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Introducing South Africa
Travel Alert: Crime is a problem throughout South Africa; see the Health & Safety section for details.
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It’s no wonder that South Africa draws more visitors than anywhere else in sub-Saharan Africa. World-class wildlife-watching, cosmopolitan cities like the great big beating heart of Johannesburg, stunning natural panoramas from Table Mountain National Park and vibrant cultures make the country appealing to almost every taste and budget. Geographically, its extremes include the arid semidesert of the Karoo, the snowcapped peaks of the Drakensberg Range, the lush subtropical coast of KwaZulu-Natal and the fertile temperate valleys of Western Cape. Within the space of a day, you can journey from vineyard-clad hillsides in the Western Cape to the vast open spaces of the Kalahari; from waterfront chic in Cape Town to isolated Zulu villages; from elephant-spotting in Kruger National Park to the sublime seascapes of the coast.
While it’s easy to focus on the glitz and developed infrastructure, you’ll only get below the surface by seeking out the country’s other face – most visible in the sprawling townships where far too many people live stalked by the shadows of hunger, poverty and one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world. Behind its incredible natural beauty, South Africa is the stage for the daily drama of one of the world’s greatest experiments in racial harmony. The intensity of this drama surrounds you wherever you go, and is likely to be one of the most fascinating and challenging aspects of your travels.
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
- take a tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town visiting Kruger National Park, Swaziland, Zululand, Transkei and the Garden Route.
- see the best of South Africa on this spectacular 8-day family tour
- go the long haul and travel from Cape Town to Nairobi
Want more? Choose from a wide selection of similar trips South Africa
Last updated: Oct 23, 2009
Tips & articles
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Insider tips: Cape Town
21 September 2009
Known as the Mother City, Cape Town’s colour and calm can entrance and beguile. Here are some...
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South Africa on a shoestring
10 September 2009
Travelling in South Africa is not as cheap as in many less-developed African countries. However, it’s...
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World’s worst shark infested beaches
8 September 2009
We all know that in theory we’re more likely to be struck by lightning or win the lottery than be eaten...
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South Africa
Our Top Picks For South Africa
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1 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Revel in the Kalahari's haunting vistas and vastness
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2 Namaqualand
Visit Namaqualand in springtime, when the rugged landscapes soften under an explosion of wildflowers
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3 Winelands
Treat yourself to fine wining and dining in the verdant valleys around Franschhoek, Paarl and Stellenbosch
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4 Cape Town
Savour the cosmopolitan chic of one of the world's most beautiful cities and get pelted with spray at Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
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5 Southern Coast
Explore South Africa's coastline, from Hermanus with its whales to the rivers and ravines of Tsitsikamma National Park
Fast Facts about South Africa
- Borders
- Visa
Free, 90-day entry permits issued on arrival to citizens of most Commonwealth countries (including Australia and the UK), most Western European countries, Japan and the USA
- Time
GMT/UTC + 2
- Telephone
Country code 27; international access 09
- Money
Rand; US$1 = R7.4
- Seasons
Cape Town: cold & wet (May to August); sunny & warm (September to May); Durban & Johannesburg: dry (May to September); wet (October to April)
- Population
46.9 million
- ATMs
Found in most cities and large towns
- Capital
Pretoria (administrative), Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative)
- Budget
US$25 to US$50 a day
- Languages
11 (English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Sepedi, Setswana, Sotho, Swati, Tshivenda, Xhosa, Xitsonga, and Zulu)
Related Groups
Our favourite South Africa Blogs (beta)
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Almost Like Home
Blog: Passed Ports: images and anecdotes from our travels - 8 November 2009
Ahhhh, home. Well, sort of. We arrived in Capetown a few days ago, the end of our African adventure. Insofar as it is an international city, this is as close to home as we’re going to get. And we have been eating it up, literally. Sushi, Thai food, good (read: NOT instant) coffee. It’s all [...]
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A Visit to the People who Click
Blog: Travelicious - 7 November 2009
It was raining and the sky was hanging low and grey over our heads, we were on our way to Bulungula; a community run place by the ocean on the wild coast. It is deep in the Xhosa homeland, and the roads are somewhere in between horrible and non-existent – the first part of the way down to the coast is gravel roads, which you do in your own car, be warned, it’s not easy driving, especially after rain. You park your car about an hour away from this place and they come and pick you up in a sturdy 4x4, something we discovered was very much needed.
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Lady in Town
Blog: A Lady in London - 7 November 2009
I thought that five days would be more than enough to see Cape Town. I was wrong. There was so much to do and see in the city and along the cape that my boyfriend and I easily filled five days and could have spent another five.
