South Africa Travel Tips & Useful Info

The tap water in South Africa is generally considered safe to drink, but as a precaution against stomach upsets you may want to drink bottled mineral water, which is readily available from shops, hotels and restaurants.

In restaurants and bars it is standard to tip somewhere between 10-15% of the total bill depending on the quality of the service. Workers still earn a minimum wage but many rely heavily on tips nonetheless. When it comes to safaris, trackers and rangers play a huge part in making sure your experience is as fulfilling and safe as possible so leaving USD $10-15 per family per day for trackers and USD $15-20 for rangers is a generous way to show your appreciation. South Africa still uses petrol attendants who will fill up your car and offer you directions if necessary and should be tipped around USD $1-2 - the same goes for bag porters and luggage attendants.

South Africa tends to get a bad rap and while it is not wholly unfounded, there are definitely ways for women to safely travel the country. Sticking to the main tourist areas and limiting your travel anywhere outside of these zones to daylight hours are sensible precautions. If heading to more dangerous areas, befriending a local who can guide you around is a good idea. It is very rare for foreign women to be the victims of violent crime but muggings are known to happen so don’t be flashy and keep your money hidden. It is also a good idea to stick to crowded places so that you become a less obvious target.

Travellers over the age of 18 are permitted to bring the following into the country:

• 200 cigarettes and 20 cigars and 250g of tobacco
• 1L of spirits or liqueurs and 2L of wine
• 50ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
• Other goods up to a value of R5,000 (R25,000 if arriving from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia or Swaziland); this allowance is valid once per person in a 30-day period and only if you have been out of the country for at least 48 hours

The following are banned from being imported: Narcotics, firearms, weapons and ammunition, poison, cigarettes with a mass of more than 2kg per 1,000, counterfeit goods, unlawful reproductions of any works subject to copyright, and prison-made goods.

Restricted goods requiring an import permit include South African bank notes in excess of R25,000, gold coins, coin and stamp collections, unprocessed gold, endangered species, food, plants, animals, biological goods, and medicines (excluding three months' personal supply accompanied by a letter or certified prescription from a registered doctor).

The official currency in South Africa is the South African Rand. Check OANDA for the latest exchange rates.

Euro, British Pounds, US Dollars and other major currencies can be exchanged locally or in advance of departure. Additionally, exchange facilities are available at various bureau de changes and banks in major towns have ATMs. It's advisable to request bank notes in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases and gratuities.

Traveller's Cheques are not recommended as they're often difficult to exchange and incur high fees.

Standard voltage is 220 - 230 volts, 50 Hz. Primary sockets generally require the three-round pin plugs. These can be quite tricky to locate in advance and 'Universal Travel Adaptors' don't cater to this type of plug - so be prepared to purchase one on arrival in South Africa. You will need a voltage converter and plug adaptor in order to use U.S. appliances.

There are a number of free WiFi hotspots in Cape Town and it is easy to find a connection in hotels, restaurants and cafes although sometimes there may be a small charge to access it.

South Africa is 2 hours ahead of GMT and does not observe daylight savings.

The answer to this is really yes and no. South Africa is still recovering from its Apartheid tensions and suffers from quite a high crime rate. Carjacking has been marked as a real problem in places like Cape Town so it is advised to avoid driving at night and to take taxis instead. Generally, staying away from isolated areas and only visiting the townships during the day accompanied by a local guide that you trust are also sensible precautions. There is a lot to love about this wonderful country and you are guaranteed an amazing time as long as you stay alert and don’t take unnecessary risks.