South Africa

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Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Pretoria

Government

Republic

Nationality

South African

Population

47,900,000^[1]

Languages

IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, English, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga

Religions

Christianity (Zionist, Protestant, Catholic)

Currency

South African Rand (ZAR)

Calling Code

+27

Time Zone

UTC+2

Contributors

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• Kieran-M (16%)
  from South Africa Travel Plan

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Introduction

power plant soweto south africa

© All Rights Reserved hayden111

Since the abolition of apartheid in 1994, South Africans have worked hard at becoming a nation, where blacks and whites live alongside each other as equals. While the history of apartheid has left South Africa with serious poverty and high crime rates, South Africa is rearing its head as one of Africa's prime destinations. Countless national parks and nature reserves can be visited around the land, but the best known is the Kruger National Park, one of the world's oldest and largest national parks.

Away from the national parks, many tourists have found Cape Town to be South Africa's shining gem: beautiful, within close range of fine beaches, and boasting an exciting nightlife, Cape Town is one of Africa's most popular cities. And visitors should not forget to visit Robben Island, the former political prison where Nelson Mandela was held until his release.

Brief History

There is evidence of human existence in South Africa from as far back as 125,000 years ago. The Klasies River Caves in the Eastern Cape have revealed evidence of some of the oldest known homo sapien habitation in the world. The descendants of these nomadic Stone-Age people (the San bushmen) still lived in the Cape when the first Europeans arrived.

Although the Portugese rounded the Cape first in 1488, the Dutch were the first European nation to send out an envoy to South Africa in 1652. What followed was essentially a battle between colonial powers (Holland and Britain) and the indigenous people of the country for control over its resources. The colonial forces ultimately won and the unification of South Africa followed, as did white minority rule and the notorious implementation of apartheid.

Apartheid was a system of racial segregation legitimised through law, enforced by the National Party in 1948. The population was classed into separate groups; white, asian, coloured, and black. The blacks were granted the least civil rights and freedoms, the whites the most. Many rights we take for granted today were removed: mixed marriages were outlawed; identity cards were introduced specifying the owner's race; people of different races weren't allowed to use the same public amenities (restaurants, public swimming pools, restrooms); only whites were allowed to vote; and black people were eventually classified as no longer being South African citizens but rather citizens of one of ten 'homeland' territories.

Naturally there was resistance to this, in particular from the African National Congress (ANC), and later in the 1970s from the black consciousness movement. The apartheid government responded to this resistance with vicious brutality, which only served to strengthen the support for the struggle.

Because of this resistance, and due to international pressure garnered by it, the early nineties saw the eventual fall of apartheid. And in 1994 the first free elections were held, and Nelson Mandela, leader of the ANC, was sworn in as president. Since the abolition of apartheid, many of the problems it created have come to the surface, with the majority of wealth still lying in the hands of the white minority. But things are slowly changing, and with one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, a huge variety of wildlife and natural environments, and a growing economy, South Africa has every chance to heal itself from it's difficult past.

Geography

Regions

South Africa is divided into 9 main regions:

• Western Cape - Cape Town is the cultural capital of South Africa.
• Eastern Cape - basically on the south coast with Port Elizabeth as its main city.
• Northern Cape - bordered by Namibia and Botswana and one of the driest and least populated areas in the country.
• Free State - Bloemfontein is the important city in Free State, located north of Lesotho.
• Kwazulu-Natal - on the south east coast.
• Mpumalanga - in the east, just west of Swaziland.
• Gauteng - Johannesburg is the largest city.
• Limpopo - in the extreme north east, south of Zimbabwe.
• North West - actually more centrally located in the north of the country, south of Botswana.

Cities

• Pretoria - The nation's capital.
• Johannesburg - The largest city in South Africa.
• Cape Town - The legislative capital of South Africa.
• Durban - The third largest city in South Africa, and the busiest port in Africa.
• Bloemfontein - Free State capital.
• Pietermaritzburg -
• Port Elizabeth - A busy industrial port in the Eastern Cape, and the final stop (or starting point) for those travelling the Garden Route.
• East London -
• Rustenburg - one of the host cities for the World Cup 2010
• Polokwane - also one of the host cities for the World Cup 2010

Towns

• Knysna - a popular seaside town on the Garden Route.
• Oudtshoorn - the ostrich capital of South Africa.
• Nelspruit - the capital of the Mpumalanga province and for many the gateway to the Kruger National Park.
• Coffee Bay - a small seaside town on the Wild Coast popular with tourists travelling off the beaten track.
• Dullstroom - a small town in the Mpumalanga province that's a handy stop-off for visitors to the Kruger National Park.
• Hermanus - a quiet seaside town in the Western Cape great for whale watching between June and November.
• St Lucia (South Africa) - A small seaside town set inside the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Sights and Activities

South Africa is a country with plenty of oppurtunity for 'once-in-a-lifetime' experiences. Shark diving tours can be done from Gansbaai, offering people the chance to see the infamous Great White in its natural habitat. Another well known activity is the Bloukrans Bridge, boasting to be the highest commercially operating Bunjee Jump in the world, at a height of 216 metres. All of this combined with one of the biggest highlights of South Africa being the wildlife, with many parks to be visited throughout the whole country. The country is one of the best places for a first time safari, and the Kruger National Park probably is one of the best known parks in the world.

Kruger National Park

Ellie

© All Rights Reserved soupatrvlr

This park is the largest of all of South Africa's game parks with around 19,000 square kilometers to explore. The park is located in the northeast of the country in both the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, at the borders with Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Recently the park has become part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace-park consisting of Kruger National Park, Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe) and Limpopo National Park (Mozambique). It is the most visited of all national parks in South Africa and can become very busy during the South African holiday periods. Also, some of the roads are tarred, which makes this park one of the best to visit when you just have a small 2wd vehicle. More about Kruger NP or visit the official Kruger Park website.

Pilanesberg National Park

This small national park (around 580 square kilometers) is located just a few hours of driving northwest from Johannesburg and Pretoria near Sun City and despite the fact that it is small, there are huge numbers of animals. It is a park which is somehow undervalued but for no apparent reason. The park is centred around a crater of a long extinct volcano and Pilanesberg is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world, with rare rock types and structures making it a unique geological landmark. The park has enormous numbers of both birds and mammals, and although for some mammals this wouldn't have been their national habitat, numbers have been introduced here in the 1970's and have been growing ever since. Lions, elephants, white and black rhinos, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles are all present, but not in the numbers you would find in Kruger National Park. On the other hand, you can visit most of the park in 1 or 2 days, so densities are almost comparable.
Have a look at the official Pilanesberg Game Reserve website for more information.

Madikwe National Park

The Madikwe National Park is an off the beaten track park in the central north of the country. In the north the border of the park forms the border with Botswana. Despite the fact that is might not be known to the general public, it is the 5th largest park in South Africa and is regarded as one of the better conservation areas in Africa. It offers all the major species, including lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, both white and black rhino (Big Five) along with almost all the regular antelope species on these plains. The park can be reached by a short drive from Pilanesberg National Park (see above) via a good gravel road. You can also take a longer route along tarmac roads, approaching the park from the south instead of the east. From Johannesburg and Pretoria it is roughly a 4-hour drive.
It is quite a luxurious place to stay and you need to arrange accommodation before you arrive (you can not drive in the park yourself!). These usually include fullboard and a couple of game drives and sometimes a minimum stay of 2 nights is required (which is actually the minimum to enjoy a stay anyway). There is only one relatively affordable accommodation but prices are already around $175 a night! For more information check the official Madikwe Game Reserve website.

Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park

Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park is located in the east of the country, in KwaZulu Natal, north of Durban. The park is around 96,000 ha big and is the oldest national park in Africa and the only one in KwaZulu where you can see the Big Five. Apart from these (lion, rhino, elephant, leopard and buffalo) you can see crocodile, hippo, cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, jackal, giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, nyala, eland, kudu, impala, duiker, suni, reedbuck, warthog, bushpig, mongoose, baboons, monkeys and wide varieties of birds, over 300! All this can be done by your own car, tours and even boat tours and walking safaris are a possibility. For more information about getting and staying here have a look at the official Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park website.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park

This national park is located in the arid northwest of the country and is actually comprising two adjoining national parks, namely the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The part in South Africa is more easily accessible than the park in Botswana and although technically you don't really need a 4wd vehicle, still it is better and gives you the opportunity to visit some more remote parts where several off the self catering wilderness camps are located. The park is located in the southern reaches of the Kalahari desert and red sand dunes with some sparse vegetation is the main vegetation here. Much of the wildlife can be found along the dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob rivers and the main gravelroads run along these riverbeds. Animals which you are likely to see are predators like black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas, hunting for animals like oryx, springbok and wildebeest.
From December to February it can get extremely hot here, with temperatures well over 40 degrees Celcius. Access is from the towns of Upington and Kuruman towards the main gate at Twee Rivieren (meaning Two Rivers).
Check Sanparks' Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park website for more information. It's advised to book well in advance as accommodation quickly fills up and there are few possibilities of staying outside the park.

Addo Elephant National Park

Addo Elephant National Park is located in the south of the country, close to Port Elizabeth. Although the park is famous for its elephants, there are many more animals here and species include buffalo, the endangered black rhino, antelope species and lion and spotted hyena are here in small numbers as well. The park is about to be called Greater Addo Elephant National Park as it has been expanded to include several islands and marine wildlife, including African penguins! And whales and great white sharks are in those waters as well and as a consequence the park is promoted as the only park to see the Big 7, which includes the famous Big 5 (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard) and the whale and great white shark as mentioned above. A truly unique park which is a very easy to visit and located in a malariafree area.
Check Sanparks' Addo Elephant National Park website for more information about getting and staying here.

Mountain Zebra National Park

The Mountain Zebra National Park is another park in the East Cape Province, just like Addo Elephant NP, and therefore makes for a good combination to visit this park as well. Although it is much smaller, it is especially made a national park to preserve the endangered Mountain Zebra, a subspecies of the common zebra. Apart from zebra, you are likely to see many other mammals within the park like caracal, buffalo, black rhino, eland, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, gemsbok and grey rhebok.
Have a look at Sanparks' Moutain Zebra National Park website for more detailed information.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is South Africa's third largest protected area.

Events and Festivals

World Cup 2010

The big upcoming event on the South African horizon is of course the FIFA World Cup beginning on the 11th of June 2010. One of the most prestigious and popular world sporting events, the World Cup 2010 promises to bring throngs of passionate supporters from around the globe. Held once every four years, it's a football tournament (known as soccer in South Africa) where 32 world nations vie for the famous golden trophy.

Cape Town Minstrel Carnival

The Kaapse Klopse or the Minstrel Carnival is an annual festival held in Cape Town. It begins on New Years Day and continues into January as thousands of people take to the streets dressed as minstrels in bright colours, spinning umbrellas and playing instruments.

Cape Town International Jazz Festival

Despite the fact that first one was held as recently as 2001, the Jazz festival has rapidly gained status with recent performers including Courtney Pine, Herbie Hancock and Youssou N'Dour.

Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cylce Tour

A huge event in Cape Town, this annual 109km race follows the coastline along False Bay and then on the Atlantic Sea Board. Held in March, 30000 participants were expected in the 2009 event.

Pink Loerie Mardi Gras

A week long gay pride celebration with parties, contests, cabaret and drag shows in Knysna.

National Art Festival

Held in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, this is Africa's largest arts festival held for 10 days in July. This years one is scheduled to kick off on the 2nd of the month.

Vortex Dance Festival

A psychedelic party in the Cape Town area that attracts dedicated ravers young and old.

Weather

South Africa's climate is the opposite of the northern hemisphere with summers lasting from November to March and wintertime being from May to September. Wintertime is also the dry period, except for the Western Cape (including Cape Town) where the climate is more the equivalent of the Mediterranean region, with rains falling in winter. This area is almost more moderate with day time temperatures in Cape Town around 26 °C in the months of January and February and just below 20 °C during the May to September period when occasional frost is possible, albeit just a few degrees below zero.

Johannesburg has about the same average temperatures, but it can get colder at night during the winter and the rains last from November to April.

The northeast, for example in KwaZulu Natal has more tropical climate with high humidity and slightly higher temperatures year round.

The Northern Cape is a very dry and hot area, particularly in summer when temperatures can exceed 45 degrees Celsius, but winters are nicely warm with occasional frosts.

Getting there

By Plane

South African Airways is the main national airline of South Africa and has its base at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) near Johannesburg and at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) near Cape Town. From the latter, international destinations include Frankfurt and Johannesburg.

South African Express flies between Cape Town and Walvisbaai and Windhoek in Namibia, Gaborone in Botswana and Maputo in Mozambique. KLM flies between Amsterdam and both Cape Town and Johannesburg directly. Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines fly from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to Cape Town as well. The latter has flights onwards to Buenos Aires. Cape Town has flights to Istanbul, Düsseldorf and Munich and from June 2008 to New York as well and several African cities, mainly in the south of the continent.

From Johannesburg there are significantly more flights within the continent and South African Airways has flights to and from Abidjan, Accra, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Hong Kong, Kigali, Lagos, Libreville, Lilongwe, London, Mumbai, Munich, Nairobi, New York, Perth, Sao Paulo and Washington D.C. among many others. Numerous other airlines from all continents in the world fly to and from Johannesburg and it has one of the busiest airport within Africa. Other examples of destinations include Bangkok, Dubai, Paris, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Athens, Sydney, Jeddah, Zürich and Moscow, Lisbon and Madrid.

Kulula.com is a lowcost airline based in Johannesburg with flights to Namibia, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

By Train

There is a regular overnight train service with TransNamib, the national railway company of Namibia, from Upington in South Africa to Windhoek in Namibia via Keetmanshoop. The total trip takes about 26 hours. Although the domestic service from Keetmanshoop to Windhoek rides every day except Saturdays, the train between Upington and Keetmanshoop only rides on two days: from Upington on Sundays and Thursdays at 5am arriving 11 and a half hours later in Keetmanshoop and from the latter on Wednesdays and Saturdays around 9 am, taking well over 12 hours to reach Upington in South Africa's Northern Cape Province.

By Car

South Africa shares borders with Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
The main bordercrossing with Namibia is at Noordoewer/Vioolsdrif, which is along the main Windhoek to Cape Town road. Other crossings are Nakop between Upington and Karasburg, Noenieput between Upington and Aroab, Onseepkans between Pofadder and Karasburg and Rietfontein between Askam and Araob. Currently it is not possible to cross from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park directly into Namibia, you have to go back and cross at Rietfontein. Also the border between Alexander Bay and Oranjemund in Namibia is only open if you have special permits.

From Zimbabwe, there are two crossings, near Beitbridge and Pafuri. Mozambique has 3 access points, near Lebombo (Kruger National Park) and Ressano Garcia along the N4 route and at Manhoca/Farazela.

To and from Botswana, you have a wide variety of choices, but the main crossings are at Bray Derdepoort, Kopfontein, Middelputs, Grobler's Bridge and Stockpoort. More east there are possible crossings at Platjan, Pont Drift and Zanzibar, but these are less used, close early and sometimes require a 4wd to cross riverbeds, like the one at Pont Drift across the Limpopo River. When the river is actually flowing you need to be transported by cable car across the border and cars (even 4wd) are to be left at the border post.

Lesotho and Swaziland both have about a dozen of bordercrossings with South Africa and because they are small countries, this often means you don't have to drive huge distances to cross into the country.

By Bus

Buses travel between South Africa and all neighbouring countries. From Johannesburg there are connections to Maputo in Mozambique (8 to 9 hours), to Gaborone in Botswana (6 hours) and to Bulawayo and Harare in Zimbabwe. To Maputo, it is also possible to board in Pretoria or Nelspruit (near the Kruger Park). To Lusaka in Zambia, there are buses, most of which stop on their way in Bulawayo, taking a total of 26 hours. It takes almost as long to get from Johannesburg to Windhoek (21 hours), the capital of Namibia. Daily connections also travel to Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland. From Bloemfontein there are minibuses to and from Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, taking about 2 hours. There are several more options between South Africa and Lesotho though, mostly involving minibuses between the closest towns on either side of the border.
Minibus taxis travel between Johannesburg and Gaborone, Johannesburg and Palapye (Botswana) and between Mafikeng in South Africa and Lobatse in Botswana.
Minibuses also travel between Johannesburg and Manzini in Swaziland (4 hours). To and from Manzini, there are also minibuses that connect with Durban.
There are even daily buses between Blantyre in Malawi and Johannesburg, travelling through Mozambique and Zimbabwe, taking about 30 hours to cover the distance.
There are many companies offering services, but the main operators are Greyhound South Africa, Intercape and Translux, all offering at least services between major cities in neighbouring countries from Johannesburg and/or Cape Town.

By Boat

The Royal Mail Ship "Saint Helena" travels regularly between Saint Helena and Ascension Island, Walvis Bay and Cape Town. The schedule is primarily designed to meet the needs of locals and cargo for St. Helena, and thus follows a timetable but not a consistent routing. In general terms, the ship leaves Cape Town once a month, before heading to Saint Helena, sometimes via Walvis Bay. From St. Helena it will then run 1 or 2 shuttles to Ascension Island, before returning to Cape Town, again sometimes via Walvis Bay. Occasionally, Cape Town is omitted, and the ship returns to Saint Helena directly from Walvis Bay.

For travelling directly to Tristan da Cunha, there are only a few boats a year from South Africa (and sometimes Namibia). If you are lucky enough though, the trip takes 5 or 6 days and will mean you have to spend months on the island. Tickets roughly cost about 1000 to 1200 for a return trip. It's best to check the Tristan da Cunha website for details.

Other than these off the beaten track international ferries/boats, there are no connections whatsoever. Only cruises to the Indian Ocean islands like Mauritius are possible.

Getting around

By Plane

There are many choices regarding airlines when you want to fly several to several of the domestic destinations.
South African Airways flies between Johannesburg, Durban, Bloemfontein, East London, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Sout African Airlink flies between George, Kimberley, Nelspruit, Upington and Cape Town. South African Express flies between Bloemfontein, East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Mango flies between Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban as well.

By Train

Spoornet is the national railway, with services between most major South African cities. Most of the connections are budget, but there is a Premier Class train between Johannesburg and Cape Town.

In the larger cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London there are so called commuter trains and these are run by Rail Commuter. These services are not always safe and can get very crowded. In the near future (at least before 2010 when the World Championship Soccer is held) the Gautrain should be finished, offering speedy transport between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The Blue Train and the Pride of Africa by Rovos Rail are luxurious options to cross South Africa and beyond.

By Car

If you would like to travel around by car, there are numerous car-hire/rental facilities available from the airports. Just make sure that you have sufficient insurance to cover you if the need arises. Car hire facilities include Avis, Imperial, CABS as well as a few others.

If travelling by car, be sure to plan your routes carefully to insure that there are sufficient places to fill the tank with petrol as some towns are located quite a distance apart with no filling stations in between.

By Bus

There are many companies offering services, but the main operators are Greyhound South Africa, Intercape and Translux, with daily connections between most major cities and towns, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Upington.
The Baz Bus is a bus where you can hop on and of and is mostly used by backpackers travelling on a budget. They are dropped off at hostels. There are three routes. One is running between Cape Town and Durban and there are two routes between Durban and Pretoria via Johannesburg: one via the Drakensberg (Drakens Mountains) and one via Swaziland. Keep in ming that the Baz Bus used primarily for foreign visitors, and is much more expensive than the alternatives.

By Combi

The preferred mode of transport for the (non-white) locals is the complex combi network, also called mini-bus taxis. These are getting better, but are certainly only recommended for adventurous men with good health insurance. There is schedule or route map, service changes frequently, and you may find yourself someplace, trying to get somewhere else, but no one knows how you can get there, even the combi drivers. Another danger is that the driver will tell you it's leaving in half an hour, but you actually have to wait 5 hours, only to be told that the combi won't be departing that day. Good luck.

By Boat

Other than the occasional cruiseship that harbors in Cape Town or Durban or getting on a boat joining a tour on the ocean or one of the few national parks that actually has rivers, your options are fairly limited.

Red Tape

Nationals from the following countries and territories are exempted from visa for tourism purposes for a limited stay period.^[2]

• 90 days: African Union Laissez Passer, Andorra, Anguilla, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ducie and Oeno Islands, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Henderson, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Pitcairn, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Saint Helena, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela.
• 30 days: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Gabon, Guyana, Hong Kong (only BNO and HK SAR passports), Hungary, Jordan, Lesotho, Macau (only Macau SAR passports), Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Peru, Poland, Seychelles, Slovak Republic, South Korea, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkey, Zambia, Zimbabwe (only in respect of government officials, including police on cross border investigations).

All other countries are subject to South African visa at the fee ZAR425.00 or USD47.00 or EUR43.00.^[3] You may apply for a South African visa from a South African mission abroad near you.

For the latest information on visas and immigration, refer to the South African Department of Home Affairs.

Money

See also Money Matters

The currency of South Africa is the Rand, often called the 'buck', and it's divided into 100 cents. The sign for it is R and the financial code is ZAR. It was introduced in 1961 to coincide with the establishment of the Republic of South Africa, replacing the South African pound.

Notes come in R10, R20, R50, R100, and R200 denominations. Coins of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents exist, as well as R1, R2 and R5.

If you're looking to exchange money, it's currently around R14 to the British Pound, R9 to the US Dollar and R12 to the Euro.

Work

Study

Language

Visitors to South Africa can generally get by with speaking English. Together with English, there are 11 official languages spoken in South Africa, namely English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Si Swati, Venda and Tsonga.

Eat

It would be quite hard to pin down one style of cooking as official 'South African cuisine'. One thing that does seem to unite South Africans however, is a love of meat. An adventurous visitor will find an interesting array of meat on offer from ostrich to giraffe, with dried meat, or 'biltong', also very popular. South African's also love a good braai (barbeque), where the country's favourite sausage, boerewors, is often sizzling away.

Seafood in South Africa is particularly good in the coastal towns, with a wide variety of fish, lobster, oyster and mussels available.

The vegetarian visitor will generally find that there are at least one or two veggie options at most restaurants, a few vegetarian eateries are even starting to spring up in the big cities.

Sleep

When you want to stay within one of South Africa's beautiful national parks, it is best to book well in advance, as they are very popular, especially during the South African holiday periods. You can find all sorts of accomodation and prices at the South African National Parks website.

Drink

With regards to drinking water, South Africa's tap water is rated among the best for domestic and intake use.^[4] There is a wide variety of spirits, liqueurs and beers within South Africa, most of which are manufactured and bottled within its borders. There are the exceptions such as Windhoek Lager and Heineken. When travelling, you are bound to find at least one liquor/bottle store in every town.

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Safety is often an issue that concerns visitors to South Africa. Crime is a serious problem in some of the urban areas, particularly in parts of Joburg and the townships. But you have to keep in mind that the vast majority of travellers visit South Africa without any incident.

You can minimise any risks by taking some sensible precautions:

• Don't flash your cash in urban areas (keep your camera in a bag, keep your wallet tucked away in an inside pocket).
• If you're renting a car, lock your doors while driving through city areas.
• Try not to drive after dark, but if you have to, plan your route before you go.
• Avoid taking money out from ATMs at night or in out-of-the-way areas.
• Most importantly: Pay attention to what locals have to say, they can give the best information on where and where not to go.

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post