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.
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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.
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Johannesburg & The Highveld.
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.)
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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. Climatological Information Durban |
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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
230 volts, 50Hz. Round, three-pin plugs are standard.
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| 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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