South Africa
A World in One Country

Introduction

South Africa is one of the world’s top destinations for the intrepid traveller.  With over 21 National Parks, eight World Heritage Sites, 3,500 kilometres of pristine coastline, a phenomenal climate and amazing adventures ranging from shark diving to surfing, historic trails to wine tasting, South Africa is guaranteed to provide you with the unforgettable journey of a lifetime.

South Africa is a country where you can visit any type of terrain you wish, from beautiful sandy beaches to mountainous regions. There’s more to the country than the famous Cape Town. Hiking is quite common in the peaks and valleys of Drakensburg; Kruger National Park is a perfect place to take a safari and see the Big 5, whilst whale watching can be engaged in on the Southern Coast.

Since the demise of apartheid, international tourist arrivals have surged, making tourism one of the fastest growing sectors. The tourism industry is well established and prides itself in being a pioneer and leader in responsible tourism.

A well-known fact about South Africa is that since 1994 it has enjoyed democratic government, the apartheid policies of the past overthrown. Its national symbols include the Blue Crane as National bird, Springbok as National animal and the Protea is the National Flower.

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors and a stock exchange that is the 16th largest in the world.

Population: Estimates by the National Statistical Agency of South Africa mid year 2013: 52,981,991.  Ethnic Groups: black African 79.2%, white 8.9%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5%, other 0.5% (2011 est.) Source: CIA World FactBook

Capital:   Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)  Administrative Divisions:   9 provinces, namely Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

Religion:   Protestant 36.6%, Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, None 15.1% 2001 Census – Source CIA World FactBook

Languages: IsiZulu (official) 22.7%, IsiXhosa (official) 16%, Afrikaans (official) 13.5%, English (official) 9.6%, Sepedi (official) 9.1%, Setswana (official) 8%, Sesotho (official) 7.6%, Xitsonga (official) 4.5%, siSwati (official) 2.5%, Tshivenda (official) 2.4%, isiNdebele (official) 2.1%, sign language 0.5%, other 1.6% (2011 est.) Source: CIA World FactBook

Time Zone: GMT +2 hours

Country Dialling Code: +27

Currency: Rand (ZAR) The Rand comes in a range of coins (R1 = 100 cents) and note denominations of R10, R50, R100.

Electricity: The South African electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC 50 Hz. With a few exceptions (in deep rural areas) electricity is available almost everywhere.

Topography

Situated at the southern tip of Africa, South Africa has a landmass of 1,233,404 km² edged on 3 sides by nearly 3000 km of coastline washed by the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. It is bordered in the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and also wraps itself around two independent countries, the Lesotho and Swaziland.

Although most of the country is classified as semi-arid, it has considerable variation in climate as well as topography.

A central plateau covers the largest part of the country dominating the topography. To the east is the Great Escarpment, known as the Drakensberg Mountains. This range forms the longest continuous topographical feature in South Africa. Between the escarpment and the sea there is little genuine coastal plain, with exceptions in northern KwaZulu-Natal, where it reaches 80 km in width, and in parts of Western Cape.

The central plateau is at its highest in the east where its edge varies in altitude between 2,000 m and 3,300 m. forming the steep escarpment of the Drakensberg Mountains where the land drops sharply to the coastal plain. At its highest point the Drakensberg form the boundary in between Lesotho and Kwa Zula Natal. To the west the central plateau drops to 600 m in the sandy Kalahari.

The mountainous escarpment continues southwestward, dividing Lesotho from the Eastern Cape province. At lesser altitudes of 1600 to 2600 metres, it runs westward across Eastern province. The range continues westward and the mountains then become known by a wide variety of local names.

South of this range sits the Lower Karoo, a wide plain at some 600-800m above sea level where fertile soils have enabled agriculture and viniculture to thrive. South of this valley, running parallel to the coastline, is a series of mountain ranges of between 1000 to 2500 m altitude. These are the Cape Fold Mountains including the Hottentots Holland Mountains as well as the famous Table Mountain.

The Kalahari Desert is located on the north-western part of the country. The eastern and southern coast of South Africa features green land. The two main rivers that flow are Limpopo and Orange.

Climate

South Africa is famous for its sunshine. It’s a relatively dry country (semi arid), with an average annual rainfall of about 464mm (compared to a world average of about 860mm). Whilst the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally a summer-rainfall region.  Temperatures in South Africa tend to be lower than in other countries at similar latitudes – such as Australia – due mainly to greater elevation above sea level.  On the interior plateau, the altitude – Johannesburg lies at 1 694 metres – keeps the average summer temperatures below 30°C. In winter, for the same reason, night- time temperatures can drop to freezing point, and lower in some places.  South Africa’s coastal regions are therefore warmest in winter – subtropical along the east coast. There is, however, a striking contrast between temperatures on the country’s east and west coasts, due respectively to the warm Agulhas and cold Benguela Currents that sweep the coastlines.

Summer

Over much of South Africa, summer (mid-October to mid-February) is characterised by hot, sunny weather – often with afternoon thunderstorms that clear quickly, leaving a warm, earthy, uniquely African smell in the air.  The Western Cape, with its Mediterranean climate, is the exception, getting its rain in winter.

Autumn

Autumn in South Africa (mid-February to April) offers the best weather in some respects. Very little rain falls over the whole country, and it is warm but not too hot, getting colder as the season progresses.  In Cape Town, autumn is fantastic, with hot sunny days and warm, balmy nights.

Winter

Winter in South Africa (May to July) is characterised in the higher-lying areas of the interior plateau by dry, sunny, crisp days and cold nights, sometimes with heavy frosts. It’s a good idea to bring warm clothes.  The hot, humid KwaZulu-Natal coast, as well as the Lowveld (lower-lying areas) of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, offer fantastic winter weather with sunny, warmish days and virtually no wind or rain.  The Western Cape gets most of its rain in winter, with quite a few days of cloudy, rainy weather. However, these are always interspersed with wonderful days to rival the best of a British summer.  The high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal usually get snow in winter.

Spring

Nowhere in South Africa is spring (August to mid-October) more spectacular than in the Cape provinces. Here the grey winter is forgotten as thousands of small, otherwise insignificant plants cover the plains in an iridescent carpet of flowers.  The journey to see the flowers of the Namaqualand in the Western and Northern Cape is an annual pilgrimage for many South Africans.

Temperature & Rainfall

Climate Chart Johannesburg

Climate Chart – Cape Town

Climate Chart – Durban

Passport & Visa

Airports

The 3 major international airports in South Africa are: O R Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg), Cape Town International Airport and King Shaka International Airport (Durban) as well as 90 regional airports including the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) in Nelspruit.

Passports & Visas

Visitors require a valid passport with a minimum of two blank visa pages (excluding endorsement pages) and validity of at least six months after their intended departure date. Visitors who do not comply with these requirements may be prevented from boarding their aircraft at their point of departure or risk deportation on arrival in South Africa.

Entry requirements:

• Yellow Fever Certificate not now required by South Africa from travellers between Zambia and South Africa.

Following an announcement at the World Health Assembly on 30 January 2015, South Africa’s Minister of Health confirmed that a yellow fever (YF) certificate is not now required by South African authorities from travellers between Zambia and South Africa, with effect from 31 January 2015.

For visa requirements, please contact your nearest South African Embassy.

Please note: For under 18’s travelling to and from South Africa

The new requirements, being introduced by the South African Department of Home Affairs, for additional documentation needed by persons under the age of 18 years for travel to and from South Africa was implemented on 01 June, 2015.

Applicable travellers will be asked to produce the required documentation at check-in for each flight.

For further information and assistance please contact:  the South African Department of Home Affairs, 0800 60 11 90 (toll free from South Africa); or your local South African Embassy.

Health

South Africa is well-known for its medical skill since Professor Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful heart transplant in 1967. There are many world-class private hospitals and medical centres around the country, especially in the urban centres. Most of South Africa is malaria-free, but always check with the game reserves you are planning to visit and take precautions if necessary. Make sure you have the latest safety tips from the establishment where you will be staying and take common sense precautions as you would when travelling.

It is recommended that you consult with your GP or Practice Nurse at least 6 to 8 weeks in advance of travel.

All Travellers should be up to date on routine vaccinations while travelling to any destination, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine and your yearly flu shot.

Some vaccines may also be required for travel.

Courses or boosters usually advised:   Hepatitis A.

Other vaccines to consider:   Cholera; Diphtheria; Hepatitis B; Rabies, Tetanus, Typhoid.

Yellow fever vaccination certificate required for travellers over 1 year of age arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for travellers having transited more than 12 hours through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Malaria: When travelling to South Africa you should avoid mosquito bites to prevent malaria. You may need to take prescription medicine before, during and after your trip to prevent malaria, depending on your travel plans, such as where you are going, when you are travelling and if you are spending a lot of time outdoors or sleeping outside. Please consult your doctor.

Water – 
Tap water is potable. However, ensure that you take bottled water with you when travelling to remote rural areas and the bush.

Insurance – Visitors to South Africa are advised to take out a comprehensive medical insurance policy to cover them for emergencies.

Shopping, Tips & Extras

Shopping

Large shopping centres are to be found across the country’s cities and towns, where everything from giant chain stores to small speciality boutiques sell all you could possibly want.  These haven’t forced out the smaller suburban high street shops, or the large flea markets found in all major centres. And, when shopkeepers don’t have shops, they take to the streets: hawkers and craftspeople ply their wares at traffic intersections, minibus taxi ranks, along major thoroughfares and on inner city pavements, selling everything from sweets and fruit to elaborate sculptures and home furnishings. Even as you move from the cities into the countryside, the selling doesn’t stop. South Africa’s rural areas are dotted with farm stalls, arts and crafts markets and more.

If you’re into shopping, South Africa offers so much choice your credit card could start steaming – especially with the country’s favourable exchange rate.

At craft centres and roadside stalls all over the country, you’ll find fantastic pots, wire sculptures, basketware, beadwork, embroidery and carvings.

Tipping

Tipping in South Africa is widely practiced.

Game rangers often rely on tips for their income. It is recommended that guides are tipped R200 to R300 per family (couple) per day and Trackers are tipped R100 to R200 per family (couple) per day.

Camp Staff: R50 up per person per day

Most lodges have tipping advice and guidelines, so do feel free to ask them more about this.

Luggage & Clothing

Luggage

On safari, the allowance on inter camp transfers or “lodge hops” is very strictly applied and for South Africa is as follows: 20kgs (44lbs) per person in a soft duffel-type bag, this includes hand baggage and camera equipment. There may be exceptions to these rules according to your camp destination. Travelling with a hard suitcase may result in extra charges or separate transportation. International flights usually have a maximum limit of 23kg (British Airways) but you should check with the airline of your choice.

Clothing

In South African urban cultures, people typically wear Western clothing. However, these rules are redundant at safari camps, where dress is casual, although green, khaki and dust-brown cotton are best. Appropriate footwear such as walking boots are essential for safari outings.