South Africa Travel Advice & General Information

Here is a guide to some best South Africa travel advice and general information, worth having on hand for any South African trip or even for pre planning.

Capital

A little confusing so Cape Town is the official legislative capital, with the administrative capital being Pretoria and Judicial capital being Bloemfontein

Population

The population of South Africa, as of 2020 is 59.3 million

Time Zone

South Africa operates its time at GMT plus 2

Best Time To Go

South Africa is known as a destination accessible all year round and is also generally visited all year round. However some regions may have more advantages than other (see below)

The northern regions are good destinations in the winter months, at this time game viewing is at it’s best, and temperatures are far milder.

The southern regions are known for more summer times and holiday makers with low rainfall and warmer temperatures.

Climate

Summer is October to April and winter is May to August

Summer temperatures average between 15 – 30 C (60 – 96 f) Despite a few regional differences, the climate of south Africa is generally mild throughout the year.

On a whole South Africa is a dry country with a mean average rainfall of 502mm and snow is normally only seen and limited to mountain peaks

Currency

The currency of South Africa is the South African Rand. 1 rand is made up of 100 cents. Banks notes are in denominations of R200 (orange) R100 (blue) R50 (pink) R20 (brown) and R10 (green)

Languages

Throughout South Africa there are a total of 11 official languages. these being Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Tsongo, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.

For English speaking visitor to the country you would certainly be able and have no problem with travelling through the country and communicating.

Tipping

It is not compulsory but it is customary to tip in the region of 10 to 15 % in restaurants or hotel bills and 10 % to persons who are for example taxi drivers, local guides or private drivers.

Vaccinations

Please check with your GP and local authorites for further information, as such information can change.

Electricity

With the amount of gadgets, phones, cameras and computers have the right adaptors is important.

South Africa uses 230 to 240 volts 50Hz. The visitor to South Africa should purchase the correct adaptor with compatibility with South Africa. These can be purchased in South Africa or at most International Airports.

Hopefully this lends to some useful information for yourself to have on hand or when planning a South Africa trip. For any further assistance more information can be obtained on the South African Embassy Site and information page.

I hope this South Africa travel advice is of use to you.

Want to read some interesting articles on South Africa well try out a few from our own experiences. A look at Johannesburg, Cape Town, Franschhoek and Sabi Sands Safari.

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