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TOURIST INFORMATION
Here are a few useful tips and suggestions for foreign tourists, planning a trip to South Africa. Some of this information can be useful to South African tourists as well.
- Requirements for entering South Africa
- A valid acceptable passport or travel document good for a sufficient period to cover the intended stay.
- A valid visa, if required
- Sufficient funds.
- A return or onward ticket.
- Yellow fever certificates are required if the journey starts or entails passing through the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America.
- Inoculations: If you're an adult, you won't need any inoculations unless you're traveling from a yellow-fever endemic area (the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America), in which case you will need certification to prove your inoculation status when you arrive in South Africa.It is recommended that you have the required inoculations four to six weeks before you travel to South Africa (a yellow fever inoculation certificate only becomes valid 10 days after inoculation - after which it remains valid for 10 years).
- Hepatitis B inoculations are recommended for children up to the age of 12 who have not completed the series of injections as infants. Booster doses for tetanus and measles can also be administered.
Banks and Money.
The currency unit is the Rand, denoted by the symbol R, with 100 cents making up R1 (one Rand). Foreign currency can be exchanged at local banks and Bureaux de Changes. Most major international credit cards such as American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa and their affiliates are widely accepted.
ROOM RATES
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.
The South African Climate.
We have a warm sunny climate and you should wear sunscreen and a hat whenever you are out of doors during the day, particularly between 10am and 4pm, regardless of whether there is cloud cover or not. Even if you have a dark complexion, you can still get sunburned if you are from a cooler climate and have not had much exposure to the sun. Sunglasses are also recommended wear, as the glare of the African sun can be strong.
This is a summer-rainfall region, between November and February, in normal years, summer thunderstorms produce violent flashes of lightning and brief but torrential afternoon downpours. Summer days are hot, though rarely to the point of discomfort.
Bushveld Pond is situated in the Pretoria area, and about 1,370 meters above sea level.
Gauteng Temperatures
Summer (January) daily average maximum 28.8 degrees Centigrade, and daily minimum 16.4 degrees Centigrade. Winter (July) average daily maximum 20.2 degrees Centigrade, and daily minimum 2.6 degrees Centigrade.
Rainfall in this region
January average monthly 134 millimeters, and July 9 millimeters.
Health Tips:
Drinking Water.
High-quality tap (faucet) water is available almost everywhere in South Africa, treated so as to be free of harmful micro-organisms, and in any area other than informal or shack settlements, is both palatable and safe to drink straight from the tap. In some areas, the water is mineral-rich, and you may experience a bit of gastric distress for a day or two until you get used to it. Bottled mineral water, both sparkling and still, is readily available in most places.
Malaria.
Many of the main tourist areas are malaria-free, so you need not worry at all. However, the Kruger National Park, the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal do pose a malaria risk in the summer months. Many local people and some travellers do not take malaria prophylaxis, but most health professionals recommend you do. Consult your doctor or a specialist travel clinic for the latest advice concerning malaria prophylaxis, as it changes regularly.
Whether you take oral prophylaxis or not, always use mosquito repellent, wear long pants, closed shoes and light long-sleeved shirts at night, and sleep under a mosquito net in endemic areas (the anopheles mosquito, which carries malaria, operates almost exclusively after dark). It is advisable to avoid malaria areas if you are pregnant.
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