| Health Information |
| International immunisation is NOT needed
when travelling to South Africa. |
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| The Yellow Fever vaccination certificate
is the only vaccination needed from travellers, whom are over the age
of one, entering South Africa within six days of leaving an infected
country. Visitors who travel through or stay over in these areas, are
advised to be vaccinated against the disease before travelling to South
Africa. |
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Malaria is, for the most part, under
control in South Africa.
The only regions being affected with Malaria are:
Northern Province
Mpumalanga,
Northern Natal
Zululand
The risk of being infected with malaria is
minimal when taking preventative medication. Malaria tablets are only
needed when travelling to one of the above-mentioned areas, and not
when travelling to Cape Town or along the Garden Route. A good insect
repellent (particularly in the evening), long-sleeved shirts, and
mosquito coils/nets are advisable precautions. The best tip is to get
advice from your doctor. In general you will need the same precautions
and vaccinations in South Africa as you would need in your home
country.
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| It is advised not to drink water from lakes or
rivers especially in the area of Durban. |
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| General Information |
Electricity
220/230 volts AC at 50 cycles per second. Three
pronged plugs are standard so it is best to take an adapter with you.
Adapters can be bought at most retail stores. Most hotel rooms have 110
volt outlets for electric shavers and small appliances. |
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Post Offices
Opening times: Mondays - Fridays: 08:00 - 16:00
Stamps can be bought at all post offices, as well as some hotels and
shops. |
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Phoning
When calling overseas, you first dial 09, which
is South Africa's international access code. Followed by the country
code, area code of the city or region, and then the number of the
person you wish to call.
For example, if you make a call to Sydney, Australia, telephone number
456 1234 you must dial 09 61 2 456 1234.
The connecting lines are generally very good in South Africa.
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| Money Information |
Currency
One Rand (R) = 100 cents (c).
Bank Notes: R200, R100, R50, R20, R10
Coins: R5, R2, R1, 50c 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c, & 1c.
Currency exchange rates are available at all banks, shopping centres as
well as in daily newspapers. It is even possible to be sent to you via
your cell-phone. |
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Currency Converter
There is a link below to Oanda on-line Foreign Exchange Travel Currency
Converter. Please note that the currency converter does not give the
current exchange rate, thus it is advised to add ± 5 / 6 % on
top of the calculated amount to get the actual amount in South Africa.
The converter gives you the exact amount of the stock exchange and not
the exchange rate. Bear in mind that different Foreign Exchange offices
charge different percentages. In general we had good experience with
Standard Bank South Africa.
http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic
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| Traveller's Cheques are generally
accepted, assuming that the cheques are made out in a valid currency
and can be exchanged at South African banks and foreign exchange
offices. Many shops and hotels also accept traveller cheques. It is
best to find out at your bank which traveller's cheques are acceptable
in South Africa. |
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Credit Cards
Euro master cards and other credit cards are valid in South Africa. Be
aware that with Master cards you can withdraw a maximum of 1000 Dollars
cash per week. We advise people to make sure that they have other
possibilities to get hold of money if needed. Best is to get
information from your bank. |
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VAT Refund (Value Added Tax - 14%)
Goods bought in South Africa exceeding R250 allow all tourists to
receive a refund of the tax at the airport on their way out. It is
advisable to plan an extra hour at the airport for tax refunds, and the
best is to have the goods with their receipts ready for the controlling
officer. |
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Gratuity
People in the service industry:
Many waitresses are students who rely on tips to supplement their
wages.
We recommend a 10 % tip of the total sum for Taxi Drivers or
Waitresses. A waitress generally does NOT receive a basic salary, and
has to pay for any breakages occurring. The cleaning staff generally
gets R10 off the waiters tip at the end of the evening. A lot of the
students use that money to pay for their studies or help to pay for
their families.
Be aware that big groups at Restaurants might incur a 10% surcharge.
In Town you will find people wanting to assist you with parking as well
as watching your car. Please don't see this as pestering. The best is
to ask for their name, thank him or her and tip him at the end of the
night with R1 or R2. |
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| Travelling by Car |
Driver's Licence
It is of vital importance that you are in possession of an
international driver's licence. The best is to have a photocopy of the
driver's licence on you, in case it gets lost or stolen. |
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General Road Information
In South Africa we drive on the left side of the road and give way to
traffic approaching from the right. On multiple lanes it is advised to
overtake on the right-hand side. The general speed limit is 120km/h on
open roads and 60km/h in urban areas. Be aware of cameras and speed
traps especially before and after small townships. In case of late
arrivals at the airport, it is advisable to take a taxi, and collect
your car the next morning at the hotel or holiday house.
After a day or two driving on the left will be no problem for you as it
is quick and easy to adapt to. |
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Special Features for Car Rentals
Driving on gravel roads can be very dangerous, thus it is important to
drive very slowly. The car rental companies do not compensate for
damage occurring on these roads even though a comprehensive insurance
is taken out before hand. The client is held liable for all the
damages. In South Africa there is no obligation to take out any
insurance. The best advice is to always take out a comprehensive
insurance for the driver as well as the passengers. If the passenger
causes an accident the insurance will not be held liable. |
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The big "L" on the rear window
The big "L" is for people who have their learner driver's license but
have not yet passed their driving test. We advise tourists to be
careful and considerate. |
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Traffic Circles
Keep in mind that approaching a traffic circle in South Africa does not
give you right of way, traffic already in the circle has right of way. |
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Stop Signs
We have a lot of four-way stops instead of traffic lights. A four-way
stop means who ever approaches the stop first has right of way. This
traffic rule works wonderfully in South Africa. The four-way stops
hinder people speeding in small town and living areas. |
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Rain
The roads in South Africa become very slippery when it rains due to
long periods of no rain in summer. Drive slowly and keep a fairly big
distance from the car in front of you. |
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Parking
In South Africa we park in the direction that we drive. Always make
sure that your vehicle is locked properly and no goods are lying around
inside as this leads to theft. Car radios are one of the favourite
items to be stolen so assure that it is always taken out and locked
away. |
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| General Safety Information |
| Crime in South Africa happens like
everywhere in the world. South Africa's media exaggerates crime a lot
in order to make people aware of looking after themselves and their
goods. The best advice is to avoid walking at night and driving into
areas that are unknown to you. Johannesburg is the place to be most
careful. |
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Never accept any help from strangers at ATM's
(Automated Teller Machines). Try to stand as close as possible to the
machine to avoid strangers seeing your pin number. It is safest to
never let your credit card out of your sight, especially in restaurants
etc. In case of a lost or stolen card, report the theft as soon as
possible at any police station and stop your card at your bank.
We all know that these incidences happen all over the world not only in
Cape Town. |
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| Holiday Homes &
Accommodation (Self-Catering, Hotels, Guesthouses, Penthouses, etc.) |
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| Further Information /
Enquiries / Questions |
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