South Africa information - Road crossing

General South Africa information

Visas


If you are travelling on a UK passport and plan on staying in South Africa for less than 90 days, you will not need a Visa. Customs officers will place a sticker in your passport (be sure to have at least two empty pages in your passport available for this). Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after your return to the UK (children can travel on their parent's passport up to an age of 15). Furthermore, you must have a flight ticket in your possession for a confirmed return or stop-over flight. The South African embassy for the UK is located at the South Africa House, Trafalgar, London WC2N 5DP, Telephone: 020 7451 7299, Fax: 020 7451 7283. The South African Visa-department can be contacted at: 15 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DD, Telephone: 020 7925 8900/01/10, Fax: 020 7925 8930/31/32

For more information on currency in Southern Africa, please see our South Africa currency page.
To view our selection of short tours, please take a look at our South Africa self drives.
If you prefer your trips ready and raring to go, check out our South Africa itineraries. 

Dos and donts

Safety precautions

Currency, passports and valuable documents are best kept in your hotel's safe. Nearly all hotels affiliated with South Africa Travel Plan have a safe at the reception area, available for storing valuable belongings. We recommend you dont leave your valuables unattended in your room. We would also avoid walking around with valuables or valuable documents at night, especially in the larger cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. In any case it's best not to be out on the street in the evening, we recommend taking a taxi cab to your hotel or restaurant after 6pm. 
South Africa Information - Some of the friendliest people in the world
South Africa Information - Meet the Xhosa in the Transkei

 

Tips:

- Be aware of your appearance in order to avoid looking like a wealthy target for pickpockets or other thieves 
- Avoid carrying all of your money on you at all times, keep some separate just in case
- Listen to advice from locals about areas you should and areas you shouldn't visit
- Avoid deserted areas
- Scan all important travel documents and email them to an account you can access via the internet, so you can access in the event of them being lost/stolen.
- Don't be afraid that everyone is out to steal your belongings, but it's better to be safe than sorry and above all follow your instincts while travelling
- Keep up to date with travel advice issued by the Foreign Office. 
- Make friends!

 

Animals
Baboons in the Cape Town area are wiley pests, keep your wits about around them, and don't carry food in baboon inhabited areas. They are liable to sneak up and grab it! Never leave your car in a national park or wildlife reserve, except when at official rest areas. Too many people who have tried this will never be able to try it again! During this once in a lifetime adventure in South Africa, be sure to take amazing pictures (bring a telephoto lens if you can).

Haggling
Haggling or price negotiations are possible at markets and smaller stores in South Africa. Larger stores have set prices and won't lower them at your insistence. Taxi cabs in South Africa have metres and therefore you won't have to negotiate the price. However, make sure that the meter is running by the time you've entered the taxi cab. Your guest house reception will be happy to phone a taxi for you.
 
South Africa Information - Visit some of the many National Parks
South Africa Information - Ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn

 

Drinking water
This can be purchased in stores, however tap water is also drinkable. Ice cubes are perfectly safe to use in larger cities, as long as they are round or square ice blocks and not ice shavings or ice chips. In remote areas or farm areas, especially if you're not staying in a luxury accommodation, it's best not to drink tap water or use ice cubes. Bottled water will always be available in these areas.

Electricity
Most of South Africa's electricity supply runs on 220 volts, however there are a few exceptions (Pretoria 230v, Port Elizabeth 200v or 250v). You will need an adaptor, which you will be able to purchase one from the meet & greet representative (not at all accommodation) or at larger stores and hardware stores. Sometimes you can also borrow one from the hotel reception desk.

Phone calls

Many of our travellers want to be able to be reached while travelling through South Africa. Especially if you're travelling independently, it's convenient to be able to make or receive phone calls. You may want call your accommodation for directions or to let your host know that you'll be arriving a little later than planned. In the event of car trouble or other problems on the road it's great to have a phone with you. You could choose to bring along your own mobile with your UK sim-card and phone number; however this can prove to be quite expensive for both inbound and outbound calls (contact your network supplier for exact rates). Another option would be to bring your mobile, but replace your sim-card with a South African one.

Begging
We would advise you not to give money to beggars. If you would like to support the local economy, try to purchase as many locally made souvenirs as possible instead. Buy souvenirs at markets, pay for local services and buy goods at local stands. This is a more positive form of support for South Africans.
South Africa Information - The now famous Cape Town beach huts
South Africa Information - Lion cubs at play

 

Local specialities
Try some of the local specialities during your stay. You may be familiar with rooibos tea, but perhaps you'd also like to try a strip of biltong (dried game meat), ostrich steak and eggs, the wonderfully spicy piri-piri sauce, Indian curries in Durban, bobotie or boerewors (a type of sausage) on the 'braai' (bbq). You'll be able to buy beer and soft drinks everywhere, and South African wine is world famous.

VAT
You'll only pay VAT on goods, not for services. If you've paid more than ZAR 250 in VAT, restitution can be requested at the departure airport.

Your rental car
Be sure to always lock your car, never leave anything of value behind in it (especially in plain sight). Empty the entire car each evening, even the boot area.

Baggage

What should you bring with you and what should you leave at home? Since most trips to South Africa tend to be longer than an average holiday, the tendency is to bring along a lot of baggage. While packing, keep the following in mind:

- South Africans tend to dress quite informally; therefore you'll have no problem wearing holiday clothes during your stay.
- Be sure to bring along various layers of clothes. There is a large difference between day time and night time temperatures in large portions of the country (see climate page). For more information on what to wear on safari, have a look at our clothing advice.
- Hard shell suitcases do not fit well into the trunks of rental cars. Try to bring along rolling bags and remember to bring small luggage locks to lock them with.
- Bring along a sturdy money belt and never leave valuables behind in your rental car. 
- Wet wipes and a flashlight are handy to have in your rental car.
South Africa Information - Packing the right gear is important when heading out into the bush!