While it's true that South Africa brings a concerning reputation regarding its crime rate, the country still has quite a lot to offer as a travel destination. With proper planning and caution, you can still enjoy a trip to this rich and fascinating location. South Africa is an amazing destination for all types of travelers. South Africa boasts some of the cleanest tap water in the world.
The country’s extraordinary variety is both its biggest draw and its biggest challenge when you're planning a trip. South Africa features many gifts for the curious traveler. These include mountains to climb, eclectic local cuisine, world-class surf breaks, desert landscapes to photograph, cities to visit and plenty of magnificent wildlife to observe. You would do best to book for three weeks or more if you can schedule the time away (if not, we recommend no less than two weeks). Here's what you need to know for a successful trip to South Africa, with tips on planning, etiquette, safety and health.
Planning Your Trip
If you’re flying from the USA, the cheapest international flights to Southern Africa usually land in either Johannesburg or Cape Town. You’ll also need general comprehensive travel insurance.
Essential Paperwork for Traveling with Children
If you’re entering or leaving South Africa with a child under the age of 18, you’ll need to have a few extra bits of paper in your carry-on bag. In a bid to stamp out child trafficking, all minors need to have an "unabridged" birth certificate - that is, one that lists both parents’ names. If only one parent is traveling with the child, you’ll need an affidavit from the other parent confirming that they give consent for the child to travel. The rules keep changing and papers are not always checked, but it’s wise to have the documents on hand just in case.
Money Matters
While credit cards are widely accepted in South Africa, you’ll still need to cash throughout your trip. While credit and debit cards are widely accepted, there are still a few places in South Africa that only take cash. It’s smart to keep a small stash of notes and coins for purchases at corner stores, buying from market traders and for the various tips you’ll be expected to give throughout the day (more on tipping below). Of course, it’s not wise to walk around with large wads of cash on your person, so keep the bulk of your money hidden away in the hotel safe, or withdraw modest amounts from ATMs while you are out and about.
Read also: Planning Your Trip to Cape Town
Be wary of using ATMs on the street; theft and card scams are common, so it’s best to stick to machines inside malls or banks. As soon as your flight to South Africa lands and you’ve collected your luggage, buy a Vodacom sim card from one of the vendors inside the airport. If you’re traveling to Cape Town and are using a local sim card (aka have a local number) download the app Snapscan. It’s an app that connects to your credit cards so you can tap to pay at different shops and vendors with a QR code.
Connectivity
Public Wi-Fi is fairly easy to find in larger cities and more touristed towns, but if you’re planning on wandering far from the main population centers, it’s worth picking up a South African SIM card on arrival at the airport. A prepaid card costs as little as 50 ZAR ($2.78US), but like pretty much everything in South Africa, it comes with a bit of paperwork. You’ll need to “RICA” your SIM card, per the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act. This is a fairly simple registration process that requires a photo ID and confirmation of your address in South Africa (a simple booking confirmation will suffice).
Getting Around
How to Hire a Car in South Africa: My Experience Uncovered!🇿🇦🤌🏻
To put it bluntly, public transport in South Africa often falls short. Long-distance bus services exist, but routes tend to bypass many smaller destinations, and fares can be expensive for shorter hops. Long-distance trains are unreliable, and hitchhiking is most definitely not recommended. If you really want to see the country, you’re going to have to rent a car. Luckily, car rental prices are much lower compared to South Africa’s neighboring countries. Fortunately, there are plenty of fantastic road trips to choose from, and all the big car hire companies are represented in South Africa - just be sure to book ahead, especially if you’re traveling in the November to March peak season. The best way to get around Cape Town and Johannesburg is with an Uber.
Tipping Culture
South Africa has a strong tipping culture. In many customer-facing industries, salaries are low and workers make much of their money from tips. Restaurant staff will expect around 10%, but leaving 12%-15% will generate bigger smiles. Tipping 10-15% at restaurants in South Africa is common practice. Drivers never pump their own gas in South Africa; you’ll be expected to pay at least 5 ZAR (0.28US) to the person filling your tank, or 10-20 ZAR (.56-$1.11US) if the attendant also checks your tires, oil or water. I always tip my Uber drivers, petrol attendants, etc.
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Then there are South Africa’s informal parking attendants. If you’re hiring a car in South Africa, you’ll come into contact with the country’s car guards. While larger cities and towns have areas with pay-as-you-go street parking, in most places, you can park at the side of the road for free … sort of. Ubiquitous car guards will offer to keep an eye on your car while you’re away, and they come in a range of helpfulness levels. Some will go the extra mile, stopping traffic to help you back out into a busy street. Others are opportunists who approach as you pull out your keys, claiming they were keeping a close eye on your car while you were shopping. Reward car guards according to the service they provide - an R5 coin (5 ZAR or 0.28US) is the standard thank you, but R10 is more appropriate for someone who provided a more useful service.
Understanding South African English
While there are 11 official languages in South Africa, South Africa has a whopping 11 official languages. You’ll almost always find someone who speaks English, unless you’re in a remote rural area. There will still be a few local phrases that trip you up. One thing that often baffles foreigners is the (extremely liberal) use of the word “shame.” It’s a versatile word in South Africa. A cute child fell asleep in the car? Shame. A close family member passed away? Shame. Busy week at the office meaning you couldn’t make Friday drinks? Shame. The word is often preceded by the utterance "ag" and followed by the word "man." So the phrase "Ag, shame man" can mean anything from “awww” to “Oh no, that’s terrible!”
Also frequently used is the word “hectic.” While it can be used to discuss a particularly busy intersection, it could also be used to describe a ridiculously tall building, a very long line at the bank, an insanely windy day or a particularly large baby being born. In South Africa, hectic doesn’t really mean busy - it usually means "wow."
Politics and Power Outages
Certain subjects are off-limits in every country, but in South Africa, politics is not one of them. Everyone has an opinion on the government’s latest endeavors, whether that’s discussing the abundance of potholes, the latest corruption scandal or - more often than not - the government's failure to provide (electrical) power to the people. You'll very quickly become familiar with the inconvenience of what locals call "load-shedding."
Basically, load-shedding is a never-ending series of planned power outages designed to take pressure off the ailing electricity grid. Cities and towns are split into zones, and depending on the severity of the load-shedding, you might end up without power for anything from two to 12 hours a day. There are eight "stages" of load-shedding, broken up into two-hour slots. Larger hotels won’t be affected thanks to backup generators, but if you’re staying in a guesthouse, hostel or private home, you are bound to encounter load-shedding at some point in your stay.
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Many places come equipped with fail-safes such as emergency lights, backup power for fridges and Wi-Fi hubs, and sometimes generators big enough to power the whole property. Your host will likely give you daily updates on when the power will be off, or there’s a handy app - EskomSePush - that has all the details and comes with a helpful warning notification.
Driving Etiquette
While greetings, table manners and general day-to-day etiquette in South Africa should largely be familiar, the way South Africans drive can be a bit of a culture shock for visitors. One of the most idiosyncratic rules of the road is “yellow line driving” - many roads are single-lane highways, and enterprising drivers often use the emergency lane (hard shoulder) as a backup.
If you’re on a highway and a driver behind you indicates that they want to get by, you'll be expected to briefly move across the yellow line into the emergency lane to let them pass. If you don’t, you’re likely to find yourself privy to another favorite local driving habit: tailgating. Drivers will usually flash their hazard lights in thanks as they pass, but be aware that obliging drivers aren’t the only thing to be found on the hard shoulder. Always make sure there is good visibility before you pull over, for around the next corner you might find a troop of baboons, a stray cow or a bunch of school kids walking home.
Safety While Driving
When I first moved to South Africa, there was so much talk of carjackers that I expected to find balaclava-clad people lurking at every intersection waiting to appropriate my vehicle. I remember panicking at the gas station because I had to lower the window to pay, then passing my cash through an inch-high gap before driving away, stressed and sweating. These days I often drive with the windows down, but I do approach "robots" (the local term for traffic lights) with caution, always leaving a car-length gap in front of me just in case I need to make a quick escape.
Be cautious while driving, but not paranoid. Make sure your doors are locked and be extra vigilant when driving at night, keeping your windows up and your wits about you. If you’re going to explore Cape Town or Johannesburg’s nightlife, always take an Uber and don’t walk around at night even if your destination is only three blocks away. Be more cautious when driving in cities.
Listen to the Locals
Local advice is always important, particularly in countries that have a reputation for crime and social problems. In South Africa, the host at your accommodation is a good person to ask about the best bars or restaurants, how to get around and which areas to avoid. Just be aware that there are many awesome attractions found in areas that South African locals - particularly older locals - wouldn’t consider visiting. Once, while staying in a guest house in suburban Durban, I asked the owner if there were any places to avoid and she replied “The CBD” (city center), which would have cut my sightseeing rather short.
South Africans have a tendency to exaggerate the danger posed by crime - it’s almost a part of the national psyche, and a favorite topic of conversation. You might have to do a bit more research to sort out the worthwhile warnings from the sometimes-inevitable scaremongering. The number one question I get asked about South Africa is if it’s a safe destination.
With a diverse mix of cultures, a variety of landscapes and delicious local food - don’t let South Africa’s bad reputation put you off exploring this incredible country. South Africa is an incredible destination for adventurous travelers.
| Topic | Tip |
|---|---|
| Paperwork | Carry unabridged birth certificates and affidavits when traveling with children. |
| Money | Keep some cash for small purchases and tips, but use ATMs inside malls or banks. |
| Connectivity | Buy a local SIM card upon arrival for easier communication and data access. |
| Transportation | Rent a car to explore the country more freely due to unreliable public transport. |
| Tipping | Tip 10-15% at restaurants and small amounts to gas station attendants and car guards. |
| Language | Familiarize yourself with local English phrases like "shame" and "hectic." |
| Politics & Power | Be prepared for conversations about politics and frequent power outages (load-shedding). |
| Driving | Understand "yellow line driving" and be cautious in cities to avoid potential crime. |
| Safety | Listen to local advice but be aware of potential exaggeration of danger. |
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