South African Travel Information

The Republic of South Africa occupies the southernmost part of the African continent. The country is divided into 9 provinces, namely: Eastern Cape , Free State , Gauteng , KwaZulu-Natal , Mpumalanga , North-West , Northern Cape , Limpopo Province and Western Cape.

Weather/Temperatures: South Africa has a temperate climate and is comfortable most of the year. Winter is very moderate compared to the Northern Hemisphere and most summer activities carry on through winter.

Our seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere with Spring starting in September, Summer from November to March, Autumn in April/May and Winter from June to August. Temperatures in Summer range from 15°C to 35°C, however the norms are 18°C to 28°C. Temperatures in Winter, whilst it can get to freezing at the higher altitudes, normaly range between 8°C and 25°C inland, and 15°C to 27°C at the coast.

Languages: There are 11 official languages in South Africa, but most people do speak English.

Standard time: South African standard time is two hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT + 2), one hour in advance of central European winter time and seven hours in advance of United States eastern standard time throughout the year. There are no time zone differences within the country.

Banking, currency and other money matters: The South African unit of currency is called the Rand and it is divided in to 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5, and notes in denominations of R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. South Africa has a very sophisticated banking sector and automatic teller machines (ATM’s) are widely available in the main cities and towns, although only a R1000-00 at a time may be drawn at an ATM. Credit Cards are widely accepted, except at gas stations. Traveller’s cheques (American and Visa) and credit cards (American Express, Visa and Master Card) are widely recognised and accepted. A local bank or American Express office may also cash your personal cheque, guaranteed with a credit card, for local currency.

Electricity: 220/230 volts AC at 50 cycles per second. Three pronged plugs are universal, so take an adapter. Most hotel rooms have 110 volt outlets for electric shavers and small appliances.

Road Travel: There is a well-maintained network of roads and motorways in populous regions. Traffic drives on the left. In non-residential areas, speed limits are 120kph, and 60kph in urban areas. Petrol stations are usually open all week, 07h00 to 19h00, and some are open 24 hours. Petrol must be paid for in cash. Wearing of seat belts is compulsory, and driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious offence. It is required that you carry a valid driver's license at all times whilst driving.

Drinking water: South Africa’s tap (faucet) water is of a high quality and is both palatable and safe to drink straight from the tap. It is treated so as to be free of harmful micro-organisms, except in informal or shack settlements. In some areas, the water is mineral-rich, and you may experience a bit of gastric distress for a day or two. Bottled mineral water is readily available. Drinking water straight from rivers and streams could put you at risk of waterborne diseases, especially downstream of human settlements.

Sun exposure: The African sun can be harsh, and you should wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat whenever you are out of doors, particularly between 10am and 4pm, regardless of whether there is cloud cover or not.

Nationwide emergency telephone numbers: For the police, this is 10111, and for the ambulance service this is 10177. It is not necessary to dial an area code for these numbers, including from mobile phones.