Africa is one of the most diverse places you will ever visit. With more than 47 million people with different believes, cultures, languages and religions. The most advanced country of Africa is South Africa. This is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. This is home of the Big Five and the place to be if you love warmer weather, which lasts for most of the year.

The most common questions asked about South Africa:

Why visit South Africa?

• South Africa has some of the best game reserves in the world, including the world famous Kruger National Park.
• South Africa is where you can experience wildlife, history, culture and nature, all in one country.
• South Africa is a year round travel destination, thanks to the climate.
• Great value for money.

What are the Top 10 things to do in South Africa?

• A Kruger National Park Safari
• Go up Table Mountain with the Cable Car
• Watch the whales in Hermanus - August to December
• Travel the Garden Route
• Wine tasting in the Winelands
• Visit the beaches of Cape Town
• Play golf at one the World class Golf Courses
• Do some adventure sports – Shark cage diving, abseiling, bungee jumping
• Visit Soweto for a township tour and cultural excursions
• Do some surfing at Jeffrey’s Bay

Location of South Africa?

South Africa is the most southern tip of Africa with, on the west the Atlantic Ocean and on the south and east, the Indian Ocean. The neighbouring countries are Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

What is the size of the area South Africa covers?

The total land area of South Africa is 1 219 912 sq km
(471,011 sq mi)

• Kruger National Park - 18,989 square kilometers
• Johannesburg - 1,644 square kilometers
• Durban - 2,292 square kilometers
• Cape Town - 2,499 square kilometers

Different areas of South Africa?

The 9 provinces of South Africa are:

• Western Cape
• Eastern Cape
• Northern Cape
• Free State
• Gauteng
• KwaZulu-Natal
• Limpopo
• North West and
• Mpumalanga

The 5 major cities are:

• Cape Town
• Johannesburg
• Pretoria
• Durban
• Bloemfontein

What is the size of the population?

South Africa is home to more than 47 million people which are divided in four ethnic groups. These are Black Africans, Whites, Coloureds and Asians. The Black Africans accounts for 76% of the population, the whites for 13%, the coloureds for 9% and the Asians for 3%.

What is South Africa’s time zone?

There are no time zone changes between South Africa’s 9 provinces or it’s neighbouring countries. We are 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 8 hours behind Australia, 1 hour ahead of Central European “Winter time” and 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard “Winter time”

What will be the best time to visit
South Africa for a holiday?

Although South Africa is a year round holiday destination, it depends on what you are coming to do here. Some things are better to do in summer than in winter and vice versa.
Spring (August to October) is best if you want the best game watching time.
Mid June to end October is the best for Whale watching and April to October is great for diving and surfing.
Summer (November to February) is the best if you want to visit the beaches. This is however our peak time, so it can get a bit over crowded.

What is South Africa’s currency?

Our currency is the Rand (R). Coins are available in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5, and notes in R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200.

What are the operating hours of the banks?

Mondays to Fridays – 9:00am – 15:30pm
Saturdays – 8:30am – 11:00am
Sundays & Public Holidays – Closed

What will be a fair tip to give?

A waiter normally gets 10 – 15% of the bill, taxi’s, 10% and porters R5 per item.
You will notice parking attendants showing you a parking and then looking after your car while you’re away. To them you can give whatever small change you want to.
At petrol stations, they usually wash your windscreen and check the oil and water. For this a R2 tip will be sufficient.

What clothes do I pack for a holiday
in South Africa?

Jeans, shirts, sneakers, sandals, blouses, pants and skirts are all regarded as appropriate everyday wear.
Summer time is mostly hot during the day, while the evenings are slightly cooler. Just keep in mind that some areas have a summer rainfall.
Winters are always cold, in some places, very cold. Mostly it will be rainy and windy, but some places have a dry, hot and humid climate in the winter.

What are the requirements for a
Visa and Passport?

Most European Countries, Scandinavia and the USA do not need a Visa. Travelers from these countries will receive a free entry permit sticker with details of the visit when arriving in South Africa.
This is usually valid for 90 days. If you are staying for longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a Visa.

What is South Africa’s dialing code?

The country dialing code is +27. Most guest houses, hotels and country lodges offers direct dialing facilities. We also have public telephones. The blue ones are coin operated while the green ones use the phone card which you can get at any post office or news agency.

Will I be able to use my Cell / Mobile
phone in South Africa?

You can buy a sim card almost anywhere and for as little as R3.

Pay as you go airtime is recommended for tourists. You can choose from 4 world class service providers – Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Virgin Mobile.

What are the weights and measures
in South Africa?

Distances throughout South Africa are given in kilometers. One mile is equivalent to 1.62 kilometers.
Temperatures are given in degrees Celsius (Centigrade). One degree Celsius is equivalent to 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Weight is measured in kilograms (kg). One kilogram is equivalent to 2.2 pounds.

South African public holidays

• New Year's Day: 01 January
• Human Rights Day: 21 March
• Good Friday: The Friday before Easter (between late March and late April)
• Family Day: The Monday after Easter Sunday
• Freedom Day: 27 April
• Workers Day: 01 May
• Youth Day: 16 June
• National Women's Day: 09 August
• Heritage Day: 24 September
• Day of Reconciliation: 16 December
• Christmas Day: 25 December
• Day of Goodwill: 26 December

Interesting facts on Africa.

• 750 million people
• Second largest continent
• 1800 km from North to South
• 1500 km from East to West
• 3000 km of coast line
• 9 Provinces
• Biggest city is Cairo with 9 million people
• Oldest desert is the Namib
• Largest desert is the Sahara
• Tallest mountain is Kilimanjaro
• Longest river is the Nile - 6000 km
• Biggest port in Africa (9th biggest in the world) is in Durban
• 1000 + different languages • Life expectancy only 36
• 25% of 5 – 14 year olds work
• 3000 kids die per day of Malaria
• 39 million cell phone users
• Nigeria population 145million
• The biggest hospital in the world is in Soweto – Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital
• Two-Thirds of Africa’s electricity are generated from South Africa
• The youngest official language in the world is Afrikaans
• The world’s largest deposits of gold, chromium, platinum and manganese is in SA
• The world's second oldest air force is in South Africa
• The second largest brewing company in the world is in South Africa
• The second oldest film industry in the world is in South Africa
• The world’s longest underground cave sequence is the Cango Caves near Oudsthoorn

Economy of South Africa

In the entire world, South Africa has the 27th biggest economy with a Gross Domestic Product of US$254 billion (World Bank).

Sport in South Africa

The Cape Argus Cycle Tour which is the biggest timed cycle race in the world is held in South Africa.
So is the Midmar Mile, the biggest open water swimming event and the Comrades Marathon which is the biggest and oldest ultra marathon in the world.

In 2010 South Africa became the first African country to host the Soccer world Cup. With this being said, South Africa is the second country in the world to host the Cricket, Rugby and Soccer World Cup’s.

In general

Mark Shuttleworth was the first African in space and is also the founder of Canonical, which maintains the world's most successful Linux Distribution, Ubuntu. It's free to everyone and is increasingly being supplied as the operating system of choice on many computers and laptops worldwide.
The French police have switched their entire works to Ubuntu.

Riaan Manser is a South African who cycled around the entire African continent and then went on to paddle around Madagascar.

There is a South African by the name of Peter van Kets who started paddling across the Atlantic on 4 January 2010. http://www.rowpeterow.co.za