According to pharmacylib, South Africa (Afrikaans: Suid-Afrika) is a country in Africa bordering Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland (eSwatini). A number of major cities in South Africa are: Pretoria, Cape Town (Cape Town), Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Durban and Kimberley.
South Africa is a country known for its impressive nature. The country is mostly mountainous, there are many large lakes, waterfalls, large mountains and large areas of wilderness. In addition, the country has many National Parks, nature reserves and wildlife parks. In these areas there are about 20,000 different plant species and many wild animal species such as the elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. South Africa’s long coastline consists largely of white sandy beaches, ideal for sunbathing and water sports. For example, you can go windsurfing, diving and sailing. You can also spot whales and penguins on the coast. The economy of the country largely runs on the extracted minerals such as gold, diamonds, metals and minerals. The population is mostly poor and lives mainly from agriculture. See healthvv for South African destinations.
Provinces of South Africa:
Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North Western, Eastern Cape, Free State and Western Cape.
Where is South Africa?
Travel information of South Africa
Official name: Republic of South Africa
Continent: Africa
Area: 1,221,037 km²
Capital: Pretoria (administrative branch), Cape Town (legislative branch), Bloemfontein (judicial branch)
Country code: ZA, ZAF
Population: 56,463,617 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 3,450 m (Mafadi)
Distance (Amsterdam – Cape Town): 8,940 km
Flight time: approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place in South Africa that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of South Africa, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to South Africa. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about South Africa?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in South Africa at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
South Africa has both a desert and a maritime climate. During the summer months the temperatures are around 15 to 20 degrees and during the winter months around 25 to 35 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for South Africa can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of South Africa can be found at Climate info.
Best time to travel
April, May, September and October are the best months to travel to the north of South Africa.
January, February, March, October and November are the best months to travel to the South of South Africa.
This avoids the months with low temperatures and a lot of precipitation.
Language
South Africa has 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 30 days upon departure from South Africa.
You will automatically receive a visa on arrival if you stay in South Africa for less than 90 days.
For children under the age of 18, you must provide a birth certificate.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in South Africa: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in South Africa: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
South African Embassy in the Netherlands: zuidafrika.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory for South Africa if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit South Africa. In addition, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria Malaria
occurs in South Africa (with the exception of Bhisho, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, East London, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria). Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In South Africa, payment is made with the South African Rand (ZAR).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in South Africa can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in South Africa are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -41% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (52% cheaper), food (35% cheaper), imported beer in catering (42% cheaper), cigarettes (58% cheaper) and public transport (67% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tip
In South Africa it is customary to give a tip of about 10% because wages are very low.
Time difference
During our summer time there is no time difference.
During our winter time it is 1 hour later in South Africa.
South Africa has no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for South Africa can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route You must drive on the left
in South Africa. You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in South Africa. With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within South Africa.
Electricity
In South Africa you may need a travel plug in some cases.
More information about common plugs and sockets in South Africa can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 10111
– Fire Brigade: 10111
– Ambulance: 10177
With a mobile phone you can also call the international number 112.
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to South Africa can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from South Africa can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from South Africa end in.za.
South Africa official websites: gov.za and southafrica.net.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in South Africa is 0027 or +27.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from South Africa? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
All South Africa area codes can be found on Wikipedia.
Phone numbers can be found in the South Africa Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of South Africa.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from South Africa.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from South Africa.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in South Africa can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in South Africa, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about South Africa?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited South Africa. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in South Africa can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in South Africa can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to South Africa? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported into South Africa.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with South Africa, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about South Africa, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in South Africa? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, housing, scholarship, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to South Africa.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
– Clothing: Wearing camouflage clothing is prohibited.
Did you know…
…Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first black president in 1994?
…The drinking water in South Africa is one of the safest and cleanest?
…The oldest footprints of the ‘homo sapiens’ in South Africa have been found?
…South Africa has 11 official languages?
…The table mountain is one of the oldest mountains in the world?
…South Africa was the first African country to host the World Cup in 2010?
