Regions—South Africa

South Africa is known as "a world in one country" and for good reason. Situated at the southern edge of the African continent, this country is bounded by oceans on three sides, with an interior that has a wonderful assortment of habitats, from lush tropical forests to arid deserts, from mountains to the open savannah of the bushveld.

Historically, South Africa was the pariah of the world under its infamous apartheid regime, but caught the imagination of all with Nelson Mandela's release from prison in 1991, followed by the peaceful, first democratic elections in 1994. Since then, it has become one of the top travel destinations on the planet, blending elements of both "Africa of old" with modernity. On one hand, one can escape to wild, remote areas and experience exceptional game viewing and true wilderness. Then, just an hour's flight away, there are modern cities and hotels that compete with the best in the world. With 11 official languages and a diverse range of cultures and ways of life, it is no wonder that Mandela has named South Africans "the rainbow nation".

When it comes to wildlife and scenery, South Africa has a plethora of places to see, including a number of World Heritage Sites and incredible game reserves. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is built amongst an entire, unique Cape Floral Kingdom, one of only six Plant Kingdoms that cover the Earth. There are more naturally occurring, different species of flowers just around Cape Town than there are in the whole of North America or the whole of Europe! In the Eastern Cape lies Mkambati, a small area of 3000 hectares (6000 acres) that contains more plants than Great Britain. On the other side of the spectrum are the deserts and arid areas, including the world's first National Park that traverses the borders of two countries, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

The coastline of South Africa is enormous, offering superb scenery, such as sandy beaches and sheer, fynbos-covered cliffs of the Garden Route, as well as amazing wildlife opportunities, from humpback whales breaching off Cape Town to pristine coral reefs on the KwaZulu-Natal Coast.

The pride of South Africa's natural heritage is the Kruger National Park. At 2 million hectares and over 300km long, this enormous area encompasses a savannah landscape with 147 mammal species, over 400 bird species and numerous reptiles, amphibians and insects.

INFORMATION FOR THE VISITOR TO SOUTH AFRICA

BANKS
Most banks are open Monday to Friday 09h00 to 15h30 and Saturday from 08h30 to 11h00.
Various teller machines (ATM's) are found in every large town.  Several international banks have branches in the main cities. The banks and the Bureau de change at most airports offer the best exchange rates.

CHECK-IN/OUT TIMES
Unless otherwise specified, standard check-in times are usually after 13:00.  If you are delayed and do not expect to arrive until after 18:00, please advise the hotel or lodge that is expecting you of your revised estimated time of arrival. Checkout times are accepted as being 10:00 for most hotels

CLIMATE
South Africa enjoys a high number of clear, sunny days. Summer lasts from October until March. Despite regional differences, South Africa's climate is generally mild throughout the year. Snowfall is limited to the highest mountain peaks, and it is a relatively dry country with a mean annual rainfall of 502mm.

CREDIT CARDS
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted throughout the country.  American Express and Diners are less widely accepted, however more acceptable in the main city centres. Please note camps are unable to accept American Express cards.

CURRENCY
In line with the legislative changes in Europe, most establishments and banks will unfortunately not accept eurolegacy currency notes and coins as legal tender including Austrian Schilling, Belgian Franc, Deutsche Mark, Spanish Peseta, Finnish Mark, French Franc, Irish Punt, Italian Lira, Netherlands Guilder and Portuguese Escudo. 

DEPARTURE TAXES
For flights departing from Skukuza and Hoedspruit Airports, please note that the relevant passenger taxes are to be settled in cash at the time of departure and are not included in the issued tickets.

DUTY FREE
Cigarettes 400, Cigars 50, Cigarette or pipe tobacco 250g, Wine 2litres, spirits or other alcoholic beverages 1 litre, Perfume 50ml, Eau de Toilette 250ml, Gifts, souvenirs and all other goods R500.00. No person under 18 is entitled to a tobacco or alcohol allowance.

NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBERS

PETROL (GASOLINE) FILLING STATIONS
Filling stations are conveniently situated throughout the country.  Unleaded petrol is available.  Most filling stations are open 24 hours a day. You are only able to pay for petrol with cash money.

POWER
All electrical appliances run on 220 volts.  Outlets are round 3 pin, 15 amp plugs. Special adapters for video cameras, chargers and hairdryers are needed and can sometimes be supplied by some hotel receptions. Various safari camps and lodges may not have 220 volts and may operate on solar powered 12-volt electricity. Remember to bring spare batteries to have charged at the lodge while out on safari.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

RECOMMENDED READING (in no particular order)
a) Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela
b) Vanishing Cultures of South Africa - Peter Magubane
c) National Parks and Other Wild Places of Southern Africa - Nigel Dennis
d) Mandela, The End of an Era - Charlen Smith
e) Complete Book of Southern African Mammals - Gus Mills
f) This is South Africa - Peter Borchert

SAFETY GUIDELINES
It's sensible to take the same precautions in major cities as you would in any of the world's metropolitan areas.  Never leave luggage unattended in front of the hotel or in the lobby.  Deposit your valuables in the hotel's safety deposit box.  Don't stroll around the streets after dark.  Always lock your car doors and keep the windows closed. Do not walk around the city looking like a tourist and keep your camera concealed. Do not walk around with large amounts of cash and with cameras around your neck.

SHOPPING
A variety of shopping centres, local handicrafts markets and roadside stalls are found.  Quality gold and diamond jewellery is high on the list of the most popular purchases. Leather goods, wooden carvings, sculptures, paintings and local handicrafts including pottery, beadwork and woven articles are also available for purchase.

TELEPHONES
Phoning from any hotel room can be very expensive. There are phone booths at some of the hotels. Inquire at the reception desk. The international code for South Africa when dialling from abroad is 27. Do not dial O before the city code, e.g. Johannesburg would be +27 11.To call overseas from your hotel room, dial 0 to get a line and then 09 (from S.A) then the international country code e.g. 44 (U.K) and the local number, once again omitting the "0" from the area code.

V.A.T
When visiting South Africa, foreign tourists can have sales tax (known as Value Added Tax - VAT) refunded at a port of exit provided the value of each invoice for goods purchased exceeds R50.00 and the total value of all items purchased exceeds ZAR250.00. To qualify for a refund, visitors must be in possession of a valid passport, valid tax invoices and must produce the goods purchased.  Please note that a receipt stating for information only is not accepted by the VAT refunders. It has to say VAT invoice and show the amount. The VAT rate is 14 percent and is levied on most products. Goods are also not to be utilized/consumed whilst in South Africa and must be in original packaging.