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| Travel » South Africa Travel Guide |
South Africa Travel Guide
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 South Africa Visa & Embassy Info »
Full country name: The Republic of South Africa
Population: 43.8 million
Capital City: Pretoria (official); Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative).
Languages: Afrikaans, Xhosa, English, Zulu, Tswana
Religion: Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and traditional religions
Government: Republic and independent member of the British Commonwealth
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2
Dialling Code: 27
Electricity: 220/230V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Money & Costs:
Currency: Rand |
Meals
Budget: R20-50
Mid-range: R50-80
High: R80-120
Top: R120+ |
Accommodation:
Budget: R40-150
Mid-range: R150-250
High: R250-300
Top: R300+ |
Backpackers on a very tight budget could just about get by on US$10 a day. Travelling by bus or train, other than hitching, will bump this up considerably as the road is long and public transport can be expensive. Staying in hotels with private facilities, eating a couple of restaurant meals a day and travelling by bus or train will cost US$40-60 a day. Tipping is expected because of the very low wages, with 10-15% being usual.
Most banks change travellers cheques in major currencies. Keep a few exchange receipts as you'll need them to reconvert your Rand when you leave. Major credit cards, are widely accepted. Many ATMs give cash advances and if your card belongs to the worldwide Cirrus network you should have no problem using it across the country.
Geography: South Africa is a richly diverse country of incredible beauty, offering the traveller an abundance of exciting destinations and attractions. It lies at the southern end of the African continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland and totally encloses Lesotho. South Africa has three major geographical regions, namely plateau, mountains and the coastal belt. The high plateau has sharp escarpments which rise above the plains. Despite two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange, most of the plateau lacks surface water. Along the coastline are sandy beaches and rocky coves, and the vegetation is shrub-like. The mountainous regions which run along the coastline from the Cape of Good Hope to the Limpopo Valley in the northeast of the country are split into the Drakensberg, Nuweveldberg and Stormberg ranges.
Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was organised into nine regions. These comprise the Western Cape with its provincial and national capital of Cape Town, the Eastern Cape with its provincial capital of Bisho, the Northern Cape with its provincial capital Kimberley, KwaZulu-Natal with its provincial capital Pietermaritzburg, the Free State with its provincial capital of Bloemfontein, the North West Province with its provincial capital Mmabatho, Limpopo (formerly called the Northern Province) with its provincial capital Polokwane (formerly called Pietersburg), Mpumalanga with its provincial capital of Nelspruit, and Gauteng with its provincial capital of Johannesburg.
Climate: South Africa’s climate is generally sunny and pleasant. Winters are usually mild, although snow falls on the mountain ranges of the Cape and Natal and occasionally in lower-lying areas, when a brief cold spell can be expected throughout the country.
Recommended clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens and rainwear. Warmer clothes are needed for winter.
Public Holidays: Jan 1 2005 New Year’s Day. Mar 21 Human Rights Day. Mar 25 Good Friday. Mar 28 Family Day. Apr 27 Freedom Day. May 1 Worker’s Day. June 16 Youth Day. Aug 9 National Women’s Day. Sep 24 Heritage Day. Dec 16Day of Reconciliation. Dec 25 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Day of Goodwill.
Note: Holidays falling on a Sunday are observed the following Monday.
Study in South Africa: Below are the latest
English language schools, art schools, business
schools & colleges to join our directory.
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