Travel Information, Tourist Information and Tourism Hints for Visitors to South Africa

Hospitals:

• South Africa has both Private and Public Hospitals. In general, private hospitals are better maintained and run. All hospitals have outpatient services and emergency casualty facilities. They will accept patients on a cash basis (Credit Cards in Private Hospitals as well). The person travelling must ensure that health insurance is valid and up to date, so that any claims can be dealt with on return to their home country.
• Most towns also have a resident doctor.
• South Africa has no national health scheme. It is advisable to purchase travel insurance which includes medical cover.

• Some parts of South Africa fall in a Malaria area. September is the start of spring and the rain period, so the risk is minimal. As the wet season progresses, so the risk increases. Please consult you doctor or travel clinic for advice. Malaria prophylactics are readily available in South Africa, and we would recommend the additional use of an insect/mosquito repellent especially in the late afternoon and at night.
• South Africa has a high HIV / Aids infection rate - please be aware of this.
• Depending on your home country, some inoculations are required before you may enter South Africa - please check with your local travel clinic. Generally speaking the only inoculation required is for Yellow Fever.
• Persons taking regular medication must please ensure that they bring sufficient quantities with them.

Food and Eating:

• Water in all hotels, guest houses etc is safe to drink. The mineral content may however be quite high.
• Bottled water is available in all supermarkets, at service station shops etc.
• Food - perfectly safe in all hotels, restaurants etc. Do not buy food from open-air stalls in markets or in town etc.
• Take-out food - perfectly safe from dedicated take-away outlets - e.g. pizza's, hamburgers. Be wary of small cafés and supermarkets selling take-away food over the counter.

September is the start of spring - 1st September the public swimming pools open and traditionally September is the start of the rains - late afternoon showers, with clear skies for the rest of the day. Expect warm to hot days, nights cool - a windbreaker may be necessary. The really hot period is October through to February - expect days of over 30°C.

Please don't underestimate the risk of sunburn. Sunscreen is readily available at supermarkets and pharmacies and it is recommended that you do use a high protection factor sunscreen - at least SPF15.

Winter can be cold at night, dropping to below Zero, especially in the higher regions around Johannesburg, and particularly if you are going to the mountainous regions of the Drakensberg. If you going on safari make sure that you have some warm clothes with you, while the daytime temperatures usually reach about 17º - 20ºC.

Most of the larger towns will have a dedicated photographic shop, and many of the larger supermarkets will have a photographic counter offering a 1-hour developing service, as well as a service for digital photography enabling you to transfer your photographs to a CD or DVD format.

Memory cards for digital cameras are available in some of the larger towns, but it is better to come prepared with a supply of the digital memory cards for your particular camera.

Most film types are available in South Africa, but some of the newer batteries and films may not be available outside of the bigger centers. Please bring spare batteries and film for your cameras, especially for video cameras.

There are shops at all our International Airports where you can hire phones.

For example to dial The Netherlands from South Africa you would dial  00-31-(City Code)-(Number), with +31 being the country code for The Netherlands.

Public telephones are available in all towns, and work on both pre-paid cards and coins. Pre-paid cards can be bought at any Post Office.

Souvenirs / Handcrafts:

At roadside stalls in the tourist areas you will find handcrafts of all descriptions including beautiful wood carvings, beadwork, and stone sculptures. In the souvenir shops all this and more is available. At the roadside stalls it is customary to bargain with the seller, in the shops the prices are fixed.

Should you buy wooden carvings, it is recommended that you treat them with an insecticide, as there are often wood-boring beetles present - always look for the tell-tale little holes in the carving. Please check with your local Customs and Excise Department and check on the import regulations with respect to your particular country.

• The prices you pay in the shops include 14% VAT. VAT is refundable on leaving the country on production of the goods and receipts, and the total purchases must exceed R250.00.  VAT is not refundable for services, food or accommodation.
• There are airport taxes to be paid on leaving the country, but these are mostly included in the initial purchase of your air-ticket. Please check with your travel agent.
• Official licensed cabs or taxis do not cruise the streets - they need to be ordered through the hotel / guest house reception, but in general are readily available.

Hints:

• Beware of criminals at the ATM machines - a favourite trick is to offer "help", and then swap cards when you are not looking. Just politely decline any such offer.
• Telephone usage in hotels etc is expensive - it is far better to buy a pre-paid card for use in public telephones.
• When you see a souvenir you like at a roadside stall - buy it there. It is unlikely that you will see the same item in another place as the handcrafts tend to have a "local flavour"
• Tips - usually 10 - 15% of the bill in restaurants. Very few restaurants include the service fee, and if they do it will clearly be stated on the menu. A tip is given for good service only - it is not required, and definitely not necessary if you are unhappy with the service.
• As a rough guide - on group tours a porter will be paid R3.00 per person for the luggage, individually R5.00 per room is normal. A fuel pump attendant will normally get R2.00 - R4.00 for filling your car, checking the oil, pumping the tires and cleaning the windscreen. A parking attendant/car watch person will get R4.00 for watching the parking area. In a bar - R2.00 per drink is a good tip.
• All persons involved in the tourism industry rely on tips - porters, waiters, hotel staff, coach and bus drivers, tour guides. Any and every tip is appreciated.
• NB - REMEMBER THAT TIPS ARE ONLY FOR GOOD OR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE.

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