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ACCOMMODATION || BANKS || BORDER POSTS || BEST TIME TO GO || CLIMATE  || CLOTHING COMMUNICATION || CREDIT CARDS || CURRENCY || ELECTRICITY || ENTRY REQUIREMENTS || EXCHANGE RATE || HEALTH REQUIREMENTS || INSURANCE || LANGUAGES || MEDICAL CARE || NATIONAL PARKS & TOURIST ATTRACTIONS || PHOTOGRAPHY || POSTAGE || ROAD CONDITIONS || SOUVENIRS & VAT ||  TIPPING || TOURISM SEASONS || TRAVEL INSURANCE || VISAS || WATER 

Legislative Captial: Cape Town
Judicial Capital: Bloemfontein
Administrative Capital: Pretoria
Independence: 1961

Time : GMT plus 2
Population : Approx. 40 Million
Area : 1,220,430 sq. km
Currency : South African Rand

ACCOMMODATION
It is strongly recommended that you reserve all your accommodation as far in advance as possible, since availability is at a premium.
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BANKS

Banking hours at most commercial banks are :
Mon – Fri 09h00 – 15h30
Sat 08h00 – 11h00

Major hotels have foreign exchange facilities and most shops, lodges and travel agencies take travellers cheques.
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BORDER POSTS
All border posts open daily.

ROAD : South Africa / Namibia
Vioolsdrif 24 hrs per day
ROAD : South Africa / Mocambique
Komatiepoort 07h00 – 22h00
ROAD : South Africa / Botswana
Tlokweng 07h00 - 22h00
ROAD : South Africa / Zimbabwe
Beitbridge 06h00 – 20h00
ROAD : South Africa / Swaziland
Oshoek 07h00 – 22h00
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BEST TIME TO GO
South Africa is an all year round destination. However there are certain regions which are more popular in different seasons:

• The northern regions are good destinations in the winter months as the gameviewing is at its best and the temperatures are very mild (maximum 20-23ºC). There is very little winter rainfall in the north.

• The southern regions are summer destinations with low summer rainfall and temperatures reaching 28-30ºC or higher on beautiful days.
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CLIMATE
Summer : October – April
Winter : May - August
Summer temperatures average between 15-30ºC (60-96F) at midday.

Despite regional differences, South Africa’s climate is generally mild throughout the year. Snowfall is limited to the highest mountain peaks. South Africa is on the whole a dry country with a mean annual rainfall of 502mm. In fact, South Africa ranks high in the world as far as number of sunshine days per year is concerned.

KwaZulu Natal has a mostly sub tropical climate with a high humidity in Summer. The Southern Gauteng region has hot summers with occasional thunder showers and frosty winters, while the Eastern part of this region (known as the Lowveld) enjoys mild winters. The Cape interior and the Freestate have similar weather conditions to the Southern Gauteng region. The Western Cape region has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.
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CLOTHING
Casual, comfortable wash and wear clothing is most useful. Jackets and ties are required in city hotel restaurants and golf clubs. All the hotels offer extremely quick laundry turnaround, usually within a couple of hours. It is certainly not necessary to bring a separate change of clothing for each day and evening, and it is recommended that you keep luggage to a minimum for your own comfort and ease of transport, especially if you are using light aircraft transfers.

Here is a guideline list of important items to bring :

• Shorts & Cotton T-shirts
• Swimming costume
• Good comfortable walking shoes
• Casual light-weight cotton, khaki or neutral coloured clothes for safari.
• Wide brimmed hat
• Personal toiletries, sun barrier creams and lip creams
• Anti-malaria prophylactics
• Binoculars, camera and accessories
• Sunglasses
  
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COMMUNICATION
A direct international dialing service is available from the major hotels in South Africa. Both local and long distance calls are metered on a time basis and every second counts in terms of cost. Major hotels and businesses have a fax service. Remember that hotels levy a substantial surcharge on all calls. Most lodges have telephone communication facilities, unless they are in very remote areas, but they are able to maintain contact with "the outside world".
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CREDIT CARDS
Visa, American Express, Diners Club and Mastercard are honoured by most restaurants, stores, hotels, car rental firms and other points of sale and service. Proof of identity may be requested in some instances and it is therefore useful to carry a passport or other form of photo identification at all times.

Credit cards are not acceptable at petrol stations which will only accept cash.
Rand travellers cheques are handy to have.

Please note that a VAT of 14% is levied in South Africa.
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CURRENCY
The unit of currency in South Africa is the Rand where R1 is made up of 100 cents. Bank notes are R200 (orange), R100 (blue), R50 (pink), R20 (brown) and R10 (green). Coins are R5, R2, R1, 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c, 1c. Please be aware that there are ‘old’ and ‘new’ coins in circulation, until the transition to the ‘new’ coins is complete.
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ELECTRICITY
Voltage in South Africa is 230 to 240 volts, 50Hz. You will need an adapter which can be purchased in South Africa. Hotels usually provide dual voltage razor sockets, 110 to 210 volts or 220 to 250 volts. Some of the game lodges do not have electricity. These lodges generally run on generator power for lighting and refrigeration and this power only runs at certain times on the day. Please be aware that you will therefore not find plug sockets in your rooms/tents at these lodges.
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
As for all international travel, the visitor to South Africa is required to be in possession of a valid passport. Travellers from certain countries also need a visa.

Direct enquiries to South African diplomatic represent-atives abroad or the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria : Civitas Building, Struben Street,

Private Bag X114, Pretoria 0001.

Tel: +27-12-314-8911 Fax: +27-12-314-8516

Visas are issued free of charge. Visitors who intend travelling to South Africa’s neighbouring countries and back are advised to apply for multiple entry visas. In terms of existing arrangements, passport holders of certain countries are exempt from visa requirements.

Important: visitors should have sufficient funds to support themselves whilst in South Africa and should be in possession of a return ticket or have proof of other means to return to their home country.
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EXCHANGE RATE
Is in your favour. Generally, you will find that fine cuisine, wine, and entertainment cost a fraction of the tariff charged by equivalent establishments elsewhere in the world.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
There are no compulsory inoculations. However, please do note that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age entering South Africa within 6 days of leaving an infected area.

Anti-Malaria prophylactics are recommended for the Mpumalanga Lowveld and northern Natal. Anti-Malaria precautions such as Daraclor are readily obtainable at Chemists in South Africa but you are advised to consult your local pharmacist regarding malaria. Obviously if you have any concerns you should consult your own doctor.

At the risk of stating the obvious, please do not underestimate the effects of the sun. It would be a pity to lose a day of your holiday through over indulging in the African sun. Plenty of sun cream, a good sun hat and gradual adjustment are recommended.

See also Center for Disease Control
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INSURANCE
Health insurance is advisable. The health services are of a high standard in South Africa but a private system is in operation for which you would require medical insurance. Insurance is also recommended to cover baggage as we cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to passenger’s belongings.

LANGUAGES
There are 11 official languages in South Africa: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsongo, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. The English speaking visitor will have no problem while travelling through the country.

Here are few words and phrases which have been translated into three of the country’s official languages – they should be helpful (and fun to use) in most regions:

MEDICAL CARE
Medial services in South Africa are readily available. Doctors are listed under "Medical" and hospitals under "H" in all telephone directories. Visitors are advised to secure medical cover on their medical insurance before arriving in the country. Major hotels have contracts with physicians and dentists. Visitors are advised to bring any medical supplies of specialised medication they may require with them. Medicine may be purchased at pharmacies and emergency pharmacies are open all night.
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NATIONAL PARKS & TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
The diversity of the scenery, people and cultures, the wildlife, climate and vegetation make South Africa one of the most interesting and attractive places to visit.

• MPUMALANGA REGION & KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

• KWAZULU NATAL & DURBAN

• WESTERN CAPE: CAPE TOWN
             GARDEN ROUTE
  THE KAROO & OUDTSHOORN

• SUN CITY
  
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Most types of film material, colour slide negatives and video tapes are readily available in all major centres and holiday resorts, as are fast, reliable processing services.

POSTAGE
Stamps can be purchased from the post offices and some news agencies (CNA for example). Post cards to be sent abroad require a R1.00 stamp, while standard letters differ from country to country and need to be weighed at the central post office.
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ROAD CONDITIONS
You will find driving in South Africa easy to adapt to, with sign posting in English and driving on the left on well maintained roads. In order to hire a car in South Africa, you must have held a valid driver’s license for at least five years and the age limits are 23 – 70 years.

There are a number of toll roads in South Africa and you will receive clear indication signs before reaching a toll station. Payment may be made at an attended booth.

A word of caution regarding overtaking or "undertaking" on the inside. This is not illegal in South Africa and is a common practice. When changing lanes be aware of cars on your inside. Speed limits on the highways are 120 km/hr and 60 km/hr in the towns and cities.
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SOUVENIRS & VAT
A range of South African souvenirs are available from handicrafts to animal skins. As you would expect from a country rich in gold and diamonds, there is an excellent selection of jewellery and the opportunity to watch goldsmiths in action. Golfing equipment, including clothing, is reasonably priced.

Overseas visitors taking goods out of South Africa will be able to reclaim VAT which they paid on these goods. VAT reclaim is only applicable for goods which you are able to produce at the airport and is not valid for any services whatsoever. When purchasing your products you must inform the shop attendant that you are a visitor to South Africa and you must request a tax invoice from him/her. The shop’s VAT number must appear on this invoice. As you are checking in at the airport ready to depart from South Africa, you must approach the customs official who will compare your invoices with the goods purchased. When the customs official has approved and stamped your invoices the Vat Reclaim Office will refund you the appropriate amount. VAT Reclaim Offices are found at the following airports: Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
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TIPPING
It is customary to tip 10 to 15% of the bill at hotels and restaurants and 10% of the fare to taxi drivers. It is also the custom to tip local guides and drivers. Hairdressers and theatre ushers are not usually tipped for their services.

TOURISM SEASONS
Traditionally the peak season is from October to the end of March – availability is at a premium during this period, so it is strongly recommended to book accommodation and other travel arrangements in advance. As South Africa is gaining in popularity as a tourist destination, seasonal differences are not as marked as they previously were.
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Also see BEST TIME TO GO.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
See INSURANCE

VISAS
See ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

WATER
The tap water in South Africa is safe to drink. If you prefer, bottled water is available.
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