The currency is the rand, denoted by the symbol “R” (ISO code: ZAR). It is divided into 100 cents (c). Notes are in denominations of R200, R100, R50, R20 and R10. Higher value notes are slightly larger in physical size than small value notes. All notes have a metallic security strip and a watermark. A new series of banknotes was introduced in 2012, and both the old and the new series are circulating and legal tender.

Coins are in denominations of R5, R2, R1, 50c, 20c, 10c and 5c. Production of 2c and 1c coins was suspended in 2002 although those still in circulation remain legal tender. All transactions are rounded down to the nearest lower 5c, so as not to require the use of 2c and 1c coins. There are two types of R5 coins in circulation: one is a silver-coloured coin while the other is silver-coloured with a copper insert. Both are legal currency.

South Africa is part of the Southern African Common Monetary Area and the rand can be used in Namibia (where it is an official currency along with the Namibian dollar), and in Lesotho and Eswatini (where it is widely accepted, but not an official currency). The currencies of each country are tied to the rand at the rate of 1:1.

Traveller’s cheques are a safe way of carrying money around. You can exchange them at all banks (which are found throughout the country even in rural areas) and you will get a refund if they are stolen. The disadvantage is that you cannot pay with them and you will need change when exchanging them into rand. Use ATMs instead if possible.

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), linked to all major international networks, are available throughout the country and will generally dispense money in a mixture of denominations between R200 and R10, with about 80% of the value requested being high value notes and the rest in smaller denominations. You can use any Cirrus or Maestro card and all major credit and debit cards at the ATMs. South African bank ATMs do not charge any fees above those levied by your own financial institution.

It is best to use only ATMs that are inside a mall or other building. Always be careful to make sure no one is watching you enter your PIN, and be vigilant about scams (e.g. machines that seem to eat your card and won’t give it back after you enter the PIN). Do not accept help from strangers when withdrawing money at an ATM. If you are approached and offered unwanted help, cancel the transaction immediately and go to a different ATM.

The till points at some major retail stores (such as Pick ‘n Pay) also act as ATMs; simply tell the checkout clerk that you would like to withdraw money. Transaction costs will be less than at ATMs.

Visa and MasterCard are accepted almost everywhere. American Express and Diners Club are also accepted, but not as widely.

Most retail stores accept credit cards and pin based debit cards as payment. South Africa has moved towards a chip-and-PIN credit card system like Europe. Thus, credit card users from countries also on that system (like the United States) will have no problem using their credit cards in South Africa, provided that they have notified their bank in advance of their travel plans.

VAT (Value Added Tax) is levied at 15% on almost all products in South Africa. Government legislated bread (rectangular loaf) and basic food stuff like uncooked meats, fresh milk, raw and unprocessed fruit and vegetables, are all tax exempt. By law, advertised prices should be inclusive of VAT except when explicitly stated otherwise. Foreign passport holders may claim back the VAT only on material products that were bought in South Africa and are being taken out of the country, provided that the total value of the goods exceeds R250, but not for things like accommodation and food costs or car rental. Full details of the procedure to follow are available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and their new TAX Refund for tourists site. VAT Refund Administrator’s offices are available at both Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) and Cape Town International Airports. Refunds will be credited to a Travelex Visa card that you will be given, denominated in U.S. dollars or euros, the fees in conversion associated with this card can leave you with up to 10% less than you thought you were getting. The cards can only be used outside of South Africa.

BY PLANE:

South Africa has a well-established domestic air travel infrastructure with links between all major centres. There are multiple daily flights to all the major airports within the country. Contact any of the airlines for details. The low cost airlines (Kulula, Mango) are usually the cheapest and prices can be compared online. It is also worth comparing with the SAA rates as they usually have online specials which can be cheaper than the “low cost” carriers in some cases.

BY CAR:

Driving can be a practical way for getting around in South Africa, for instance national parks are some of the country’s foremost attractions but they are rarely served by public transport. Visitors hiring or buying a car is fairly common.

Major roads are in general in good condition, though South Africa still has a high rate of road accidents. Traffic rules including speed limits are not always respected, and in the countryside animals (wild and domestic) next to or on the road are not an uncommon sight.

BY BUS:

There are scheduled bus services between Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other cities (with stops in between), as well as connections to neighboring countries. The main bus companies are:

• Greyhound, +27 83 915-9000.
• Intercape Mainliner, +27 21 380-4400.
• Translux, +27 86 158-9282.
• SA Roadlink, +27 11 333-2223.

Smaller services include City Bug and Lowveld Link.

An alternative is the Baz Bus . It offers a regular hop-on-hop-off service on some of the most interesting routes for the tourist (Cape Town to Durban via the Garden Route;Durban to Johannesburg via the Drakensberg). Baz Bus picks you up and drops you off at many hostels along the route, so you don’t have to hang around at a downtown bus stop at night.

If you’re really in a pinch, you can use minibus taxis. They are poorly maintained and rarely comply with safety standards. They also require patience as they make many detours and changeovers at the taxi rank (hub) where the driver will wait for passengers to fill up the bus. But they cover many routes not covered by the main bus service and are quite cheap (25 cents per kilometre per person on the main routes).

Warning: Many buses are removed from service by the police, due to lack of legal road-worthiness. Seek up-to-date advice on which companies are more reputable. Occasionally, the driving can be rather wild, and if you’re prone to motion sickness, be prepared.

BY TRAIN:

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is the national rail operator. There are budget passenger services between major South African cities (known as Shosholoza Meyl) and luxury services (known as Premier Classe) between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Central Reservations (for both Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Classe) can be contacted as follows:

• From within South Africa, phone 086 000 8888 (share-call)
• From outside South Africa, phone +27 11 774 4555
• By using the 0027 prefix instead of +27 calls may cost less, the same applies calling SA from outside
• Email mmabathop@spoornet.co.za or info@premierclasse.co.za

To book tickets, phone Central Reservations on one of the numbers given above and make your booking. You can pick up and pay for the tickets later at any train station.

There are also commuter trains in larger cities (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London); these are run by MetroRail. Most services are perfectly safe, but certain routes are overcrowded and not always safe.

Mid-range:

• Shongololo Express, +27 11 781-4616, info@shongololo.com. Rail safaris across South Africa

Splurge

• Blue Train, +27 12 334-8459, BlueTrain@Spoornet.co.za. This world famous luxury train operates between Pretoria and Cape Town, with a stopover in Kimberley. They advertise as a “five-star hotel on wheels” and charge accordingly: prices start from R15,500 one-way per person in low-season “Deluxe” twin-sharing. You can pay as much as R34,925 (high-season “Luxury” single) (2017 prices) The trip takes 27 hours, and your fares includes a private suite with attached bathroom, and all meals and drinks (except champagne and caviar).
• Rovos Rail, +27 12 315-8242. Offers luxury rail travel throughout Southern Africa. Destinations include Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, George, Swakopmund in Namibia, Vic Falls in Zimbabwe and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

BY BICYCLE:

Cycling is probably the best way to experience the country, as you really get to admire the views and get the opportunity to mingle with the locals. It could be considered unsafe to cycle through the cities because of crime and reckless drivers. However, Cape Town is somewhat bicycle friendly with several bike lanes. There are many farm/dirt roads throughout South Africa. Locals and Farmers are generally willing to provide you with food and a place to sleep, as long as you are willing to talk.

EAT:

Cuisine:

South African cuisine is just as diverse as its cultures, with influences from British, Dutch, German, Indian, Malay, Portuguese, Greek, Italian and of course the native African influences.

• Braaivleis, meat roasted over an open wood or charcoal fire, is very popular and generally done at weekend social events. The act of roasting the meat as well as the social event is referred to as a braai.
• Pap, a porridge made with corn meal. Slappap (runny porridge), is smooth and often eaten as a breakfast porridge, Stywepap (stiff porridge) has a doughy and more lumpy consistency and is often used as a replacement for rice or other starches. “Krummel” pap also called umphokoqo (crumby porridge) is drier, resembles couscous and is often served at a braai covered in a saucy tomato and onion relish called sous.
• Potjiekos, a meat and vegetable stew made in a cast iron pot over an open fire. A favorite at braais.
• Boerewors, a spicy sausage. Boerewors Rolls are hotdog buns with boerewors rather than hotdogs, traditionally garnished with an onion and tomato relish.
• Biltong and Droëwors, seasoned meat or sausage that has been dried. Beef, game and ostrich meat is often used. A favourite at sports events and while travelling.
• Bunny chows, half a loaf of bread with the inside replaced by lamb or beef curry, a speciality of the Indian community in Durban.
• Bobotie, meatloaf with a Cape Malay influence, seasoned with curry and spices, topped with a savoury custard.
• Morogo, a wild spinach on its own or with potato. Sometimes served with pap.
• Waterblommetjiebredie, mutton and indigenous water lily stew.
• Masonja, for the culinary adventurer, fried Mopanie worms.
• Melktert, “milk tart”, a milk-based dessert.
• Koeksisters, a deep-fried sticky dessert.
• Vetkoek, deep fried dough ball made from flour, served with curry mince or apricot jam.

Fast food:

You will find the usual array of international fast food outlets. McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s Pizza and Wimpy are found throughout the country.

Local franchises worth mentioning are Black Steer, Spur and Steers for the best burgers and Nando’s peri-peri chicken. Chicken Licken is also a very popular choice for the locals, especially for their hot wings.

Pizza delivery is available in most urban areas whereby food can be ordered online with places such as Domino’s Pizza and Debonairs.

If you want keep to a budget and not bother with cooking, everywhere all supermarkets chains have a deli, bakery and kitchen sections providing a wide range of ready to eat meals and sandwiches or you can choose yourself from the hot buffet or salad bar. These items are sold by weight at reasonable prices.

• Seafood franchises like Ocean Basket and Fishaways specialise in seafood, either to eat in or take away. Inland, due to the distances from the coast, fresh fish dishes are not easily found. However near rivers, some establishments offer what’s regionally available. In coastal cities and towns, the situation is reversed with Cape Town and Durban being particularly good in having a choice of excellent seafood establishments at their respective waterfronts.

Special diets:

• Vegetarian and Vegan fast food and sit in outlets or restaurants are quite popular in urban South Africa, the Kauai franchise usually present in shopping malls and CBDs amongst other places, lead the way in variety, quality and keen pricing. Another source of affordable ready made such meals, can be found at supermarket chains like Fruit&Veg, Woolworths, Pick & Pay, Spar or Checkers, while a growing number of regular restaurants will also cater for such diets.
• Kosher and Halal dietary requirements are well known in SA. In areas with reasonable to high concentration of Jewish and Muslim populations, is quite easy to find restaurants, butcheries and supermarkets catering for these needs. In other areas, it may require searching to ascertain their existence or a Jewish or Muslim person can always contact their nearest respective religious place of worship or organization for enquires.

DRINK:

Milk is widely available at most supermarkets, but bottled orange juice not-from-concentrate is much, much harder to find than in North America. Most South African retailers carry only orange juice reconstituted from concentrate or orange juice blended with other juices or milk. Soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are widely available, though.

The legal age to purchase and drink alcohol in South Africa is 18. Almost all restaurants are licensed to serve liquor.

Witblits or Mampoer are locally distilled under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, and allocated a manufacturers’ licence. They are safe and enjoyable to consume and does not resemble the names for moonshine or firewater. The alcohol content is controlled by the Department, so is the quality.

Beer:

Local beer production is dominated by SABMiller with Castle, Hansa, Black Label and Castle Milk Stout being most popular brands. There are also Micro Breweries all over South Africa. Imported beers such as Stella Artois and Grolsch or Laurentina, are also widely available. The Namibian Windhoek brand beers are also popular and generally available.

Prices can vary widely depending on the establishment. Expect to pay R25 for a 0.5 L beer (July 2017).

Wine:

South Africa has a well established wine industry with most of the wine produced concentrated in the Cape Winelands in the Western Cape and along the Orange River in the Northern Cape. Wine is plentiful throughout the country and prices remain affordable, with 750ml bottles of a really good red starting from R100 and Chardonnay from R90. Good quality wines in bulk are also available in 5L and 3L cartons. A 3L of good red will cost about R110 and a 3L Chardonnay, about R95. Prices are not fixed, it pays to shop around for good deals.

Liquors:

Amarula Cream is made from the marula fruit. The marula fruit is a favourite treat for African elephants, baboons and monkeys and in the liqueur form definitely not something to be passed over by humans. Pour over crushed ice and enjoy. The taste, colour and texture is very similar to Baileys Irish Cream. Cape Velvet is a favourite in and around Cape Town.

Tea and coffee:

The local Rooibos tea, made from a herb from the Cederberg Mountains is a favorite for many South Africans. You will find coffee shops in most shopping malls, such as Mugg&Bean and House of Coffees. Coffee shops similar in concept to Starbucks, like Seattle Coffee Company and Vida e Caffe (Portuguese themed), are becoming commonplace.

Establishments in South Africa can have themselves graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa on a 5-star basis. Many establishments make use of this service and you will see the star grading displayed on most advertising material. An inconsistent pricing system that sees many establishments offering a “per person” price instead of a “per room” rate, should be made aware of. Also, not everyone makes very it clear if breakfast is included or not and if not, how much extra will be. If you are budget sensitive, in the last few years, accommodation costs at many greedy establishments, in big or small towns alike, have been going up far out of sinc with actual inflation, making it unwise to pre-book without doing a thorough search. In certain instances, a global brand or comparable hotel will cost much less in Europe or America than in SA. One of the excuses for this is the exchange rate, so, shop around. Another anomalie, is the inconsistency within the star rating. A three or four star guest house, B&B or hotel, maybe better kitted out, more spacious, better maintained and run than a five star establishment in the same area, therefore, rendering the system a rough guide-line indicator and not a systematic reliable set of standards. Similarly, in game reserve areas for example, is not uncommon to spot a slightly above average establishment charging just a slightly cheaper rate than the nearby ultra luxurious game lodge, but offering nothing comparable in quality or variety to its seven star counterpart, so, beware. For the price conscious and average tourist, the game reserve experience is better done within game camps under the control of the Provincial Parks Authorities or National Parks Board. There, prices for accommodation, food and guided safaris are very reasonable.

Backpacker lodges:

Backpacking lodges or hostels are widespread all over the country. Most establishments offer great value tours and activities in the areas. There is a great network of transport around the country making it suitable for single and younger travellers. Some lodges provide meals especially in the more remote areas. Most have self-catering facilities and shared bathrooms although en-suite bathrooms are also common.

B&Bs:

Bed and Breakfast establishments are becoming very popular. The accommodation is usually provided in a family (private) home and the owner/manager lives in the house or on the property. Breakfast is usually served. Bathroom facilities may be en-suite. In general, the guest shares the public areas with the host family.

Self-catering:

A house, cottage, chalet, bungalow, flat, studio, apartment, villa, houseboat, tents or similar accommodation where facilities and equipment are provided for guests to cater for themselves. (This can include a fridge, oven, stove, and microwave.) The facilities should be adequate to cater for the maximum advertised number of residents the facility can accommodate.

Guest house:

A guest house is a converted house or manor adapted to accommodate overnight guests or it may be a purpose built facility. A guest house is run as a commercial operation and is often owner-managed. A guest house has areas which are for the exclusive use of the guest. The owner/manager either lives off-site, or in a separate area within the property.

TBC.