is bordered by giant dunes, beaches and tropical reefs. It also has superb birdwatching and diving (website: www.stlucia.org.za).

Visit the huge Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park, which ranges from rocky hillside to open savannah and thick woodland, and supports some 86 mammal and around 425 bird species. There are more rhinos here than anywhere else on earth (website: www.kznwildlife.com).

Track down the ‘Big Five’ animals and thousands of other species in world-famous Kruger National Park, a massive reserve ranking among the best wildlife-watching destinations in Africa. Surrounding the park are private concessions that are less crowded but more expensive than park camps (website: www.sanparks.org).

Go to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, a manmade reserve and an excellent ‘Big Five’ destination. It is the third-largest game park in South Africa. Adjoining it is the over-the-top resort of Sun City (website: www.pilanesberggamereserve.com).

Walk, climb or ride your way around the Drakensberg, South Africa’s largest mountain range. It is a jagged backbone of saw-toothed peaks reaching 3,000m (9,840ft) with refreshing mountain streams, ancient yellow-wood trees and Bushmen cave art (website: www.drakensberg.kzn.org.za).

Follow the Panorama Route at the top of the spectacularly scenic Blyde River Canyon just to the west of Kruger, where there is a series of waterfalls, dramatic mountains, plunging cliffs and spectacular views of the Lowveld 1,000m (3,300ft) below (website: www.mpumalanga.com).

Learn about the series of wars between the Zulus, Afrikaans and British (1830-1902) by exploring their bloody frontline in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal, an area of rolling grassland and rocky kopjies (hills). Graves, memorials and monuments scatter the region (website: www.battlefields.kzn.org.za).

Get diamond fever in Kimberley, where you’ll find the Big Hole, the world’s largest hand dug manmade excavation, and the Mine Museum, with its replicas of 19th-century Kimberley during the diamond rush. The De Beers Hall Museum also displays cut and uncut diamonds (website: www.kimberley.co.za).

Learn the history of apartheid in Johannesburg’s excellent new museums. The critically acclaimed Apartheid Museum tells the whole story, Soweto’s Hector Pieterson Museum covers the 1976 student uprising and Constitutional Hill is on the site of a notorious jail where many blacks were sent (websites: www.apartheidmuseum.org, www.constitutionhill.org.za).

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Top Things To Do

Stare out from atop Cape Town’s Table Mountain, the famous flat-topped mountain with views across the peninsula to the Atlantic Ocean. You can walk up or take the dizzying Aerial Cableway (website: www.tablemountain.net).

Explore South Africa’s 13 major wine-producing regions, following their signposted wine routes. Wine estates offer tastings beneath the vines or in old Cape-Dutch whitewashed mansions and many have excellent restaurants (website: www.winelands.co.za).

Drive the scenic Route 62 through the Breede Valley area, and the charming little towns of Tulbagh, Worcester, Wellington and Ceres, which all have fine old buildings, interesting small museums, beautiful scenery, vineyards and fruit orchards (website: www.route62.co.za).

Marvel at whales from June to September at Hermanus, the best place in South Africa to watch whales. Walker Bay holds a Whale Festival annually during the last week of September (website: www.hermanus.co.za).

Dive off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. It is particularly popular in Sodwana Bay. The offshore Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks are some of the best dive sites in South Africa, while wreck diving is widespread around the Cape.

Surf at Jeffrey’s Bay (J-Bay) near Port Elizabeth, which is home to Supertubes - considered by surf rats as the world’s best right hand point break (website: www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za).

Bungee jump from one of the world’s highest drops - the bridge over the Blaukrans River, Western Cape. At 216m (709ft), this jump is more than twice as high as the jump over the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls (website: www.faceadrenalin.com).

Play a round of golf at one of the hundreds of courses across South Africa. Many are in scenic locations and several have been designed by one of the greatest golfers of all time, South African Gary Player (website: www.golfinginsouthafrica.co.za).

Watch the West Coast and Namaqualand explode into blossom as wild flowers blanket the landscape between midAugust and midSeptember. The West Coast National Park is one of the best places to see the phenomenon (website: www.namaqualand.com).

Hike through beautiful mountain ranges, scenic game reserves and challenging wilderness. There are hundreds of trails through the Drakensberg, the Otter Trail is multi-day hike along the coast or you can simply walk up Table Mountain (website: www.hiking-south-africa.info).

Take the ferry to the notorious Robben Island prison in Cape Town’s Table Bay, where Nelson Mandela and many other anti-apartheid activists were imprisoned. Ride around the island on an old prison bus and peek inside Mandela’s cell (website: www.robben-island.org.za).

Cage dive with great white sharks in Gansbaai in the Western Cape. Dyer Island, with its penguins, seals and large game fish is the natural hunting ground for sharks (website: www.whitesharkdiving.com).

Take a tour of a township, the areas where blacks were forcibly relocated during apartheid, and experience the vibrancy and sense of community. Tours run from most major cities; Soweto in Johannesburg and the Cape Flats in Cape Town are most popular.

Enjoy South Africa’s world-renowned beaches, such as popular Plettenberg Bay; Durban’s city beach the Golden Mile; South Coast family beach resorts Amanzimtoti, Scottsburgh, Port Shepstone and Margate; or join the beautiful people at Cape Town’s impossibly trendy Camps Bay.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Going Out

Food and Drink

A thriving agricultural sector yields excellent meat, fruit and wines and the long coastline produces very fresh and cheap seafood. South Africans like to eat out so there is an excellent and diverse range of restaurants. This is especially so in cities, where all international cuisines are represented. Fruity and sweet Cape Malay cuisine can be found in Cape Town, while the Indian influence in Durban provides some authentic Asian food on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, and Mozambique peri peri spicy chicken and prawns are popular all over the country. Braais (barbeques) are hugely popular and every campsite, self-catering accommodation and picnic spot has a braai pit. Meat is a well-loved staple in South Africa, although vegetarians are offered at least a couple of dishes in even small-town eateries.

Things to know: All restaurants and bars/cocktail lounges have waiter service and you pay your bill at the end. Some restaurants close on Sundays or Mondays. ‘Liquor stores’ are open weekdays 0900-1800 and Sat 0900-1300. Supermarkets are permitted to sell wine but not beer or spirits. No alcohol can be sold from shops on a Sunday.

National specialities:
• Sosaties (a type of kebab).
• Bobotie (a curried mince dish, of which waterbolmmetjiebredie, made with a local water plant, is particularly good).
• Potjiekos (a casserole cooked for hours in an iron pot, usually outside).
• Bredies (meat, tomato and vegetable casseroles).
• Biltong (seasoned dried meat).

National drinks:
• Umqombothi, a home-brewed sorghum beer.
• Excellent local red and white wines (including chardonnay), sherries and brandies.
• Rooibos, a red-leafed tea grown in the Western Cape.
• Amarula Cream, a sweet creamy liqueur made from the fruit of the Marula tree.

Legal drinking age: 18

Tipping: Normally 10 to 15% if service is not included. It is customary to tip waiters. By law, hotel rates do not include a service charge.

Nightlife

Cinemas show a variety of international films. In the cities, art cinemas show grittier releases and foreign language films and occasionally host film and documentary festivals. All the large cities have theatres, comedy clubs and various performance venues showing plays, operas, musicals and symphony concerts. The local music scene is thriving, and there is a unique South African township jazz style, exponents of which can be seen in all large cities.

There are a number of annual local music festivals and in Cape Town and Johannesburg, open air concerts are held in botanical gardens over summer. Sports stadiums host international pop and rock stars. Most restaurants and cafes double up as bars in the evening and some have large screen TVs to watch sport. There are a number of nightclubs open until late and Cape Town has a thriving gay scene. The large hotels usually have live music, while the glitzy casinos not only have gaming floors but also entertainment such as bowling alleys, restaurants, and sometimes supper theatres for comedy and cabaret.

Shopping

South Africa is home to the mega-mall. Increasingly more and more shopping malls are being built to serve the needs of any sizeable community. These generally have long opening hours and parking for hundreds of cars. Apart from shops, they feature post offices, banks, cinemas, restaurants, fast food courts and supermarkets. The Gateway Mall in Durban is reputedly the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere and coming in second is the Canal Walk Mall in Cape Town.

In the tourist areas, malls feature shops selling crafts and souvenirs - particularly at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront where there are a number of upscale African art and curio shops, and in Johannesburg’s Rosebank Mall, which is also home to an African craft market.

Away from the malls, African curios markets can be found in all the cities and along the coast. The bewildering variety of items to buy from across the continent include wooden sculptures, hand-crafted wire objects, cloth and batiks, jewellery, carved soapstone products, drums, ‘Africanised’ stationary and homeware and a vast range of pictorial books on Africa. Gold and diamonds make for good buys in South Africa and local wine, brandy and liqueur are cheap and usually excellent.

On departure at the airports or land borders, visitors can claim 14% VAT refunds on any unused purchases over the value of R250 bought in South Africa. You need to show your passport, flight ticket and original tax invoice for the item to the customs officer at the VAT refund desk. For more information look online (website: www.taxrefunds.co.za).

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1400, although there is an increasing trend to open later and all weekend in major tourist spots and in the large shopping malls. In the cities, there are 24-hour convenience stores.

Climate

South Africa’s climate is generally sunny and pleasant. Winters are usually mild, although snow falls on the mountain ranges of the Cape and Natal and occasionally in lower-lying areas, when a brief cold spell can be expected throughout the country.

Required Clothing

Lightweight cottons and linens and rainwear. Warmer clothes are needed for winter.

Public Holidays

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.
 
2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21 Mar Human Rights Day. 
21 Mar Good Friday. 
24 Mar Family Day.
27 Apr Freedom Day.
1 May Workers’ Day.
16 Jun Youth Day.
9 Aug National Women’s Day.
24 Sep Heritage Day.
16 Dec Day of Reconciliation.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Day of Goodwill.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21 Mar Human Rights Day. 
10 Apr Good Friday. 
13 Apr Family Day.
27 Apr Freedom Day.
1 May Workers’ Day.
16 Jun Youth Day.
9 Aug National Women’s Day.
24 Sep Heritage Day.
16 Dec Day of Reconciliation.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Day of Goodwill.

Note

Holidays falling on a Sunday are observed the following Monday.

Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: Yes

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Yes

Malaria

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No*

Health Care

Medical facilities are good in urban areas but limited elsewhere. Doctors and hospitals often require immediate cash payment. Comprehensive health insurance is recommended, which should include repatriation to your home country in the event of an emergency.

Note

* Kruger National Park, the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal are considered a low risk malaria area during December-April.

** A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age arriving from an infected area.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Rand (ZAR; symbol R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Currency Exchange

Money can be changed at banks, bureaux de change and some hotels. Proof of identity may be requested; therefore, it is advisable to carry a passport. Visitors are restricted to bringing in and taking out a maximum of R5000 in cash.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

MasterCard and Visa are preferred. American Express and Diners Club are also widely accepted. ATMs are available all over the towns and cities including shopping malls and petrol stations, and accept all international debit and credit cards. Almost all hotels, shops and restaurants, and even national parks and game reserves accept credit cards. They are not accepted at petrol stations, however. Petrol must always be paid for with cash.

Traveller's Cheques

Valid at banks, hotels, restaurants and some tourist-orientated shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Currency Restrictions

Restrictions apply.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1530, Sat 0830-1100.

Passport/Visa

British

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Australian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Canadian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: Yes

USA

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Other EU

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: 1
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Passport Note

Passport must have at least two blank pages for entry stamp. This cannot include the ’endorsement’ page at the back. Passengers who also require a visa must have a passport with two blank facing pages, one for the visa and one for their entry stamp. Anyone attempting to enter South Africa without the required pages will be returned to their country of origin.

Passports

Passport valid for at least 30 days after the intended date of departure required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days for business and tourist purposes, except: 
1. nationals of Cyprus, Hungary, Poland and Slovak Republic who may stay for up to 30 days, and nationals of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia who do require a visa, unless transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport (advance notice of overnight stay is required).

Visa Note

(a) Proof of financial means may be required. (b) Unaccompanied children under the age of 18 years must hold written consent from their parents when travelling alone. (c) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses). (d) After entry, extensions of stay may be sought from the Department of Home Affairs.

Types of Visa and Cost

Visa fee: £35. UK nationals are exempt from visa fees.

Validity

Dependent on length of stay requested. Permits may be extended if done so 30 days prior to expiry of original permit.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular section at embassy or high commission); see Contact Addresses. Applicants in countries where South Africa is not represented may send their applications to the embassy in the nearest country.

Working Days Required

Five to 10 days.

Contact Addresses

South African Tourism Board (SATOUR) in the UK

Street address: 6 Alt Grove, Wimbledon, London SW19 4DZ, UK
Postal address: PO Box 49110, Wimbledon, London SW19 4XZ, UK
Tel: (020) 8971 9350 or 0870 155 0044 (tourism enquiry line and brochure request).
Website: www.southafrica.net

South African High Commission in the UK

South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DP, UK
Tel: (020) 7451 7299.
Website: www.southafricahouse.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

South African Consulate in the UK

15 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DD, UK
Tel: (020) 7925 8900/01/10.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0845-1245 (appointments only), 1500-1600 (collections).
Website: www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate.htm

3051 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 232 4400.
Website: www.saembassy.org

South African Tourism Board (SATOUR) in the USA

500 Fifth Avenue, 20th Floor, Suite 2040, New York, NY 10110, USA
Tel: (212) 730 2929 or 1 800 593 1318 (tourism enquiry line and brochure request).
Website: www.southafrica.net

Travel Advice

Warning

Most visits to South Africa are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

There is a high level of crime, but most occurs in townships and isolated areas away from tourist destinations.

The standard of driving is variable, and there are many fatal accidents.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

• South Africa Overview
• South Africa Things to See
• South Africa Things to Do
• South Africa Events
• South Africa Climate
• South Africa Public Holidays
• South Africa Health
• South Africa Currency
• South Africa Passport & Visas
• South Africa Contact Addresses
• South Africa Travel Advice