Enjoy the South African nature!

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The Apartheid has given new airs to this country always linked to the racism and to violence. It’s a good moment to visit it but it’s not good to go unprepared, the delinquency continues to be part of every day’s life. Follow our advices to prepare a safe trip.

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Surface: 1.221.037 km²
Population: 43.800.000
Capital: Pretoria (the administrative capital), Bloemfontein (the judicial capital) and Cape Town (the legislative capital)
Local time: GMT+2

Best places:

Cape Town – Durban – Kruger National Park

Best season to visit:

The spring is highly recommended to visit the country (September, October, November). Avoid summer on Lowveld’s region (December, January, February), it can be oppressive. School period holidays can take over beaches and national parks (April, July and September).

Currency:

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Map of South Africa

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Recommendations for a safe trip

The Republic of South Africa suffers high levels of crime (stealing, armed robberies, robberies of vehicles under armed threat – during stop signal or parkings, violation, murder). Several foreign tourists have been victims of serious aggressions.

Tourists visiting the country on guided tours travelling by local guides must be prudent. Those who are alone or in small groups are more vulnerable. It is highly recommended to try to not look like the typical tourist (avoid walking with the a photo camera around your neck).

Some basic safety directives must be followed:

- As an individual tourist, contact hotels and local travel agencies to avoid the dangerous places and to take the best routes.
- If a travel agency is not in charge of you, or if friends are not waiting for you at your arrival to the country, it’s better to ask to your hotel to send a car instead of taking a taxi.
- Do not move systematically with all your money and identification documents, keep with you photocopies of the first pages of the your passport.
- Take care with the thefts in the airports, train stations, hotel lobbies and restaurants. Avoid, in general, to take in an ostentatious way jewellery, cameras, video cameras, etc. Be careful in the bungalows of the natural reserves.
- In the hotel, lock the door of your room and open only to authorized staff and people you know.
- Be careful when you withdraw money in ATM dispensers, especially in Cape Town. We recommend to stay alert during withdrawals and payments.
- Avoid, in the night and during weekends, to go to the cities center.
- In Johannesburg, avoid the zones of Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville in which the robberies are frequent, especially due to drug dealing. Stay alert downtown, try to avoid to circulate there (with the exception of Newton’s zone) in the night and during the weekends.
- Avoid to stay near bus station in Johannesburg’s center. Many aggressions happened recently, especially near Formula Inn hotel.
- In Durban, stay away from Victoria Point Road, as well as the surrounding area of the Mall and the port
- In Cape Town, never go by foot from the hotels towards the maritime walk, even during daytime), in Woodstock’s district, where more aggressions have been reported.

Several thefts have been recently reported in Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. Therefore, strong awareness is recommended in tours in groups, do not take anything of value and never resist in case of aggression.

Visit www.sanparks.org before leaving and report any incident to the following emergency number: 086 110 64 17.

Warning concerning drugs

The possession and the consumption of drugs, even “soft” are illegal. The possession, and the traffic of drugs, is severely punished by law. The sanctions can go up to 25 years of prison.

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How to move inside the country

By land

During displacements in private cars, circulate with closed windows and locked doors, never leave luggage nor objects of value on the seats, take the principal axes, prepare your itinerary before leaving in order to avoid stopping to check maps all the time. In case of doubt, stop only in a crowded and lit place (a gas station for instance). Do not leave anything in a parked car. In the road near Kayelitsha, it is recommended to be very prudent on the way to the airport, especially by night.
Be careful with the dangers of circulation in South African roads: the accidents are frequent, due to the poor road sign posting, mainly because of road maintenance. The third of the victims are pedestrians who don’t hesitate to cross highways, even by night (sometimes even with children in the arms).

By train

Do not use the railway link between Johannesburg and Pretoria (attacks against tourists have been regularly reported in this train). Due to the criminality, avoid the interior and the surroundings of the stations of buses and trains after 17h., be prudent during the day.