Travel to South Africa. South Africa Travel Guide and Recommendations

Safari ASAP invites you to explore the paradise of African wildlife, i.e. safaris through the nature reserves of the Zulu kingdom. Still don’t know which tourist destination we’re talking about? Well, from the southernmost part of the African continent… Yes, it’s South Africa!

Introduction to a trip to South Africa

Don’t worry if you’re not an intrepid adventurer, because you can also take a well-deserved vacation on the country’s pristine beaches, or maybe you’d prefer to enjoy the cosmopolitan life of some cities. It’s up to you

Geographical location of South Africa

South Africa, as its name suggests, is located in the southern part of the African continent. The countries that are neighbors to South Africa include Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. Did you know that the kingdom of Lesotho is located within South Africa?

The country occupies 1,219080 square kilometers and has 3 capitals: Pretoria which is the administrative area, Bloemfontein which is the judicial area and the best known is Cape Town which is in charge of the legislative area. It is also home to 3 major rivers, which are the Orange, the Vaal and the Limpopo.

Travel Safety to South Africa

Do you know what precautions to take during your trip to South Africa? Here’s what you need to know. One of the most important things is to be aware that crime in the country has increased in recent years, so as always we should avoid walking alone at night in remote and dark areas. If you are carrying valuables, it is best to store them in the hotel safe.

If you are staying in the city of Johannesburg, don’t even think about going to the neighborhoods of Hillbrow, Berea, Yeoville and Bruma, as they are considered to be the most dangerous. If you’re staying in Cape Town, it’s better to take a taxi instead of walking.

If you decide to go on a safari, it is better to hire a guide so as not to get lost and, of course, not to get too close to the animals, as they are wild, especially crocodiles and hippos!

Climate. When is the best time for a trip to South Africa?

South Africa is quite a large country, so the climate varies depending on the area you are in. For example, if you travel to the south you will find temperate temperatures and if, on the contrary, you go to the northwest the climate will become somewhat tropical, that is, it will find constant rainfall throughout the year and in the western area somewhat arid.

In the case of Cape Town, the climate is quite Mediterranean and the summers that run from the season from September to April are hot and dry with an average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. Winters appear in the season from May to August and you will find a temperature ranging between 8 and 17 degrees Celsius.

Why is it interesting to visit?

• Main historical facts

The history of South Africa begins in prehistoric times, with the appearance of hominids more than three million years ago. Homo sapiens began to develop in agriculture, hunting, cattle ranching and formed the culture of the Bushmen. A new group of people settled in the area and it was the Khoisan who dedicated themselves to pastoralism. Later, the Bantu tribe was established, precisely 500 years before the Common Era. The Bantu were engaged in wheat harvesting and blacksmithing. On the coasts of South Africa, the Zulus, Xhosa, Swazi and Ndebele settled. Other areas of the country began to be inhabited by the Tswanas, Pedis and Basothos.

The arrival of the Europeans began with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1487 when Bartholomew Dias arrived with the Dutch East India Company at the Cape of Good Hope. Years later, settlers settled in the area and wars broke out for the control of land and food with the natives of the South African villages, including the Xhosa people.

Gold deposits are discovered and slaves are imported from Indonesia, Madagascar and India. German citizens also arrive in the area.

At the end of the 18th century, Dutch power began to wane and Britain occupied the area during the fourth Anglo-Dutch War. By then there were thousands of slaves, as well as white settlers, and there were already strong feelings of racial discrimination.

At the end of the 19th century, the Zulu Kingdom gained power, and the other tribes became militarized. The chief of the tribe, Shaka Zulu, begins to dominate the area and the other tribes. At that time, the black population was still marginalized.

English and Dutch were established as official languages, while the Afrikaan language was not recognized as official until 1925. Politics was also ruled by whites, so much so that South Africans were denied the vote.

Did you know that whites made up only 20% of the population but were given dominion over 92% of the territory? Incredible! As if that were not enough, they were kept away in fenced areas with harsh segregation laws. This was called Apartheid!

From that moment on, Black people organized to put an end to this degrading situation. Anti-apartheid movements were born, especially the African National Congress (ANC) with the famous Nelson Mandela at the head, who ended up in prison for 27 years!

Apartheid is coming to an end, but even today millions of black South Africans continue to live in poverty, and crime and violent crime have also increased.

• Main destinations and monuments

In South Africa, of course, you can take adventurous walks through the wildlife parks, that is, an intrepid safari. But that’s not all. There are also a number of interesting routes, such as the wine tours or the garden tours. Are you a beach lover? Great, the country has beautiful coastlines where you can do water sports such as scuba diving, or surfing. If you want to live a cosmopolitan experience, you should go to the city of Johannesburg, which has nothing to envy to the modern cities of Europe! You will see how this trip will not disappoint you!

• Culture, Religion and Society

There is a cultural mix in South Africa, due to the racial variety of the country. Basically, 60% of the population is black, 30% is white, and the rest are mixed-race and Asian.

As far as religion is concerned, most profess the Protestant Christian faith, and to a lesser extent the Catholic faith. However, there are also other cults such as Hindu, Muslim, traditional and animist religions.

Did you know that polygamy and dowries are still practiced in rural areas of the country today?

The Zulus are considered warriors, so it is possible to see them dressed in their traditional leopard skin costumes and their shields made from animal skins. Don’t hesitate to take a picture of them, but of course, always ask permission beforehand!

Currency, budget, language, and more

To enter South Africa it is not necessary to have a visa if you are not going to stay more than a month and a half. It is also not necessary to carry any vaccines. What we do recommend is to protect yourself against yellow fever and hepatitis B.

If you are traveling to rural and remote areas, we recommend taking antimalarials, as malaria is widespread.

What is the national currency? The Rand, if you wish, can change your money to this currency or also pay with traveler’s cheques or Visa and MasterCard cards.

There are 11 official languages in South Africa: Afrikaans, Ndebele, Pedi, Sesotho, Swazi, Tsong, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Don’t worry if you don’t understand any of them, we missed naming English which is also an official language!

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Frequently Asked Questions