South Africa

Driving in South Africa

Roads
Our road infrastructure is excellent, so driving is a viable option, but South Africa is a huge country not easily traversed in a day, so plan your journeys carefully. If you’re not used to driving long distances, rather break the journey, as fatigue is a major contributing factor in motor vehicle accidents. While most national roads are tarred and in good condition, the more rural the road, the more likely it is to be pot-holed and poorly surfaced.
Road info, maps All travellers booking through LB Safaris get a free travel atlas.

Current information on the conditions of roads can be obtained through the Automobile Association of South Africa. The AA also provides invaluable guides for road users in the form of strip maps tailored for specific destinations and information for tourists on accommodation en route. Main roads are identified by colour and number rather than by name, and with a good map which incorporates the route marker system, visitors should have little difficulty in finding their way around.

Toll roads
All travellers booking through LB Safaris get free estimate of toll costs based on their route taken

Before you set off, check your route. Many of the national roads between the major centres are toll roads. Check the toll fees before you leave, and make sure that you have either a credit card or cash to pay. Toll fares for a light passenger vehicle vary.

Watch out for animals in rural area. Be aware that the roads in many rural areas are not fenced, so you could find dogs, chickens, sheep and even horses or cows on the road, so it may be dangerous to drive at night. Large antelope crossing the road can also be a hazard in certain areas – watch out for the road signs depicting a leaping antelope, and take it slowly, especially towards evening.

Keep left, belt up, think kilometres
We drive on the left-hand side of the road, and our cars – rental cars included – are right-hand drive vehicles. All distances, speed limits (and speedometers) are in kilometres. Wearing of seat belts is compulsory. Using hand-held phones while driving is against the law – use a vehicle phone attachment or hands-free kit, if you want to speak on your mobile phone. The law prohibits the use of hand-held phones while driving but that doesn’t stop most of the locals from using them.

Speed limit
The general speed limit on national highways, urban freeways and other major routes is 120km/h (75mph). On secondary (rural) roads it is 100km/h (60mph). In built-up areas it is usually 60km/h (35mph) unless otherwise indicated. Check the road signs.

Driver’s licences
Any valid driver’s licence is accepted provided it bears the photograph and signature of the holder and is printed in English.

Filling up
A variety of petrol (gas) stations are situated on both main and country roads. Most of them are open 24 hours a day, although some keep shorter hours. However, distances between towns (and therefore between petrol stations) are considerable in some parts of the country, so it is advisable to fill up your tank before your car starts giving warning signals. Different petrol types are available: unleaded, and 95- or 93-octane (“super” or “premium”). The 95-octane petrol is available in the higher altitude, inland regions, while 93 or lower is used at the coast.
If you are hiring a car it is likely to require unleaded petrol, but check before you set off. South African petrol stations are not self-help: an attendant will fill the car, check oil and water and tire pressure and, if necessary, clean the windscreen – for which he or she will expect a tip of two or three rand.

Domestic flights in South Africa
South Africa has a number of airlines flying between its major cities, and to some of its smaller ones, with fares ranging from first-class to cut-price economy. Flights can be booked online from anywhere in the world.

South African Taxi Travel
South African taxi travel combines the services of regular, metered taxis, Uber with the somewhat unconventional minibus system, which has a language and code of its own. Metered taxis or Uber taxis are recommended, although a ride on a minibus can provide interesting insights into the lives and cultures of ordinary South Africans. South African taxi travel is unlike that of most other countries in the world. Here, you will not find South African taxis simply driving the streets, waiting to be hailed at the next street corner. Rather, taxis in South Africa must be specifically telephoned for service, which can become tricky if you plan to visit several sites or destinations in a day.
South African taxi travel can be broadly categorised according to two sectors: metered taxis and what’s commonly referred to as minibus taxis. Metered taxis are definitely the international visitor’s best bet. They can be called from the hotel where you’re staying, with hotel staff recommending the best local services to use. Metered taxis are private, offer door-to-door service and generally efficient, with experienced drivers behind the wheel. However, compared to hiring your own car, using a shuttle service or booking a tour that includes transport, metered taxis can be quite costly.

Minibus taxis serve the general population, as public transport that is able to pick up and drop off passengers in areas not serviced by the country’s bus and rail networks. It’s a somewhat unconventional service, in that routes are determined by the drivers and there are no specific scheduled stops – taxis simply stop wherever a passenger needs to alight.

Hailing these taxis is also a matter of knowing your sign language, for each route and destination has its own specific sign which passengers use to flag down drivers. While a ride on a minibus taxi will certainly provide you with an authentic South African travel experience, this service must be used with caution. The vehicles are often not maintained properly and therefore unroadworthy, and drivers have the tendency to drive recklessly.
If you’re interested in a minibus ride while in South Africa, take a short trip accompanied by an experienced guide or a local who understands the system well.

Train
We are able to offer all train services (incl Rovos, Blue Train etc) where required. We must however stress that local trains are not advised.

Accommodation
South Africa has a vast range of different accommodations ranging from extremely basic to 7 star ultr luxury. In the past 15 years we have visited over 700 accommodations in Southern Africa and keep a regular check on the level of quality and service. Mostly we offer the better small scale personally run accommodations. On average we work with 3 to 5 star accommodations most of whom we have built a personal relationship.

Money
With a favourable exchange rate for many international currencies, you’ll find South Africa a very inexpensive destination. And an easy one – our financial institutions are world-class, with no shortage of banks, bureaux de change and automatic tellers.

Rands and cents
South Africa’s unit of currency is the rand, which is divided into 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5, and notes in denominations of R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200.
How far will my money go? A long, long way. With a favourable exchange rate for the major international currencies, you’ll find South Africa a very inexpensive destination.

Banking
You’ll also find South Africa an easy destination. From the moment you step off the plane you’ll start seeing banks, bureaux de change and automatic tellers all over. The banks are generally open from 9am to 3.30pm Mondays through Fridays, and 8.30am to 11am on Saturdays, but those at the airports adjust their hours to accommodate international flights.
The major banks have branches as well as automated teller machines (ATMs) in most large towns – and all over the cities. International banks (see the “foreign exchange services” links below) have branches in the major cities. Thomas Cook (represented by Rennies Travel) and American Express foreign exchange offices are also available in the major cities.

Credit cards and/or cash
All major credit cards can be used in South Africa, with American Express and Diners Club enjoying less universal acceptance than MasterCard and Visa. In some small towns, you may find you’ll need to use cash.
One anomaly – you can’t purchase fuel with a credit card. Many locals have special fuel credit cards, known as garage or petrol cards, for use only at filling stations. You can, however, pay road tolls with MasterCard or Visa.

Tipping
Tipping is widely practiced in South Africa. Here is some information on South African tipping.
• In restaurants and bars, 10% is the accepted tipping standard.
• Parking attendants and security guards are common in parking lots and at roadside bays. They generally ask if they can watch your car while you are going about your business – if you agree, a tip of R2 and up should be offered, depending on the length of your stay.
• In South Africa we still have the luxury of petrol attendants at gas stations to fill up our vehicle tanks, check oil, water and tyre pressure, and clean the windscreens. How much to tip for this special South African service? From R2 up.
• The going rate for porters at airports is around R5 per piece of luggage.
• South Africa, you’ll soon see, has a tradition of roadside newspaper vendors. It’s custom to give the seller a few cents – rounding off the cost of your newspaper should be sufficient.
• Some of the other service providers you may want to tip are taxi drivers, tour guides and assistants in hairdressers and beauty salons. Should you need assistance in taking your purchases from supermarket to your vehicle, you may want to show your gratitude to your helper with a small monetary reward. You’ll soon find your way around tipping etiquette in South Africa – it’s easy as its usually well-received.

Public holidays
While supermarkets and bigger shopping malls stay open on public holidays from around 10h00 – 15h00 or 16h00, this is not the case with the corporate world which closes on public holidays.
Electricity:
Tourists to South Africa should be aware that:
• The South African electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC 50 HZ.
• Most plugs are 15 amp 3-prong or 5 amp 2-prong, with round pins. If an adaptor is called for, consider bringing one with you, although they can be purchased locally.
• US-made appliances may need a transformer.
• Most hotel rooms have 110 volt outlets for electric shavers and appliances.

The languages of South Africa
South Africa is a multilingual country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of others – African, European, Asian and more – are spoken here, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.

South Africa’s population by language
Nine of the country’s 11 official languages are African, reflecting a variety of ethnic groupings which nonetheless have a great deal in common in terms of background, culture and descent. Africans include the Nguni people, comprising the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi; the Sotho-Tswana people, comprising the Southern, Northern and Western Sotho (Tswana); the Tsonga; and the Venda.
Other languages spoken in South Africa and mentioned in the Constitution are the Khoi, Nama and San languages, sign language, Arabic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu and Urdu. There are also a few indigenous creoles and pidgins.
English is generally understood across the country, being the language of business, politics and the media, and the country’s lingua franca. But it only ranks joint fifth out of 11 as a home language. South Africa’s linguistic diversity means all 11 languages have had a profound effect on each other. South African English, for example, is littered with words and phrases from Afrikaans, isiZulu, Nama and other African languages.

Food & drink
South Africa has a world class kitchen which rivals any or rather many different countries. With a rich history and culture which includes many imported from Europe food is of a very high standard and extremely varied. Drinking from taps is however discouraged as drought influences quality and many water supply companies struggle to meet international standards.

Food safety
Standards of hygiene in relation to food in South Africa, are generally high in hotels, restaurants and nightspots.
It is safe to eat fresh fruit and salad, drink tap water and put ice in your drinks. Our fish, meat and chicken are of excellent quality, so there is no need to limit yourself in exploration of South African food, and the many international cuisines found here too.

Restaurants are subject to national health legislation, which is implemented by local government. Regulations include certification and regular inspections by health inspectors to ensure hygienic standards are maintained.
Street food is not as common in South Africa as it is, for example, in some Asian countries. At markets and events, fast-food chains operate mobile outlets or coffee stands, which are safe to patronise. At markets you will come across individuals making take-away eats like boerewors rolls and other foods typical of South Africa, while in townships it’s more common to come across a vendor boiling corn or the local maize, pap – often an essential part of the township experience.

Distances and temperatures:
Distances are in kilometers and temperatures are in degrees Celcius

Electircity
220/240 Volt – 50 hertz. Three point round pin plug. Some accommodations offer adapters.

Medical facilities
Medical facilities in cities and larger towns are world-class, but you will find that in rural areas the clinics and hospitals deal with primary health needs, and therefore do not offer the range of medical care that the large metropolitan hospitals do. Trained medical caregivers are deployed round the country, so help is never far away.

The sun
We have a warm sunny climate and you should wear sunscreen and a hat whenever you are out of doors during the day, particularly between 10am and 4pm, regardless of whether there is cloud cover or not. Even if you have a dark complexion, you can still get sunburned if you are from a cooler climate and have not had much exposure to the sun. Sunglasses are also recommended wear, as the glare of the African sun can be strong.

Can I drink the water? (LB Safaris advises to buy bottled water)
High-quality tap (faucet) water is available almost everywhere in South Africa, treated so as to be free of harmful micro-organisms, and in any area other than informal or shack settlements, is both palatable and safe to drink straight from the tap. In some areas, the water is mineral-rich, and you may experience a bit of gastric distress for a day or two until you get used to it. Bottled mineral water, both sparkling and still, is readily available in most places. Drinking water straight from rivers and streams could put you at risk of waterborne diseases – especially downstream of human settlements. The water in mountain streams, however, is usually pure and wonderful.
In the Cape, particularly, the water contains humic acid, which stains it the colour of diluted Coca-Cola – this is absolutely harmless, and the water is wonderful. You may also find this colouring in tap water in some areas. It’s fine – it just looks a bit weird in the bath.

Do I need to take malaria tablets?
Many of the main tourist areas are malaria-free, so you need not worry at all. However, the Kruger National Park, the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal do pose a malaria risk in the summer months.
Many local people and some travellers do not take malaria prophylaxis, but most health professionals recommend you do. Consult your doctor or a specialist travel clinic for the latest advice concerning malaria prophylaxis, as it changes regularly.
Whether you take oral prophylaxis or not, always use mosquito repellent, wear long pants, closed shoes and light long-sleeved shirts at night, and sleep under a mosquito net in endemic areas (the anopheles mosquito, which carries malaria, operates almost exclusively after dark). It is advisable to avoid malarial areas if you are pregnant.

HIV/Aids
As in other countries, always take precautions when having sex. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world.

Other health issues
Bilharzia can be a problem in some of the east-flowing rivers, but it is easily detected and treated if it is caught early. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a routine test a month or two after you get home – just to reassure yourself.
Ticks generally come out in the early spring and may carry tickbite fever, which is easily treated. You should also be aware of hepatitis, for which you can be inoculated.

Health tips for travellers
Nothing can spoil a holiday more than feeling off-colour, and nothing can dull the pleasure of your holiday memories more than getting ill far from home. There are a number of health issues that you should be aware of, particularly if you’re from the northern hemisphere.
However, while there are risks anywhere, South Africa has a relatively salubrious climate and our levels of water treatment, hygiene and such make it a pretty safe destination.

Inoculations
If you’re an adult, you won’t need any inoculations unless you’re travelling from a yellow-fever endemic area (the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America), in which case you will need certification to prove your inoculation status when you arrive in South Africa. It is recommended that you have the required inoculations four to six weeks before you travel to South Africa (a yellow fever inoculation certificate only becomes valid 10 days after inoculation – after which it remains valid for 10 years). Hepatitis B inoculations are recommended for children up to the age of 12 who have not completed the series of injections as infants. Booster doses for tetanus and measles can also be administered.

South Africa’s population
South Africa is a culturally diverse country, one nation made up of many peoples. With 11 different official languages, a multiplicity of traditions and skin tones ranging from ebony to sunburnt pink, we are, as Archbishop Desmond Tutu once put it, the rainbow nation of Africa.

The Rainbow Nation
South Africa is a nation of over 47-million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages and beliefs.
According to the mid-2007 estimates from Statistics South Africa, the country’s population stands at some 47.9-million, up from the census 2001 count of 44.8-million.

African
Africans are in the majority at just over 38-million, making up 79.6% of the total population. The white population is estimated at 4.3-million (9.1%), the coloured population at 4.2-million (8.9%) and the Indian/Asian population at just short of 1.2-million (2.5%).

While more than three-quarters of South Africa’s population is black African, this category is neither culturally nor linguistically homogenous.

White, ‘Coloured’, Asian South Africans
South Africa’s white population descends largely from the colonial immigrants of the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries – Dutch, German, French Huguenot and British. Linguistically it is divided into Afrikaans- and English-speaking groups, although many small communities that have immigrated over the last century retain the use of other languages.
The label “coloured” is a contentious one, but still used for people of mixed race descended from slaves brought in from East and central Africa, the indigenous Khoisan who lived in the Cape at the time, indigenous Africans and whites. The majority speak Afrikaans.

Religions in South Africa
In terms of religious affiliation, about two-thirds of South Africans are Christian, mainly Protestant. They belong to a variety of churches, including many that combine Christian and traditional African beliefs. Many non-Christians espouse these traditional beliefs. Other significant religions are Islam, Hinduism and Judaism.

The languages of South Africa
South Africa is a multilingual country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of others – African, European, Asian and more – are spoken here, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.

South Africa’s population by language
Nine of the country’s 11 official languages are African, reflecting a variety of ethnic groupings which nonetheless have a great deal in common in terms of background, culture and descent. Africans include the Nguni people, comprising the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi; the Sotho-Tswana people, comprising the Southern, Northern and Western Sotho (Tswana); the Tsonga; and the Venda. Other languages spoken in South Africa and mentioned in the Constitution are the Khoi, Nama and San languages, sign language, Arabic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu and Urdu. There are also a few indigenous creoles and pidgins.

English is generally understood across the country, being the language of business, politics and the media, and the country’s lingua franca. But it only ranks joint fifth out of 11 as a home language. South Africa’s linguistic diversity means all 11 languages have had a profound effect on each other. South African English, for example, is littered with words and phrases from Afrikaans, isiZulu, Nama and other African languages.

South Africa occupies the southern tip of Africa, its long coastline stretching more than 2 500km from the desert border with Namibia on the Atlantic coast, southwards around the tip of Africa, then north to the border with subtropical Mozambique on the Indian Ocean.

The low-lying coastal zone is narrow for much of that distance, soon giving way to a mountainous escarpment that separates it from the high inland plateau. In some places, notably the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the east, a greater distance separates the coast from the escarpment.

Size and provinces
South Africa is a medium-sized country, with a total land area of slightly more than 1.2-million square kilometres, making it roughly the same size as Niger, Angola, Mali and Colombia.
It is one-eighth the size of the US, twice the size of France and over three times the size of Germany. South Africa measures some 1 600km from north to south, and roughly the same from east to west.

South Africa’s weather and climate
A subtropical location, moderated by ocean on three sides of the country and the altitude of the interior plateau, account for the warm temperate conditions so typical of South Africa – and so popular with its foreign visitors.

South Africa is famous for its sunshine. It’s a relatively dry country, with an average annual rainfall of about 464mm (compared to a world average of about 860mm). While the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally a summer-rainfall region. At the same time, temperatures in South Africa tend to be lower than in other countries at similar latitudes – such as Australia – due mainly to greater elevation above sea level.

On the interior plateau the altitude – Johannesburg lies at 1 694 metres – keeps the average summer temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. In winter, for the same reason, night-time temperatures can drop to freezing point, in some places lower.

South Africa’s coastal regions are therefore warmest in winter. There is, however, a striking contrast between temperatures on the country’s east and west coasts, due respectively to the warm Agulhas and cold Benguela Currents that sweep the coastlines.

Being in the southern hemisphere, our seasons stand in opposition to those of Europe and North America, so, yes – we spend Christmas on the beach!

South Africa is triply blessed. A long and varied coastline supplies us with an astonishing amount and variety of seafood; our fertile soils and wonderful climate work together to produce an enormous range of agricultural products; and our chequered history has endowed us with a population with such diverse cultural backgrounds that fusion is hardly anything new here.

Of course, you will find a whole range of restaurants serving anything from hamburgers to sushi, but let’s concentrate on our specialties.

Our seafood is legendary, and is best sampled at one of the West Coast’s open air restaurants – not much more than simple shelters on the beach. As well as mussels, fish stew, grilled fish and lobster, you may be offered pickled fish – a well-loved dish which you’ll also find in some traditional Cape Malay restaurants.

Other Malay specialties include fruity, spicy but not overpowering curries, smoorsnoek (a fish dish not unlike kedgeree), koeksisters (a sweet, syrupy treat), bobotie (a spicy mince dish), and some Indian specialties, such as rotis and samosas, with a local twist.

But our cuisine truly is multicultural, and nowhere is this more apparent than at a typical South African braai (barbecue). Now braais are assumed to be the domain of the Afrikaner male, but the reality is not nearly so simple.

Yes, there is an awesome amount of meat, most notably the very Afrikaner boerewors (a spicy, fatty sausage), but there will almost certainly be sosaties too. This is a lightly curried meat kebab, not unlike an Indonesian satay, which was brought to this country by the Malays hundreds of years ago.