Visit South Africa

South Africa is a multicultural country on the most Southern tip of the African continent. It’s home to one of the world’s Seven Nature Wonders, Table Mountain and the world-renowned 2 million hectares, Kruger National Park. South Africa is known for its amazing landscapes, fauna, and flora as well as its diverse culture and talented national sport’s teams. It has become a popular tourist destination due to its welcoming inhabitants as well as its unique and untouched beauty.

Other Info Highlights Unique Experience Local Cruisines Type of Travel Least Favorite Planning Safety Getting Around

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Other Info Highlights Unique Experience Local Cruisines Type of Travel

Least Favorite Planning Safety Getting Around

Other Information

CURRENCY

South African Rand. (1 USD = R14.35 – April 2019)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

South Africa has a whopping 11 Official languages. Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Siswati, Xitsonga, Setswana, Tshivenda, isiXhosa and isiZulu. The most commonly spoken language is English. All restaurants and other public facilities will have information available in English.

CAPITAL CITY

Naming South Africa’s capital city isn’t as easy as one might think. It has three capital cities, Cape Town(legislative capital), Pretoria(administrative capital) and Blcemfontein(judicial capital)

GOVERNMENT

South Africa has a democratic voting system, and since 1994 the African Nation Congress has dominated the public vote. Current president (2019) – Cyril Ramaphosa

RELIGION

A very diverse nation with Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and African Traditional beliefs as religious backgrounds with Christianity being the dominant religion of almost 90% of the country.

SIZE

1.22 million km2 in area and with a population of 58.33 million inhabitants

Highlights

Kruger National Park
Table Mountain
Wild Coast
Cape Winelands

Top 5 Destinations

Voortrekker Monument
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Van Riebeeck Castle
Kimberley’s The Big Hole
Oudtshoorn’s Ostrich & Crocodile farms

Unique Experience

Drive through the drylands of the Karoo, while viewing beautiful open landscapes and stopping at interesting pit stops next to the road

Explore the Sudwala Caves

Have an adventure in Johannesburg’s Gold Reef City, while riding on thrilling roller coasters and discovering the rich history of South Africa’s gold mining industry

Get to know the Art of Braai and sample local cuisines

Local Cuisines

Biltong

A kind of curated dried meat, almost like the American Beef Jerky. Wild game meat can be used to make it or the most common beef. You can eat it very dry or a little bit wet with spices.

Braai/Shisha Nyama

A BBQ with thick cuts of meats, sausages and sometimes breads grilled over an open wood fire.

Bunny Chow

It’s a hollowed-out loaf of bread stuffed with a spicy curry mince and sauce

Milk Tart and Malva Pudding

Famous deserts, Milk tart is a delicious milky tart served cold whereas Malva Pudding is a sticky baked sponge cake served warm with homemade custard.

Seafood and Oysters

You’ll find freshly made seafood in every coastal town and city. From creamy Mussel pots and garlic prawns to salty row oysters.

Type of Travel

Pre-plan with Agencies

Use a travel agency where you want to back a holiday visiting special museums and historical landmarks. Tour guides will give you extra information about the cities’ rich heritage and will know exactly where to drive you. As museums and landmarks aren’t nearby and there aren’t any taxis that can take you from place to place.

Hotel Information

You don’t need a travel agency if you want to stay in one city for a longer period, as most hostels and hotels have a lot of information available for tourists. Some even provide shuttle buses to and from the main attractions. It’s easy to follow signs and spot ticket counters once you get to the main attractions.

Rent a Car

Hire a car if you want to experience the coastal towns and views. This won’t limit your viewing time and will give you the freedom to explore smaller coastal towns along the road

Travel within the Budget

Budget traveling can be easily done as hostels, buses and street food are extremely affordable. You can find a lot of information or line and South African hostel owners can point you in the right direction.

Least Favorite

Police officers in the city, particularly in Arusha, are notorious (they try to find fault in petty things for a bribe).
Traffic in Dar Es Salaam
Compared to the vibrant city of Nairobi, there’s nothing much to do in Arusha, the safari take-off point for the Northern Circuit (most popular)
We didn’t find the local food options to be as diverse and unique tasting (mostly beans and meat)

Planning Your Trip

Time allocation and itinerary suggestion

South Africa has so many places to explore. Give yourself a minimum of 5 days and 4 nights to spend in and around Cape Town or other major cities like Durban and Johannesburg. If you want to experience the country’s diverse scenic routes you about 2-3 weeks.
Spending 4-5 days in Cape Town and surrounding areas, then moving down the coast towards Hermanus, do some whale watching and stay for a right. Then continue down the coast past Mosselbay, George, Knysna, and Oudtshoom for 3-4 days.
Continue down the coast towards Jeffrey’s Bay to catch some waves and sun rays. You can catch a quick flight from Port-Elizabeth to Durban where you’ll spend some time at Ushaka Marine World and eating some delicious curries.
Head North to Pretoria and Johannesburg to visit Soweto, or watch the same Rugby at the Loftus Rugby Stadium. Stay in the city for 1-2 nights. Before heading to Nelspruit to visit the Kruger National Park
I suggest a minimum of 3 nights in Kruger. As there are many safari tides and other activities to do around this area. Relax by the campfire and enjoy a delicious Braai at night. You have the choice of driving through the Karoo towards Cape Town or take a quick and easy flight.

BUDGET

As South African goods, tourist spots, and museums are extremely affordable. Always ask for a cheaper price, as travel agencies put a lot of commission on top of the actual costs.
An excellent meal at a fancy restaurant can cost you anything between R180-R300 per person(drinks incl.). A hamburger or pie meal between R40-R60. Water- R9 per 500ml bottle and soft drinks R10-R15. Tickets to concerts or performance range between R80-R150
Hostels vary from R40-R80 per night, Budget hotels from R160-R250, Bed and Breakfasts between R300-R500, and Resorts R600-R900.

Safety & Security

It has been said that South Africa is a very crime-infested country. The crime rate is at on all-time high, but while the crime rate is going up, so is the security. You’ll see security guards everywhere guarding cars, houses, and hotel blocks. It is custom to give the guard a tip when you reach your car and it is still safe. All safety measures count that would in any other country. Don’t leave your belongings unattended and don’t walk alone late at night. Avoid deserted places and lower-class areas. If you are attentive and cautious everything will be fine!

Getting Around

As previously stated South Africa doesn’t have a very reliable public transport system. Bus Stations and train stations are usually overcrowded and aren’t the safest or most convenient way of traveling, but is a great option for traveling on a budget.

You can download an Uber App onto your smartphone, but Uber rates are usually very high. I strongly suggest renting a car for the time you are in the country, if you want to take some photos.

Budget airlines like Kulula and Mango Airlines make it easy to fly in between other major cities at R470-R800 per one way ticket.

One beer, One goal. One nation. One soul!

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South Africa Visa Guide For Philippine Passports

Erika Atienza

SOUTH AFRICA TOURIST VISA GUIDE FOR PHILIPPINE PASSPORTS I was told by the embassy of South Africa that Philippines passport holders can only apply for a visa to South Africa only from the Philippines and cannot do so from other SA embassies anywhere in the world. Embassy Address: South African