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Population
40.58
million (source Census 1996). Breakdown by Province
is as follows:
Kwazulu
Natal 8.4m
Gauteng 7.3m
Eastern Cape 6.3m
Northern 4.9m
Mpumalanga 2.8m
Free State 2.6m
North West 3.3m
Western Cape 3.9m
Northern Cape 0.84m
Capital
City
Although
Pretoria is the capital city (population 1.25m), Cape
Town is the seat of Parliament and Bloemfontein is the
judicial centre.
Language
South
Africa has eleven officially recognised languages: English,
Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sepedi, Setswana, Sesotho, Zitsonga,
Siswati, Tshibenda, Ndebele. However, English is widely
spoken and understood.
Principal
Religions
All
principle religions are represented in South Africa.
International
dialling code from UK
00
27 (see also Communication Methods)
Local
currency
In
South Africa the unit of currency is the Rand (R), divided
into 100 cents. The following denominations are in circulation:
Notes:
10, 20, 50, 100, 200
Coins:
1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents
1, 2, 5 Rand
The
South African Reserve Bank has the sole right in South
Africa to issue bank notes.
£1=R16.1
as at 27 Sept 2002.
Weights
and measures
Metric.
Public
holidays
The
following are the official public holidays:
| New
Year 1 January |
| Human
Rights Day 21 March |
| Good
Friday 29 March |
| Easter
Monday/Family Day 1 April |
| Workers'
Day 1 May |
| Youth
Day 17 June |
| National
Women's Day 9 August |
| Heritage
Day 24 September |
| Day
of Reconciliation 16 December |
| Christmas
Day 25 December |
| Boxing
Day 26 December |
Of
the statutory public holidays, Good Friday and Christmas
Day are regarded as religious holidays and are observed
in the same way as Sundays.
The
major holiday season in South Africa is from mid-December
to mid-January when the schools have their longest holidays.
This period should be avoided for business visits.
Passports
/ Visas
All
visitors to South Africa require a valid passport with
at least six months remaining on the passport. British
business visitors do not require a visa to enter South
Africa. However journalists and business people coming
to commission new machinery supplied to South Africa
are advised to check with the South African High Commission
in London as to whether or not they need a work permit:
South
Africa High Commission
South Africa House
Trafalgar Square
LONDON
WC2N 5DP
Tel: 020 7451 7299
Fax: 020 7451 7282
Health
advice / risks
No
special health precautions are necessary for visits
to the main population centres, but visitors with any
history of heart condition should avoid over-exertion
in the high altitude towns. Malaria is present in some
areas of Mpumalanga, Northern Province and northern
KwaZulu-Natal. If you are planning to visit these areas,
especially during the summer months (September-April),
it is recommended you seek medical advice regarding
the appropriate tablets to take.
Information
on health hazards, and on precautions to take when travelling
abroad can be found in the leaflet 'Health advice for
travellers' which is available from main Post Offices.
Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is now prevalent in
South Africa and is affecting both the male and female
population. The virus can be contracted via sexual contact
or through medical treatment involving the use of hypodermic
or blood transfusion equipment which may be infected.
There is very little chance of contracting AIDS from
a hospital in South Africa's major population centres.
It
is essential to take out full medical insurance when
visiting South Africa as there are no reciprocal healthcare
agreements between South Africa and the UK.
Specialist
travel agents
All
major travel agents arrange holidays and travel to South
Africa.
Travel
routes to South Africa
BA,
Virgin and SAA all operate regularly (at least daily)
scheduled flights direct to and from South Africa. Airport
departure tax is R100 for international flights and
R24 for local flights.
How
to get to & from the airport
It
is advisable that visitors pre-arrange to be transported
to their destination from the airport. Visitors can
arrange for their hotel or tour operator to meet them
at the airport by taxi (or shuttle service if available).
Approximate taxi fares from the following airports to
commercial centres are as follows:
From
Johannesburg airport - 150 Rand
From Cape Town airport - 100 Rand
From Durban airport - 60 Rand
In
Johannesburg, The Magic Bus offers two types of service
:
Meet
and greet. Having booked with Magic Bus in
advance the traveller is met off the flight and taken
straight to a waiting vehicle and dropped directly at
destination. For between 1 and 7 passengers the cost
is R195.00 per person payable in advance either by credit
card or deposit into their bank account.
Shuttle.
The shuttle service runs on a regular hourly basis dropping
passengers off at their major hotels, ie Rosebank, Grace,
Randburg Inn, City Lodges, Balalaika, Sandton Sun and
Towers, Holiday Inns, Hilton, Park Hyatt etc at a cost
of R75.00 per person per journey. The bus does not need
to be booked in advance and payment is made at the Magic
Bus office at the airport.
Travelling
in South Africa
Air
The three major commercial centres of Johannesburg,
Cape Town and Durban are linked by daily high frequency
jet services provided by Comair and South African Airways.
Johannesburg is linked to Bloemfontein, East London
and Port Elizabeth with frequent jet services provided
by South African Airways.
Daily
regional services between Johannesburg and Kimberley,
Upington, George, Pietersburg, Phalaborwa, Nelspruit,
Skukuza and Richards Bay are operated by Airlink, Comair,
Interair and South African Express. Sun Air fly between
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Mmabatho and Sun City.
Transkei Airways fly between Johannesburg and Umtata.
Scheduled
flight times from Johannesburg:
Hours Minutes
Bloemfontein - 55
Cape Town 2 05
Durban 1 -
East London 1 20
Kimberley 1 20
Nelspruit 1 -
Pietermaritzburg 1 10
Pietersburg 1 -
Port Elizabeth 1 40
Upington 1 15
Buses
Luxury intercity coach services are provided by:
Translux
routes - Johannesburg/Pretoria to Cape Town, Durban,
Port Elizabeth, East London, Knysna, Bloemfontein. Durban
to Bloemfontein and Cape Town (via East London and Port
Elizabeth).
Greyhound
routes - Johannesburg/Pretoria to Cape Town, Durban,
Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit and Kimberley.
Roads
The main highways have been declared National Roads.
Please note that there are a number of toll roads, so
please ensure that you have sufficient cash for payment.
In December 1996 there were 52,000 km of tarred roads
and 131,000 km of dirt roads. Traffic travels on the
left.
Taxis
It is advisable that visitors to the country use taxis
recommended by their hotel or tour operator. That said,
you can telephone for a taxi or go to a taxi rank, as
local taxis do not cruise. If a taxi does not have a
meter, negotiate the fare in advance. Beware of sharp
operators. Visitors should be aware cab services do
not always conform to international standards. Hire
cars are a ready alternative.
Car
hire
A number of car rental companies operate in South Africa
with the larger ones usually having branches in all
the major cities and at the major airports, often offering
package deals with airlines and hotels. When hiring
a car it is important to remember that South African
garages do not accept credit cards for petrol purchases.
Trains
There are train services between most of the major cities
in South Africa. The main line routes are served by
modern express trains with air conditioned dining and
lounge cars. Visitors are advised to travel first class.
Hotels
The
large commercial centres have good, comfortable hotels.
In the smaller towns single rooms are not always available,
and the visitor may have to accept a double room at
a higher rate. Advance reservations are always advisable,
and are essential during the peak season of December/January
in all the coastal towns and, in addition, July/August
in Durban.
The
daily rates shown are approximate and are liable to
change, visitors are advised to confirm prices when
making reservations.
The
following is an indication of prices for a single room
and private bathroom at the hotels most suitable for
business visitors. All prices exclude value added tax,
which is 14%.
Johannesburg
We do not recommend staying in the Central Business
District of Johannesburg at the moment. Most business
people stay either in the Sandton area or near the airport
(which is close to the industrial area of Isando).
These
hotels were selected to give an idea of the relative
prices of hotels in South Africa. Rates change frequently
and are seasonal, particularly in Durban and Cape Town.
As
the cost of hotels rise many business people are seeking
the cheaper and more personalised services offered by
the bed and breakfast end of the market.
Restaurants
All
the main cities have a wide range of restaurants to
choose from serving international cuisine including
Chinese, Japanese, Italian and French. We recommend
speaking to your hotel for guidance.
Electricity
supply
With
the exception of Pretoria and Port Elizabeth, the electricity
supply is 380-220 volts AC 50 Hz. In Pretoria the supply
is 415-240 volts and Port Elizabeth 433-250 volts. Three
round-pin plugs are common for power points. An adaptor
is required for equipment with UK 3-pin electrical plugs
to function - some hotels are able to lend adaptors
to their guests. Light bulbs are normally the bayonet
type.
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