South Africa

Flag of South Africa

General Information

Annual Events
Click here for a summary of annual events held across the country.

Banking

Most banks are open Mon-Fri 09h00 to 15h30 and Sat 09h00 to 11h00. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM’s) are found in most towns with Autobanks in the bigger towns.

Currency
The national currency is the Rand(R) divided into 100 cents.

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Dialling Codes

The international dialling code for South Africa is +27. National dialling codes for the major cities are as follows:

Bloemfontein	051
Cape Town	021
Durban	031
Johannesburg	011
Port Elizabeth	041
Pretoria	012

Petrol and Diesel (gas)

Though widely available at most towns, we recommend filling up before travelling long distances. On major routes and in bigger towns, petrol stations are open 24hrs. As credit cards cannot be used for paying for fuel, cash or garage cards are necessary.

Provinces

South Africa is broken down into 9 provinces, namely:

Province of KwaZulu Natal
Free State
Province of Eastern Cape
Gauteng
Mpumalanga
Province of Northern Cape
Limpopo Province
Province of North-West
Province of the Western Cape

Safety
Tourists should take the same precautions as they would in any other country. Avoid the unnecessary display of valuables and do not walk in deserted places or go out alone at night. National emergency telephone numbers are: 10111 or 10177.

Smoking
Smoking is banned in public places in South Africa, but in most places a designated 'Smoking Area' is available.

TAX Refund

Visitors to South Africa are not exempt from paying V.A.T. on bought goods. However, tourists can claim back the VAT paid.

World Heritage Sites

South Africa is home to eight of the world's official heritage sites, as determined by Unesco's World Heritage Committee. These are:

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