South Africa

Get up close with the iconic ‘Big 5’ animals in Kruger National Park.

Get outdoors and hike, bike or climb your way through one of the country’s spectacular national parks.

Experience South Africa’s diverse cultural heritage with an organised cultural visit to a city township or rural community.

Enjoy the world class restaurants, nightlife, museums and galleries, shopping, culture and history of Cape Town, all set against the stunning backdrop of the city’s dramatic mountains and stunning beaches.

Take in Durban’s sun, sand and surf, but don’t forget to explore the city’s colourful Indian District while you’re there.

Soak up South Africa’s rich history in one of the country’s excellent museums.

Honour the country’s beloved former leader at the Nelson Mandela Museum, Eastern Cape.

Learn more about South Africa’s challenging past with a visit to Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum

Sample the country’s excellent wine & local produce, or take part in a South African braai (barbecue) if you’re lucky!

Shop for colourful traditional arts and crafts

Most of the country is considered to be semi-arid, however, there is considerable variation in topography and climate. South Africa is blessed with one of the most temperate climates on the continent, with extremes of heat and cold rare and temperate weather conditions year-round.

Most of South Africa lies at a fairly high elevation and, as such, experiences average temperatures that are cooler than countries at similar latitude (for example, Australia).

South Africa’s climate and weather patterns are greatly influenced by the oceans surrounding the country to the east, south and west, and cold polar wind fronts in the winter months, and by high-pressure systems from the Atlantic Ocean in the summer months.

Precipitation is highly variable, but rains and thunderstorms generally occur in the summer months (November to March) with the exception of the Western Cape, which receives its rainfalls in winter (June to September). The higher areas of the Cape and the Drakensberg mountains generally receive snowfalls in the winter months.

Across almost the entire country, summers are warm to hot and winters cool to cold. Diurnal temperature ranges are dramatic in the interior but much more stable in coastal areas.

Summer temperatures range from 15 to 35°C (59 to 95°F), with winter temperatures ranging from -2 to 25°C (28 to 77°F).

While the temperate climate permits a visit to South Africa in any month, the days can be wet and uncomfortably hot in summer (November to March) and the cooler, drier winter months (June to early September) are generally the best for hiking, outdoor adventuring and wildlife watching. Spring (mid-September to November) and autumn (April to May) are ideal times to visit.

South Africa is +2 hours ahead of UTC/GMT

South Africa’s 1996 constitution gives official status to 11 different languages, with two West Germanic languages and nine Bantu origin languages broken down as follows: Zulu (23.82%), Xhosa (17.64%), Afrikaans (13.35)%, Northern Sotho/Sepedi (9.39%), English (8.2%), Tswana (8.2%), Sotho (7.93%), Tsonga (4.44%), Swati (2.66%), Venda (2.28%) and Ndebele (1.59%). Other languages account for 0.5%.

South Africa is an extremely linguistically diverse country, with most people speaking multiple languages. Afrikaans and, increasingly, English being the predominant languages of business and education.

Rand (Divided into cents)

We recommend that you travel with your local currency (EUR, USD, AUD, NZD, GBP) in CASH as this is the easiest way to change into local currency of the country you are travelling in . We recommend that you exchange your foreign currency at the bank located at your airport of arrival or your guide will arrange this on entry to each country.

Travel with some ZAR cash or US Dollar cash, preferably in small denominations. Pre-2006 USD notes are not accepted due to the high number of counterfeits in circulation.

Automatic teller machines (ATM’s) are regularly available in South Africa to draw money.

Visa & Mastercard are accepted in major and tourist centres such as Johannesburg and Cape Town. Outside these areas it is difficult to use (credit cards widely accepted except in rural areas). Most lodges visited are able to accept credit cards for meals however, American Express and Diners are NOT readily accepted. Note that merchant fees can be high on credit card purchases.

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Electricity in South Africa is 220 Volts, at 60 hertz. The most common pin type is M. (3 round prong). Not compatible with any other plug types. In some areas the pin type C (2 round prong) can also be found.

Electricity in South Africa is 220 Volts, at 60 hertz. The most common pin type is M. (3 round prong). Not compatible with any other plug types. In some areas the pin type C (2 round prong) can also be found.

Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us.

Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice.

We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration.

We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements.

Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.