| Tourist Information | ||
| Facts for visitors | ||
| Languages | ||
| There are literally dozens of languages in South Africa, however the 11 official languages are Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Pedi, English, Tswana, Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda, Ndebele. Whilst many visitors will hear at least a couple of the tribal languages during the course of there stay, it is possible to travel extensively and comfortably without having to speak or understand anything other than English. | ||
 |
||
| Passport and Visas | ||
| For the majority of foreign nationals who travel to South Africa for vacation, entry is straightforward and hassle-free. All visitors to South Africa must be in possession of a valid return ticket and a passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended stay in the country, and have at least one unused page for endorsements in order to enter the country. Travellers from Scandinavia, Japan, the USA, and most Western European and Commonwealth countries do not need to formally apply for a visa. Upon arrival in South Africa, the tourists will automatically be given a free entry permit sticker that outlines how long they may remain in the country. This automatic entry permit is usually for a maximum of 90 days, though the immigration officer may tailor the time period according to the airline tickets held. To determine whether you require a visa to enter South Africa, visit the South African Home Affairs Department website at: http://home-affairs.pwv.gov.za | ||
 |
||
| Money and Currency Exchange | ||
| Currency is the South African Rand, which is divided into 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5, and notes in denominations of R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. You don´t need to change money before arrival. From the moment you step off the plane you'll start seeing banks, bureaux de change and automatic tellers all over. All major credit cards can be used in South Africa, with MasterCard and Visa enjoying better universal acceptance than American Express and Diners Club. Travellers cheques are valid at most banks and hotels. In some small towns, you may find you will need to use cash. One anomaly - you always have to pay cash for fuel. | ||
 |
||
| Electricity | ||
| South Africa's electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC 50 Hz. Exceptions are Pretoria (230 V) and Port Elizabeth (200/250 V). Most plugs have three round pins but some plugs with two smaller pins are also found on appliances. Adaptors can usually be supplied by any hotel or guest house or purchased in supermarkets. US-made appliances may need a transformer. Electricity supply is usually reliable in cities and towns, but you may experience problems in more remote areas, especially during heavy thunderstorms, and here you should be prepared for a sudden power failure! | ||
 |
||
| Tipping | ||
| Tipping is common practice in South Africa for a range of services. In restaurants the accepted standard is around 10% of the bill and barmen are tipped a similar percentage. Petrol stations are manned by attendants who will expect a tip of two or three rands for filling up, checking oil, water and tyre pressure and cleaning windscreens. Hotel porters are tipped two to five rands. It is also appropriate to tip taxi drivers, tour guides and even hairdressers. If a street security guard asks whether he can watch over your car, he in return should be paid a small fee from two rands upwards. | ||
 |
||
| Telephone | ||
| South Africa has a well-developed communications infrastructure, with extensive landline phone networks and extremely good mobile phone coverage. South Africa’s international country code is +27. Overseas visitors can use their own mobile phone with 'international roaming' enabled, but this can be extremely expensive. A much cheaper (and easy) option is to switch to using a local provider during your stay in the country! All you need to do is to buy an MTN or Vodacom pay-as-you-go SIM card in any shop, and put it in your phone instead of your usual SIM card. There is no paperwork to fill out, and no contract to sign - it really is as simple as that. You are immediately connected to a local network, which gives you normal cheap-rate local calls - ideal if you need to call up to check directions to your guest house, or to book a taxi home after a night out. |
||
 |
||
| Internet | ||
| Internet cafes can be found in every small town, as many South African citizens do not have an own computer and use the cafe to browse the internet and send e-mails. Although connections can be frustratingly slow in some places, many of the larger shopping malls have modern internet cafes, which tend to charge by the quarter or half hour. Most of the hotels will have a Business Centre, or even a 'Wireless Hot Spot' for those travelling with their own laptop. Many guest houses will also offer internet facilities to their guests, if asked for. | ||
 |
||
| Value Added | ||
| Tax Value Added Tax (VAT) at 14% is levied on most goods and services, but as a foreign national you may reclaim VAT on non perishable goods you bought for over R250 to take out of the country unused.To claim your VAT refund, you will need to present your receipts, together with your shopping items ready for proof, passport and flight ticket home, at any VAT Refund Office at the International Airports or in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, or the Sandton City Shopping Mall in Jo´burg. The claim is processed while you wait, and you are issued with a receipt and in most cases, a VAT refund cheque. The VAT Refund Office at the airport has to validate both before you can cash the cheque in for foreign currency at the airport banking facilities. | ||
 |
||
| Medical Facilities | ||
| South Africa is a safe destination with good levels of hygiene and drinkable water. There are nonetheless some health issues that you should be aware of. Medical facilities in cities and larger towns are world-class, but you will find that in rural areas the clinics and hospitals deal with primary health needs, and therefore do not offer the range of medical care that the large metropolitan hospitals do. Trained medical caregivers are deployed round the country, so help is never far away. It is advised to have travel insurance since quality healthcare is not cheap. | ||
 |
||
| Food and water | ||
| As a rule, tap water in South Africa is high-quality, palatable and safe to drink from the tap as it is treated and free of harmful microorganisms. Sometimes, i.e. in the Cape, the water contains humic acid, which stains it the colour of diluted Coca-Cola – this is absolutely harmless, and the water is wonderful. You may also find this colouring in tap water in some other areas. It's fine – it just looks a bit weird in the bath. In hotels, restaurants and nightpots, the standards of hygiene and food preparation is top-notch. It is safe to eat fresh fruit and salads and to put as much ice as you like in your drinks - a good thing, too, after a day on the beach or in the bush. | ||
 |
||
| Malaria | ||
| Most of the main tourist destinations in South Africa are malaria free, making South Africa a particularly good destination to travel to with kids. The only areas where malaria is still prevalent are the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo and on the Maputaland coast of KwaZulu-Natal including the Kruger National Park. Malaria transmission is at its highest during the warmer and wetter months of November through to April. From May through to October the risks are reduced. In endemic areas, always use mosquito repellent, wear long pants, closed shoes and light long-sleeved shirts at night, and sleep under a mosquito net as mosquitos carrying malaria, operates almost exclusively after dark. | ||
 |
||
| AIDS/HIV | ||
| South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world so please take precautions if you are planning to have sex. Another common source of infection amongst travellers may be contaminated or unsterile medical equipment, so in case you need medical treatment in lesser developed rural areas please watch out yourself that disposable medical equipment is not reused. It might even be advisable to take your own set of 'single use' sterile medical equipment with you - small travel kits can be bought from all good chemists and camping outlets. |
||
 |
||
| Immunizations | ||
| No vaccinations are required by law to enter South Africa. If you are traveling from a country where Yellow Fever is present you will need to prove you have had the inoculation by presenting a valid international yellow fever inoculation certificate. Both Typhoid and Hepatitis A vaccinations are highly recommended. Get up to date with your measles vaccine too, there have been recent outbreaks in Cape Town and a few other areas in the country. | ||
 |
||
