Before You Book

PREPARING TO GO TO SOUTH AFRICA

CAPITAL

Pretoria (administrative), Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative)

LANGUAGE

South Africa has 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely spoken.

RELIGION

About 92% of South African’s are Christian’s. 2% are Hindu’s and 2% are Muslim’s.

LOCAL TIME

South African Time (SAST) is 2 hours ahead of GMT.

ELECTRICITY

240 Volts - sockets are usually of the British, three-pronged variety.

PASSPORT & VISA

A valid passport is required by all nationals. All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Please ensure that passport/s are valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the intended date of return and contain between 2-6 blank “Visa” pages. You should have at least two free pages in your passport. Please access the Travel & Visa Requirements Section on the top of this page for the latest visa entry requirements for the country/ies you are visiting. Passports are required; in addition, travelers are also advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is the sole responsibility of the traveler.

Note: South Africa Immigration directive - Machine Readable Travel Documents

To comply with regulation 2(1)(a) of the Immigration Regulations, 2014 only Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTDs) will be accepted to enter South Africa. For this reason, travellers are advised to check their travel documents.
E'Swatini (Swaziland) – if your tour includes a visit

If you are not a Canadian/US passport its imperative that you check what the requirements are for your nationality. Visas are not available on arrival so must be arranged in advance through a E’Swatini consulate or a visa service.

kruger National Park Gate Access Control System

kruger National Park (KNP) has implemented additional gate access control systems at its entrance gates in the south of the park.  From all visitors over 18 years old will be required to produce their passport for scanning upon entering or exiting the Park.  Visitors will still be required to go through their normal check-in or check-out at the gate reception before proceeding to the security scanning process.

Currency information:

Rand (ZAR; symbol R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Xe.com is a useful site for exchange rates

Credit cards:

MasterCard and Visa are preferred. American Express and Diners Club are also widely accepted. ATMs are available in all towns, cities and shopping malls and most petrol stations, and accept international cards. Almost all hotels, shops, restaurants, national parks, and game reserves accept credit cards.

ATM:

ATMs are available in all towns, cities and shopping malls and most petrol stations, and accept international cards. Be alert when using ATMs, and do not accept help from anybody as conmen are adept at switching cards. Check your statements afterwards for a few weeks too, as cloning machines are occasionally planted in ATMs. More obviously, be aware of who is hanging around and don’t withdraw money if your instinct tells you not to.

CLOTHING

As a general guideline, clothing should be lightweight, loose fitting, hard-wearing and easily washed. In the hot summer months, cotton clothing is much more comfortable than man-made materials like nylon. While on safari, you should wear natural, neutral colors – bright colors can make you stand out, meaning that you’re less likely to spot wildlife. Make sure you allow for climate changes and remember that even in very hot countries, night-time and early morning temperatures can be extremely cold. You will generally find it is better to have several thin layers rather than one thick layer as it gives you more flexibility and warmth.

COMMUNICATION & EMAILS

Email
Internet cafés can now be found in many towns in South Africa. The cost for an hour varies dramatically and can cost anywhere from $US 0.10 to $US 2 per minute.

Phone
Telephone calls, especially international ones, can be expensive when made from a hotel. We suggest you check the price first. If you have a mobile phone, it should be a relatively simple procedure to arrange ‘global roaming’ with your service provider; however, charges are generally very high so be sure to check this option thoroughly. You should also check with your service provider to see if your mobile phone is compatible with the networks used in Africa. Phone calls made from public telephone offices are generally your cheapest option, but the most economical and convenient option is to get yourself a South African SIM card and insert that in your mobile phone.

Post
The postal service is relatively good, and stamps are available everywhere. An overseas stamp for postcards will cost approx. $US 0.80. Posting of parcels can be time-consuming however, and contents of parcels normally must pass customs inspection before they are sealed for posting.

WEATHER & CLIMATE

Several different geographic regions form South Africa. The lowveld, which covers most of the coastal areas, generally offers warm summers and cool winters – although further towards the Cape the winter months (June-August) are decidedly cold. From September to November the weather is unpredictable, and the warmest months are from December to March. The highveld, which takes in much of the interior, including Johannesburg and the eastern Transvaal, is at close to 1670 m and this has a tempering effect on the climate, making the summer months cooler and the winters very cold. Rain can be expected at any time of the year, and summer rain is common.

Cape town:

Approximate costs for meals and snacks not included are shown below:

• Simple snack - $US 4-5
• Light meal - $US 8-10
• Fancy restaurant - $US 25+

DRINKS

Approximate costs for drinks bought in a shop in the street are shown below. Prices in restaurants, hotels, and cruise boats can be as much as double those specified.

• 1.5l of water: $US 1.50
• 30cl bottle of soft drink: $US 1-2
• 33cl bottle of beer: $US 2.00

It is not recommended that you drink the local tap water in South Africa however bottled water and carbonated soft drinks are widely available throughout the country.

FOOD

Food in South Africa is much like Canada or the United States. There is fast food for those who love their burger and fries and there are top class restaurants for those who enjoy fine dining. Because South Africa has a mixture of cultures from the Dutch to Indian this makes South African cuisine a diverse and rich mixture of tastes from different cultures. Biltong is a popular cheap snack, it come in the forms of beef or kudu, and it is dried, salted meat.

SUGGESTED TIPPING SCALE

It is a way of showing your appreciation and will be welcomed by the recipient, although if you decide not to tip in a particular circumstance, this doesn’t mean you’ll receive a lower level of service. Ultimately, tipping is discretionary and should be done at a level that feels comfortable.

TRANSFERS

This applies to city transfers to and from airport and hotels, transfers to restaurants, or to the Railway Stations.

Transfer driver:                                                  $2 per person per one way

CITY SIGHTSEEING

Half day seat-in-coach sightseeing tour, bus driver:  $3 per person

Half day seat-in-coach sightseeing tour, tour guide:  $8 per person

Full day seat-in-coach sightseeing tour, bus driver:  $6 per person

Full day seat-in-coach sightseeing tour, tour guide:  $12 per person

Half day private sightseeing tour, driver/guide:        $20 per vehicle

Full day private sightseeing tour, driver/ guide:        $50 per vehicle

HOTEL (CITY) ACCOMMODATION

Standard Tipping procedures are between 10-12% of one’s meal

Bar bill:  10% of bill

Room meal service:  10% of the bill

Delivery by housekeeping: (iron, hairdryer, etc):      $2 per delivery

Porterage:                                                         $1 per bag per movement

Housekeeper:                                                    $2 per room per night

*Meals included in the tour already include gratuities.

GAME LODGE

At Game Lodges, clients can settle the gratuity/tips for staff at the end of their stay.  In most instances, the lodges provide a tipping box in their reception areas.  If not, you can hand this tip to the lodge manager.  Often you will find gratuities envelopes in your room, to be used for this purpose.

Game Ranger:                                                   $10-$15 per person per day

Game Tracker, if applicable:                                 $8-$10 per person per day

General staff:                                                     $5-$8 per person per day

(Includes waiters, cooks, bar attendants, housekeepers, evening entertainers)

PRIVATE GAME RANGER – EXTENDED HIRE

It is common to have a private vehicle and game ranger with you for most or all of your itinerary.  You will drive from camp to camp, and often your game ranger will be your wildlife guide during your daily activities from camp.  Your gratuity should be given on your last day of ‘hire’. 

Private game ranger:  Minimum $50 to Maximum $100 per day, for a party of 1 to 6 people. (not per person)

HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance from your travel agent. Health plans only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Your travel agent can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance; however, they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased. Most insurance companies do have exclusions in their coverage. Pre-existing medical conditions are not insurable. High risk activities such as skydiving, parachuting, and bungee jumping are also not covered by insurance. Understand the complete insurance coverage you have before travelling out of the country.