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Tourism Info

"The World in One Country" is the way that SA markets itself because one can easily fulfil virtually every travel desire here. This is fascinating country with its dazzling variety of scenery, wildlife, cultures and activities. Visitors are spellbound by this country and are enticed by its natural beauty, deserted countryside, attractive blue mountains rising from the shoreline, where snow-white beaches are often void of people, and various gigantic game reserves with a wide variety of animals.

It is no wonder that some tourists return here repeatedly and others never manage to leave again after relocating for good to the country.

Geography

SA is located on the southern tip of the African continent. It is bordered by the Indian and Atlantic Oceans on the southern and western sides, Namibia in the north west, Botswana due north, Zimbabwe in the north-east and Mozambique in the east. There are three major types of geographical areas - plateau, mountains and the coastal belt. Mountain ranges rise steeply from the coastal belt to form a plateau on the top. The coastline is strewn with magnificent beaches, yet broken with rocky outcrops in certain areas. The escarpments are often covered with rainforests while the plateau region consists mainly of the Karoo region (semi-desert) and savannah grassland. The country is further divided into 9 nine regions or provinces namely Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Northern Province, Northern Cape, Free State, North West Province and Mpumalanga. The country also owns the islands of Prince Edward and Marion.

Climate

SA is blessed with a mild temperature and lots of sunshine. The seasons are clearly defined between winter and summer, but the rainy seasons depends what region one is situated in. The southern part of the country has a winter rainfall (May to September) and rain can last for several days. The eastern part of the country is known for its short but fierce thunderstorms during the summer time (November through to March). The northern part of the country has a summer rainfall. The best period to see animals in the bigger parks like Kruger Park, is just before the summer rains start (September and October) when the grass is short, there are relatively few leaves on the trees and the animals are congregated around waterholes.

Summary

Area size: 1,219,080 km2 (470,689 square miles)
Capital: Pretoria
Currency: Rand
Official Language: English, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, Tswana, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Venda
Time: GMT + 2
Telephone Country Code: +27
Electricity: 220/230 V 3-pin round plug

Required clothing

Lightweight cottons are required for the sunny summer periods, but it is necessary to bring along sweaters for the cooler evenings and very warm clothes for the winter evenings (especially when hiking in mountainous areas). Raingear is essential throughout the year.

Health and Safety

SA, a country with an abundance of attractions, we're not called "the rainbow nation" for nothing - there are over 46-million S. Africans with a wide variety of cultures, languages and religious beliefs. In our coutryn you will be as safe as any where else in the Western world, if not more. SA is filled with hospitable, friendly people and one cannot afford miss out on the opportunity of travelling to this awesome country. Click here to read more about safety.

2010 Fifa World Cup

S.Africans' confidence in the country's ability to host a successful 2010 Fifa World Cup is on the increase.The greatest show on earth will take place in SA from the 11th June 2010 to the 11th July 2010.Well over a billion people are expected to follow the month long tournament between the world's top 32 (possibly 36 in 2010) soccer playing nations.

In 1997, Bafana Bafana achieved another milestone when the team qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time. SA also played in Asia for the first time that year when they took part in the Confederations Cup in Saudi Arabia.

SA Rugby, former President Nelson Mandela on Saturday thanked the Springboks for their outstanding performance at the Rugby World Cup in France and for bringing the Webb Ellis Cup home.

The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987.

The stadium was also the venue of the final match between England and SA on 20 October 2007, which Springboks won by 15 points to 6, granting them their second World Cup title.

Money Matters

One Rand is equal to 100 cents

Banks, forex bureaus and many hotels accept all major foreign currencies (travellers' cheques and cash). The best currency to use is US Dollar, British Pound and German Marks. Credit cards like Visa and MasterCard are accepted in the majority of shops, restaurants and hotels. It is also possible to withdraw money from these cards at various cash points. The import and export of SA Reserve Bank notes are limited to R5000. There is free import of foreign currency, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.

Accommodation and Food

Accommodation and food are on par with Western standards except it is far cheaper. A full range of accommodation can be found throughout the country ranging from 5 star quality through to bed and breakfasts and campsites.
Food is exceptionally good especially the variety of seafood including Kingklip, Kabeljou, Snoek, crayfish, prawns and calamari. Local delicacies include bobotie (a curried mince dish with a Malaysian influence), braaivleis (barbecued meat), biltong and droëwors (seasoned dried meat), potjiekos (a casserole cooked slowly in a round cast iron pot over a small fire) and waterblommetjiebredie (made from water crest). Tap water is drinkable (one of only 15 countries in the world), although bottled water is available throughout the country.

Social Behaviour

Handshaking is the customary greeting form. Casual clothes are accepted, but formal social gathering will necessitate more formal dress. When sunbathing the rule is do as others do.
Tipping is normally 10% if a service charge is not included in the bill.

Useful Addresses

There is various diplomatic representation across the world including:

England

S.African High Commission
S.A House, Trafalgar Square,
London WC2N 5DP
Tel: +44 171 9304488
Fax: +44 171 4517284
E-mail: london@businesssouthafrica.com

Canada

High Commission of the Republic of SA
15 Sussex Drive, Ottawa,
Ontario K1M 1M8
Tel: +1 613 7440330
Fax: +1 613 7411639
E-mail: rsafrica@sympatico.ca

USA

S.A High Commission
3051 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: +1 202 2324400
Fax: +1 202 2651607 or +1 202 2323402
E-mail: safrica@southafrica.net

Entry Requirements

A passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond date of departure) and a visa are required for some nationalities, but many are issued at the point of entry. An International Vaccination Certificate for yellow fever from travellers arriving from infected areas.

Attractions & Activities

The country has about all the possible activities that one can think of. Even snow skiing would be possible if enough snow fell in the Drakensberg Mountains. There are also a lot of places where on can rent equipment for activities, including sailing, mountain climbing, cycling, diving, jet-skiing and many more. One of the favourite activities is canoeing on rivers like the Orange (3 - 5 days easy and relaxing pedalling through a deserted rocky moon landscape), the Doring (1 - 3 days white water rafting), and many others. Hiking is extremely popular and hundreds of excellent trails criss-cross the country - some rustic and others with quality accommodation. These hiking trails are always exceptionally beautiful. Guided bus tours in the major cities are very popular and cover most of the highlights with a running commentary.

Cities & Towns

Cape Town
Wrapped around the most famous icon of the country, Table Mountain, is the Mother City with its green gardens and white beaches. It is one of the loveliest cities in the world. There is such a wide variety of activities and attractions, that many visitors spend their whole holiday in this "Most Beautiful Cape of Them All". There are various scenic drives, like the one through the picturesque harbour town of Hout Bay along the breathtaking Chapman's Peak towards the Cape Of Good Hope (the most south-western point in Africa). Here one can imagine the two oceans (Indian and Atlantic) meeting. Take a stroll in the popular Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in the harbour, a boat ride to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was a prisoner for two decades, or visit one of the many architectural and historical buildings in the city centre. The highlight of any visit is a trip, either hiking or using the ultra modern cable car, up the 1089 metre Table Mountain for some magnificent views of the surrounding areas. It serves as a good base for excursions to the nearby winelands of Stellenbosch and Paarl and the less touristy, but attractive West Coast.
Also, let us not to forget to mention the famous Garden Route towards the rainforests of Knysna. Click here for organised scheduled day tours in Cape Town and here for scheduled tours to the surrounding areas of Cape Town. Click here for accommodation in Cape Town.

Durban
This cosmopolitan city is where the East, Europe and Africa meet. It lies in the province of Kwazulu Natal, known as the Garden of South Africa. There are a variety of attractions and activities to keep you occupied for an extended period of time. The beautiful beaches allow swimming all year round and are protected by shark nets. In the vicinity there are numerous attractions, including the Valley of the Thousand Hills with quaint little round thatch roof mud houses where the proud Zulu nation lives. Here one can visit villages for exhilarating traditional dances. In addition there are also game parks like Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserves, and even if one cannot pronounce the names, the abundance and variety of wildlife, including rhinos and elephants, is amazing. Click here for Durban Day Tours or accommodation in Durban.

Johannesburg
Locally known as Jo'burg, this is a city that sprang up from nothing at the end of the 19th century after the discovery of gold. For this reason it is also recommended to visit the Gold Reef City, a leisure park, trying to capture the spirit of bygone times mixed with a modern theme park. A trip to Soweto, the nearby black suburb, will give you insight into their living conditions ranging from shanty towns, worker's hostels and rich neighbourhoods. Other attractions include the Botanical Gardens, displays by the mine dancers, the musical fountains at the Randburg Waterfront and almost 2200 million-year-old Wonder Cave. Click here for organised tours in Johannesburg or here for accommodation in the Gauteng Province.

Game Reserves

The country is becoming the safari hotspot of the African continent and with such a wide choice of parks, it is little wonder. Even the smaller parks offer activities unique to their region, including hikes and scenic landscapes. All of them will make you, the visitor, want to come back to experience some more. The following are only a tiny proportion of the total amount of parks.

Kruger National Park
This 20 000 km2 park does not need any introduction. With it's high density of a variety of game including elephant, more than 2000 lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, various antelope species, a prolific bird-life and good facilities, it is a must on any itinerary to SA. In fact this park is home to more species of wildlife than any other game park on the African continent and the diversity of landscapes is enough to visit the park time and time again. Reservations and SA air bookings are essential during the peak holiday seasons. Adjacent private parks are more service orientated and concentrate on giving each individual a private and in-depth ultimate bush experience. Click here for accommodation in or around Kruger Park, here for tours going to Kruger Park or overland tours going through Kruger Park.

Augrabies Falls National Park
Tucked in the less-visited Northern Cape province near the town of Upington, this park is not as known for its sparse desert adapted animals as it is for the stunning 55 meter high waterfalls. These waterfalls are created as the Orange River bursts through granite rocks into the lower river bed and snakes towards the Atlantic Ocean. The small park has many surrealistic landscapes and a relocation program was started to reintroduce rhino.

Kalahari Gemsbok Park
Even more remote than Augrabies, this park is situated in one of the most stunning desert regions of the world - The Kalahari. Even with scarce vegetation, a variety of animals visit this park including the famous Kalahari lion, with its very dark mane, springbok, gemsbok (oryx) and a surprising amount of birds. Just after the rainy season, when the park is covered in short green grass, the antelope species give birth to a new generation. There is a choice of three camps, two with housed accommodation. All are situated amongst the red sand dunes where one can enjoy the stillness of the evenings and looking forward to the next day's game drives.

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