Afrique du Sud

Do

Hot air ballooning, the "Cradle of Mankind" in Gauteng near Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape offer some spectacular balloon safaris. Booking arrangements can be made through a variety of operators easily found online. Dive, see Diving in South Africa for details. River rafting: The Orange River on the border to Namibia is a popular destination for rafting tours. Several tour operators launch 4–6 day trips in blow-up boats from Vioolsdrif with camping under the stars. Hiking and mountaineering are very popular in the Highlands of KwaZulu-Natal and in certain areas of the Eastern and Western Cape. Advance bookings may be essential to secure a place as some eco-sensitive places allow only a limited number of people to visit per year. Rugby union, cricket and soccer are all popular spectator sports, traditionally associated with Afrikaner, Anglo-South African and black South African culture respectively, although this has changed since the fall of Apartheid, and the Springboks (national Rugby union team) has had a lot of black fans at least since the 1995 World Cup, hosted in South Africa, when South Africa won with Nelson Mandela (then president) in attendance wearing a Springbok jersey. In 2019, South Africa won the Rugby World Cup for the third time, this time with a multi-racial team and a black captain, and repeated the feat in 2023. Friends of the Rail are based in Pretoria. This non-profit preservation society looks after steam locomotives and period rollin…

Drink

Municipal tap water is usually safe to drink. In some areas such as Hartebeespoort Dam, it is advisable to boil your water before drinking.

Milk is widely available at most supermarkets, but bottled orange juice not-from-concentrate is much, much harder to find than in North America. Most South African retailers carry only orange juice reconstituted from concentrate or orange juice blended with other juices or milk. Soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are widely available, though.

The legal age to purchase and drink alcohol in South Africa is 18. Almost all restaurants are licensed to serve liquor.

Witblits or Mampoer are locally distilled under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, and allocated a manufacturers' licence. They are safe and enjoyable to consume and does not resemble the names for moonshine or firewater. The alcohol content is controlled by the Department, so is the quality.

Sleep

Establishments in South Africa can have themselves graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa on a 5-star basis. Many establishments make use of this service and you will see the star grading displayed on most advertising material. An inconsistent pricing system that sees many establishments offering a "per person" price instead of a "per room" rate, should be made aware of. Also, not everyone makes it very clear if breakfast is included or not and if not, how much extra will be. If you are budget sensitive, in the last few years, accommodation costs at many greedy establishments, in big or small towns alike, have been going up far out of sync with actual inflation, making it unwise to pre-book without doing a thorough search. In certain instances, a global brand or comparable hotel will cost much less in Europe or America than in SA. One of the excuses for this is the exchange rate, so shop around. Another anomaly is the inconsistency within the star rating. A three or four star guest house, B&B or hotel, maybe better kitted out, more spacious, better maintained and run than a five star establishment in the same area, therefore, rendering the system a rough guideline indicator and not a systematic reliable set of standards. Similarly, in game reserve areas for example, is not uncommon to spot a slightly above average establishment charging just a slightly cheaper rate than the nearby ultra luxurious game lodge, but offering nothing comparable in quality or variety…

Stay safe

Up-to-date safety advice for visitors is published regularly by the British Government and the United States Government. See also the warning about security at O.R. Tambo International Airport.

The main safety issues in South Africa are violent crime, including gun crime, and HIV. You should be aware of the risks, but you can still have a safe and pleasant trip as millions of other people have each year.

Most crime is concentrated around certain specific townships or perpetrated by specialised criminal organizations connected to specific trades not much affecting travellers, as long as you keep away from such dealings.

To avoid opportunistic attacks like robberies, avoid unsafe neighbourhoods and never walk around in deserted areas at night. Don't mix with low life characters or ventures into seedy joints. Most embassies and tourist organizations have lists of known areas to avoid.

Don't ignore common safety advice, such as to have a separate purse for routine shopping, not to carry valuables around more than necessary and keeping them out of sight, and to stay vigilant. You should avoid standing out as a tourist or as somebody wealthy and generally keep a long profile. Do not accept offers from friendly strangers.

To avoid carrying your passport, have an authenticated photocopy of it for showing in the bank and when otherwise needed. To get documents authenticated free of charge, take the original and copies to any South African Police station and ask the officer on dut…

Respect

South Africans are generally polite, friendly and accommodating to tourists. Talking slightly loud outdoors is quite normal, as South Africans tend to be a free thinking and exuberant bunch of people and such behaviour is ok amongst friends and acquaintances. Strangers should observe general protocols of politeness at first and if accepted, "when in Rome, do like Romans do". Smiling and acknowledging strangers is normal behaviour and a slight head nod or hand wave common practice. Striking an occasional chat with complete strangers in places like bus stops, supermarkets, bars, government buildings, public transportation, petrol stations, shops, etc., also happens regularly.

Public behaviour is very similar to what you might find in Europe. Heterosexual displays of affection in public are not frowned upon unless you overdo it. Homosexual displays of affection may generate unwelcome attention although they will be tolerated and respected in the more gay-friendly and cosmopolitan areas of Johannesburg (Sandton, Rosebank and Parkhurst), Cape Town (Greenpoint, Clifton and De Waterkant) and Durban. South Africa was the first African nation where the government recognizes same-sex relationships and homosexual marriages are recognized by law.

Men generally greet with a firm handshake, while women will do the continental kiss on the cheek.

Except for designated beaches, nude sunbathing is illegal, although topless sunbathing for women is acceptable along Durban and Umhlanga beaches…