Practical information South Africa

471009  sq.mi

Anticipate a 13 hour flight. London is 5,642 mi from Johannesburg.

48782756 hab.

Johannesburg: the International Airport O.R. Tambo, which is situated at 15 miles north-east of the city, is accessible by bus (25 ZAR, 30 min) and by taxi (170 ZAR, 20-30 min).
Cape Town: the airport is situated 14 miles east of the city. It is accessible by bus (15 ZAR, 30 min) and by taxi (150 ZAR, 20-30 min).

Violence and crime: The crime rate has considerably increased in the last few years, particularly in the urban areas (the city centres, formerly well secured, have been deserted by the middle class and the bourgeoisie people who have moved to "supervised" suburban compounds). In general, make sure to avoid the deserted areas (particularly at night), as well as the city centres after 4.00pm. Do not leave precious items or your belongings on show and keep little money with you as a precautionary measure. If you fall victim to violence, do not resist attacker. Beware of movements of any larger groups or groups of young people and of people around you while you withdraw money from ATMs. It is recommended, when you are moving around, to be equipped with a mobile phone and have telephone numbers to call in case of emergency.
Police (emergency): 10111 (free call).
Ambulances: 999.
In Johannesburg, avoid the areas of Hillbrow, Berea, Yeoville and Bruma, as well as the Pretoria-Johannesburg railway. In Durban, avoid Victoria quay, the underground passages of the Workshop Shopping Centre and the landing stages of Victoria and Point Road. Beware when walking around in the Wheel Shopping Complex and on the port and the seafront. In Cape Town, do not take a walk from your city centre hotel to the seaside. Do not take collective taxis.
Danger from animals: while you are not at risk in the nature reserves thanks to the professional care of the competent personnel, still know that it is possible to come upon crocodiles along Bas Veld and hippopotamuses along the northern bank of Kwazulu-Natal. Do not underestimate the danger posed by hippopotamuses and as much distance between yourself and them.

11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, siSwati, Xitsonga, Setswana, Tshvenda, Xhosa and Zulu.

No visa is necessary. A passport is sufficient for European citizens and has to be valid for six months after the return date. Careful, it is necessary to show a receipt of a return ticket.

68% Christians (Anglicans, Methodists, Roman Catholics and various black independent churches such as the Christian Church of Zion); 2% Muslims; 1.5% Hindus as well as 28% of local traditional religion and animism.

South African currency is the rand (ZAR), £1 = 14.55 ZAR. The vast majority of services such as hotels, restaurants, boutiques and many means of transport accept international credit cards (Visa and Mastercard being the most popular), though in bear in mind that petrol stations do not accept these. During the working week banks are open from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm and from 9:00 am until 11:00 am on Saturdays.

Train
Train is an excellent means of transport to travel around South Africa. A third-class ticket provides not only sufficient comfort but is very affordable. Most of South African trains have their proper names, for example the luxurious Blue Train, which runs from Cape Town to Johannesburg (some of the trains run also to Victoria Falls). It has turned out to be such a success that sometimes its seats have to be booked months in advance. The Blue Train offers its passengers a retro style décor reminiscent of the 1950s, whereas another luxury train, the Rovos Rail, runs on steam and offers decoration characteristic of the beginning of the 20th century.

Bus
Two major transport companies cover the whole territory: Translux and Greyhound. The usual tariffs do not offer as good value as with the train however. Nonetheless, the Baz Bus company offers attractive tariffs on ?semi-luxe' bus routes from Johannesburg to Cape Town (via Drakensberg, Durban and the Garden Route), and between Durban and Johannesburg (which runs in close proximity of the Kruger National Park).

Plane
The South African Airways, SA Airlink, SA Express and Comair companies offer numerous domestic flights. Once there, you can have the advantage of certain discounts (30% for booking 10 days in advance and 50% for booking 50 days in advance).

Car
South Africa has a high quality infrastructure. Keep left while you drive and remember that drivers are required to have an international driving license. Renting a car is very easy, as well as a motor home or a 4X4.

Though no vaccine is required, it is strongly recommended to have anti-malaria treatment for the north provinces, in Eastern Traansvaal province, Northeast of Kwazulu-Natal region and particularly in the Kruger region (especially from November to March), where certain areas are resistant to Nivaquin. (Mefloquin is recommended).

220/230 V. Electric plugs with three pins, adapter necessary.

In the period January-July 2007, a total of 5.1 million tourists visited the country. The rate of visitors increased by 11.4% compared to the same period in 2006.

It is custom to leave a tip to waiters, luggage carriers and taxi drivers. A value added tax (14%) is applied to products that leave the country, but can be reimbursed (if it exceeds 250 ZAR) on presentation of a form when going through customs (reimbursement cheque).

Dialling from UK to South Africa: dial 00 27 + the regional code without the initial zero (012 / Pretoria, 011 / Johannesburg, 021 / Cape Town, 031 / Durban , 051 / Bloemfontein) + the number.
Dialling from South Africa to UK: 09 + 44 + the number without the initial zero.