South Africa General Information
South Africa Capital: Pretoria.
Time: GMT + 2.
Tel. Code: 00 27 .
Official Languages: There are 11 official languages i.e. Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Currency: The South African unit of currency is called the Rand and it is divided into 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. Credit Cards are widely accepted everywhere (except at gas stations) and ATM machines are widely available in the main cities and towns.
Religions: Christianity majority. There are also Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism.
Electricity: South Africa's electricity supply: 220 / 230 volts AC 50 Hz
Exceptions: 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 be purchased but may be in short supply. US-made appliances may need a transformer.
Climate
South Africa's climatic conditions generally varies from Mediterranean in the southwestern corner of South Africa to temperate in the interior plateau, and subtropical in the northeast. Climatic conditions ranges evidently between east and west. Rainfall varies significantly from west to east. In the northwest, annual rainfall often remains below 200 millimeters.
Required clothing South Africa's climate allows for a sunny holiday at any time of the year. In the summer, lightweight cotton clothing is advised because daytime temperatures generally linger around 25-30 degrees Celsius.
Airports
OR TAMBO - Johannesburg International Airport - it is 24 kilometres from the city centre, Cape town international airport - 22 kms from city centre, and Durban Internatioal Airport- 16 kms from durban city centre. Door-to-door minibus services are available for the journey to the city, taking approximately half an hour costing US$15. Taxis are available in the arrivals parking lot but are expensive costing around US$20 to the city centre.
Departure tax: None.
South Africa Cuisines
South Africa offers cookery delicacies varies from crocodile sirloins to fried caterpillars to sheep heads. All three are said to be very delicious. There are also myriad indigenous delicacies such as biltong (dried, salted meat), bobotie (a much-improved version of Shepherd's pie) and boerewors (hand-made farm sausages, grilled on an open flame).
Shopping In South Africa
Large shopping centres are to be found across the country's cities and towns, where everything from giant chain stores to small speciality boutiques all you could possible want.
Sightseeing In South Africa
Bloemfontein : Bloemfontein is the capital city of the province of the Free State. It is a charming, medium sized city, which means 'spring of flowers'.
Cape Town : Cape Town is a cosmopolitan, wild and a wonderful city. It is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural and fascinating heritage.
Durban : Durban is a surfer's paradise, and the beachfront is a cultural experience.
Johannesburg : Johannesburg is the business and commercial heart of South Africa and is the major international gateway into South Africa.
Kimberley : It is almost certainly only because of the existence of an enormous diamond pipe that the town of Kimberley ever developed.
Upington : Upington is situated in the heart of the Northern Cape. It is the gateway to the Kalahari and is close to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Augrabies National Park.
Museums in South Africa
South African Museum
Robben Island Museum
National Museum
Anglo boer War Museum
National Culture History Museum
Transvaal Museum of natural History
National Museum of Military History
World Heritage Sites in South Africa
Isimangaliso Wetland Park
Robben Island
Cradle of Humankind
Ukahlamba Drakensburg Park
Cape Floral Region
Vredefort Dome
Willdlife in South Africa
Buffallo, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Leopard, Lion are considered as South Africa's Big Five.
De Winton's Golden Mole, Riverine Rabbit are the critically endangered Species of South Africa.
Giant Golden Mole, Van Zyl's Golden Mole, Marley's Golden Mole, Gunning's Golden Mole, Juliana's Golden Mole, White-tailed Rat, Sei Whale, Blue Whale, Fin Whale are endangered species of South Africa.
National Parks of South Africa
Kruger Park : The Kruger National Park in South Africa is one of the oldest and largest reserves in Africa. The park boasts a tremendous variety of game and birdlife in its numerous habitats.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park : Mile upon mile of rolling rust-red sand dunes, solitary trees and scattered grasses. For lovers of the ambience of untamed Africa, this hauntingly beautiful region has a special appeal all of its own.
Table Mountain: Cape Town is set against Table Mountain's famous profile, while the Table Mountain National Park encompasses 60 km of incredibly scenic beauty, and includes the Peninsula mountain chain that stretches from Signal Hill to Cape Point.
Addo Elephant National Park : Situated in a malaria free area just one hour's drive from the South African coastal city of Port Elizabeth, Addo offers a wide variety of game viewing, outdoor adventure and cultural acivities.
Pilanesberg National Park : The 55000-ha Pilanesberg Game Reserve, the fourth largest national park in South Africa, is situated on the eroded remains of an ancient volcanic crater, one of only three such craters in the world.
Marakele National Park : In the heart of the Waterberg Mountains, Marakele is characterised by contrasting majestic mountain landscapes, grass-clad hills and deep valleys - home to all the large game and a variety of birds.
West Coast National Park : This park harbours a wetland of international importance (a Ramsar site), which provides refuge to thousands of waders migrating from the northern hemisphere to spend the southern summer.
Golden Gate National Park : The park derives its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the region's imposing sandstone cliffs. The landscape also encompasses wooded ravines, gullies and grasslands.
Mountain Zebra National Park : This park was established to protect the mountain zebra in an beautiful area of mountains, ravines and high plateaus, with attractive trees and a great variety of aloes and flowering shrubs.
Karoo National Park : Karoo National Park is situated near Beaufort West, the Karoo National Park was proclaimed in 1979 to protect a typical sample of this fascinating arid region.
Ithala Game Reserve : Ithala lies in the Northern KwaZulu-Natal mountains and valleys, an area rich in ethnic history, colonial battlefields and diverse habitats.
Telephones / Media
Main telephone lines in use : over 5 million (2001), 4.844 million (2002)
Mobile cellular : 41.3 million (South Africa has a population of about 46 million) (2007) provided by four GSM networks, Vodacom , MTN South Africa , Cell C and Virgin Mobile. MTN and Vodacom also support the UMTS 3G standard.
The landline system provided by Telkom is the best developed and most modern in Africa. Neotel the Second National Operator has now entered the market and are providing voice and broadband fixed line access.
Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Broadband Internet: Although expensive compared to more developed nations, broadband is easily accessible in South Africa. Fixed line options such as ADSL, ISDN, Diginet and Leased Lines are available from the national operator Telkom.
Communications
The handshake is the most common greeting.
Use titles and surnames to address people.
Appointments should be made starting at 9 a.m.
Do not rush deals. South Africans are very casual in their business dealings.
Business cards have no formal exchange protocol.
South Africans prefer a "win-win" situation.
Travel Tips
Make your travels arrangements in Advance which includes accomodations, flights and car hire reservations as South Africa is a very Busy Destination.
Summers are generally hot and lightweight clothing is advisable although evenings can be cool. Sunscreen, hats and sunglasses are a must and remember that sunburn can occur even in gloomy weather. In the interior afternoon showers are common during the summer months, while in Cape Town four seasons can be experienced in one day so it is best to be prepared. The winter months are cold, particularly in the interior - warm clothing and raincoats are required.
It is often best to consider combining both flying and driving to make the most of your time. As a rule, public transport is not reliable and it is advisable to hire a car to get around cities and attractions. If you would rather not drive long distances, consider one of the local bus companies such as Intercape or Greyhound - tickets can be booked at Computicket. The Baz Bus is an affordable hop-on-hop-off option for backpackers.
Value-added-tax (VAT) is charged on most items. Foreign tourists to South Africa can have their 14% VAT refunded provided that the value of the items purchased exceeds R250.00. VAT is refunded at the point of departure and receipts from purchases must be kept and produced.
Most major shopping centres and malls are open 7 days a week from 09:00 to 17:00. In some cases, Sunday shopping hours are from 09:00 - 14:00 and in some smaller towns shops are closed on a Sunday.
A valid driver's permit is required to rent a car in South Africa and all drivers must carry a valid driver's licence at all times of driving. The wearing of seatbelts is compulsory and driving while talking on a mobile phone is illegal - a hands free kit must be used. Drinking and driving is strictly prohibited and strict fines apply.
Visitors should ensure that they have sufficient funds or medical insurance to cover the fees of private facilities. As a rule, the tap water in South Africa is safe to drink as all water has been treated. Hygiene and food preparation are of excellent standards and fresh fruit and vegetables are safe to eat.
Law prohibits smoking in most public spaces, including airports and railway stations. Most restaurants have designated smoking and non-smoking areas.
It is normal to tip in South Africa, so keep your small change handy. In restaurants 10-15% is standard. Tipping tour guides, trackers and and game rangers is also the norm since they depend on this for most of their income.
Hotels in South Africa (Capital City : Pretoria)
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