we are flying into cape town south Africa 8 oct. 14 & fly out 7 nov. 14 I am a u.s. citizen [no visa required !!??] and concerned about the number of blank pages that I will need in my passport. I have been told that so. Africa has a policy of not allowing passengers to board a flight to so. Africa if you don't have 1 totally blank page[front &back ] for each time you enter so. Africa ,including reentry from a day visit to Swaziland. amendments pages can not be used. any information on so. Africa's policy would be lovely. after reading an up to date travel guide [not L.P.] about safety in so. Africa the guide's warnings are extreme . it even tells you how to conduct your self during a car jacking!! from the post I have read thorn tree you only have to take the usual precautions. any advice you could give me would be lovely. thank you kindly.
The South African government is serious about the two blank pages (they do not have to front & back) but the big question, like many things in South Africa, is why? when I was there a few years ago the sticker was perhaps a quarter of a page and the entry/exit stamps were small enough that you could fit a dozen on the page. I also made trips to Swaziland and Namibia and did not get extra stickers just extra stamps so with three entries and three exits it only took up a single page in my passport, so I was left wondering why the big fuss about blank pages.
On the safety..it is pretty safe,if you take the usual precautions.
Don't flash large amounts of money around,or wander around drunk in the night in a place you don't know.....
You will find that many white South Africans will overstate the risks (which exist for sure,but rarely apply to tourists visiting tourist areas).
It is nothing to worry too much about..the vast majority of people who go to the country have no problems whatsoever.....
I've been several times in South Africa and never heard about the 2 blank pages requested. I'd check with south african emabssy in your country just to be sure.
Safety is a problem in big cities, in South Africa like in many other countries (Usa, Italy or Russia). As Lucapal said, take usual preacautions and don't show expensive stuff. My cousin lives in Jo'Burg and he never had problems. :)
Stefano
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