Location

South Africa is known as the "Rainbow Nation," a term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as it is indicative of the wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions. It has 11 official languages but English is most commonly used in public and commercial life.

South African has something to offer for nearly everybody, wildlife from hippos and lions in the north to penguins in the south. Landscapes from deserts and mountains to wetlands and forests, cuisines from Cape Malay to American style burgers and activities from shopping to bungi-jumping. Historical places to visit include a meteor crash site and the Cradle of Mankind to Robben Island Prison.

Location

South Africa is surrounded by 2,798 kilometers of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian oceans, her northern neighbours are Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, while on the east by Mozambique and Swaziland.

Weather

The weather in South Africa is volatile all year long, although the summer months of December to February are consistently hot and dry. The best time to visit South Africa is late spring (October and November) and early autumn (March and April) to avoid the intense heat of summer and the cold and wet winters.

Important Info

Electricity
Electrical current is 230 volts, 50Hz. Round, three-pin plugs are standard.

Language
South Africa has 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely spoken.

Travel Health
Health regulations in South Africa require that travellers from areas infected by yellow fever must carry a vaccination certificate; otherwise no vaccination is required. There is a malaria risk in the low-lying areas of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga (including the Kruger National Park), as well as north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, and precautions are advised when travelling to these areas, especially between October and May. Tap water is safe in urban areas but sterilisation is advisable elsewhere, as there are periodic outbreaks of cholera in the poor communities of rural South Africa, particularly in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo provinces. Medical facilities in South Africa are good, but medical insurance is strongly advised as private hospitals expect cash up front and public hospitals are best avoided.

Money
South Africa's currency is the Rand (ZAR), which is divided into 100 cents. Money can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and the larger hotels. ATMs are widely available (there is a daily limit for cash withdrawals) and major international credit cards are widely accepted, except in petrol stations where cash is required. Visitors should be vigilant when drawing cash from ATMs, as con artists are known to operate there. Travellers cheques and some foreign currencies are accepted at larger hotels and shops, but commission is charged, otherwise all commercial banks will exchange them.

Tipping
Waitering is a livelihood and a tip of 10% is expected for good service, if a service charge is not included in the bill. Tipping for services rendered is widely anticipated by porters, taxi drivers and petrol attendants. Golf caddies should be tipped accordingly. 'Car guards' operate in the city centres and tourist spots and will offer to look after your parked car; they are usually immigrants from neighbouring countries looking for work and will expect anything from R2 upwards on your return.

Local Customs
South African culture and etiquette in urban areas is very Western. While standards of dress vary, beachwear is not to be worn off the beach, and nude sunbathing is only permissible in a very few designated areas.

Communications
The international access code for South Africa is +27. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). Mobile service providers offer very cheap 'pay-as-you-go' Sim cards, which are a good option for visitors staying for some time. WiFi hotspots are available in some restaurants, shopping malls and hotels.

What to do

There is a myriad of activities available in all corners of this beautiful country, some of them inlcude:-