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South Africa General Travel Information

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Rand (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, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Credit cards are widely accepted
Travellers cheques are widely accepted.
Banks and authorised dealers can exchange cash.

Most banks are open Mon-Fri 0900-1530 and Sat 0900-1100. Autobanks are found in most towns and operate on a 24-hour basis.

Advice & Warnings

US State Department
Australia foreign affairs
Canadian Consular affairs
UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Visas

For most nationaliities temporary resident permits of up to 90 days are issued on arrival in the country. You may be asked to prove onward flights or travel arrangements or proof of funds. Click on the link below or check with your nearest South African embassy for details.

South African Embassies Abroad
Travel Visa requirements

South Africa Climate

Climatic conditions generally range from Mediterranean in the western cape to temperate in the interior plateau, and subtropical in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the lowveld. A small area in the northwest has a desert climate. Most of the country has warm, sunny days and cool nights. Rainfall generally occurs during summer (November through March), although in the southwest, around Cape Town, rainfall occurs in winter (from June through August). Temperatures are influenced by variations in elevation, terrain, and ocean currents more than latitude.

Cape Town

It seldom rains in summer, and only briefly when it does. The winters are cool and wet, but the temperature hardly ever falls below 10° C. The water temperatures in the Atlantic are low.

Climatological Information Cape Town

Month	Mean Temperature oC		Mean Total Precipitation (mm)	Mean Number of Precipitation Days
Month	Daily Minimum	Daily Maximum	Mean Total Precipitation (mm)	Mean Number of Precipitation Days
Jan	15.7	26.1	15	5.5
Feb	15.6	26.5	17	4.6
Mar	14.2	25.4	20	4.8
Apr	11.9	23.0	41	8.3
May	9.4	20.3	69	11.4
Jun	7.8	18.1	93	13.3
Jul	7.0	17.5	82	11.8
Aug	7.5	17.8	77	13.7
Sep	8.7	19.2	40	10.4
Oct	10.6	21.3	30	8.7
Nov	13.2	23.5	14	4.9
Dec	14.9	24.9	17	6.2

Johannesburg & The Highveld.

Due to the height of 1753 m above sea-level, the climate in Johannesburg and on the Highveld is nice throughout the year. The favourable climate is one of Johannesburg’s main attractions
In summer, the days are not too hot and the nights pleasantly cool. In winter, the nights can be quite cold, even below zero, but during the day the sun shines and lets the temperatures rise up to 25 degrees. Rainfall is to be expected only in summer from October to March.

Otherwise the dry climate of the African interior high-plateau, the Highveld, is dominant. Johannesburg gets an annual average of between eight and ten hours of sunshine per day. The weather only gets nasty in Johannesburg when the strong winds of August blow over the Highveld and the loose sands of the mine-dumps whirl through the air and cover the city in a yellow haze of dust. In Pretoria, about 60 km north of Johannesburg, it is always two or three degrees warmer due to the lower altitude of only 1365 metres above sea-level. (Usually a difference of 100 m in elevation corresponds to 1 degree Celsius difference in temperature.)

Climatological Information Johannesburg

Month	Mean Temperature oC		Mean Total Precipitation (mm)	Mean Number of Precipitation Days
Month	Daily Minimum	Daily Maximum	Mean Total Precipitation (mm)	Mean Number of Precipitation Days
Jan	14.7	25.6	125	15.9
Feb	14.1	25.1	90	11.2
Mar	13.1	24.0	91	11.9
Apr	10.3	21.1	54	8.6
May	7.2	18.9	13	2.9
Jun	4.1	16.0	9	2.0
Jul	4.1	16.7	4	1.0
Aug	6.2	19.4	6	2.1
Sep	9.3	22.8	27	3.7
Oct	11.2	23.8	72	9.8
Nov	12.7	24.2	117	15.2
Dec	13.9	25.2	105	14.9

Durban & KwaZulu Natal

The climate in the coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal is subtropical. In summer, temperatures often rise above 30 degrees. Because of the typically high humidity, conditions get sultry. Precipitation is to be expected mainly from October to April and particularly in the summer months of December, January and February, when one can count on strong tropical thunderstorms almost daily in the afternoons. KwaZulu-Natal is the province with the most rain in South Africa.

The winters are mild to warm, the temperatures on average are over 20 degrees, and the probability of rain is low. Throughout the year, swimming is good in the Indian Ocean.

Climatological Information Durban

Month	Mean Temperature oC		Mean Total Precipitation (mm)	Mean Number of Precipitation Days
Month	Daily Minimum	Daily Maximum	Mean Total Precipitation (mm)	Mean Number of Precipitation Days
Jan	21.1	27.8	134	15.2
Feb	21.1	28.0	113	12.9
Mar	20.2	27.7	120	12.6
Apr	17.4	26.1	73	9.2
May	13.8	24.5	59	6.8
Jun	10.6	23.0	28	4.5
Jul	10.5	22.6	39	4.9
Aug	12.5	22.8	62	7.1
Sep	15.3	23.3	73	11.0
Oct	16.8	24.0	98	15.1
Nov	18.3	25.2	108	16.0
Dec	20.0	26.9	102	15.0

Communications

Internet is widely available in cafes, hotels & backpackers hostels
Post to urope takes 4 to 7 days, sending parcels is generally OK, but insurance may be advisable. It is relatively expensive.
Phones are plentiful, and phone cards can be obtained up to a value of R100. Public phones can receive incoming calls if you prefer friends or family to call you back, but the hpone will usually cut out after 10 minutes, then they would need to dial again.
There are mobile phone operators, roaming coverage is supported over most of the country.

Country code ++27

Electricity

230 volts, 50Hz. Round, three-pin plugs are standard.

Public Holidays

January 1st	New Years's Day
March 21st	Human Rights Days
March/April	Good Friday
March 31st	Family Day
April 27th	Constitution (Freedom) Day
May 1st	Worker's Day
June 16th	Youth Day
August 9th	National Women's Day
September 24th	Heritage Day
December 16th	Day of Reconciliation
December 25th	Christmas Day
December 26th	Day of Goodwill

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