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SOUTH
AFRICAN WEATHER and CLIMATE
The climate in the
Cape is similar to that of the south of Spain. A Mediterranean
climate with warm dry summers. The exception is the
arid semi desert of the Karoo where dry winters and
low summer rainfall prevail.
Near the coast, the summer weather temperatures rise
from a pleasant low of 15'c to a heart warming 27'c
and occasionally up to 35'c. Inland temperatures are
some 3 to 5'c higher. Coastal winters see the mercury
drop to a mild 7'c at night and rising to a comfortable
18'c. The weather can be variable and it is wise advice
to always carry a warm jacket. |
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DRIVING
and ROAD CONDITIONS
Hire a car and travel
South Africa. We drive on the left hand side
of the road. The speed limit varies from 60
km per hour in town to a maximum speed limit of 120
km per hour (75 mph) on the motorways and open national
roads. All occupants must wear seat belts.
Our excellent all weather road systems are well maintained
and comply with the international road sign standard.
South African roads are rated as third best in the
world.
Driving license information |
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DISABILITY
ACCESS ACCOMMODATION
Most public areas
cater for wheel chair access. If you require these
facilities, kindly advise us of your special needs
at time of enquiring / booking so that we can assure
your comfort at all facilities. |
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CURRENCY
The South African Rand (sometimes
shown as ZAR) is the currency of our country.
See our currency
converter. Notes are available
in R10.00, R20.00 ,R50.00,R100.00, R200.00. Coins
are R1.00, R2.00, R5.00 and other copper coloured
coins covering less than a Rand. Our
Bank ATM machines accept foreign Credit / Switch
cards and this is the most popular travellers
method for obtaining cash. You may find that
you’re limited to R3000 per draw per day.
The modern day computers systems have a habit of letting
one down when they are needed the most, we have all
heard about being ‘Off-Line’. It
is therefore strongly recommended that you carry a
little Sterling or Dollars in cash in case of an emergency
and if possible, arrive with some ZA Rand notes and
always have some available in when travelling in rural
areas. Please note Petrol Stations
DO NOT accept Credit Cards |
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MEDICAL
South African medical
standards are exceptionally high meeting world standards.
Facilities are similar as those found in USA and Europe.
Private doctors are available in every town. Clinics
in major cities and towns. Hospitals will be found
in larger towns and cities. It is always recommended
that you take out medical travel insurance with your
travel agent before departure. It is becoming
more and more popular for some to include a plastic
surgery holiday while in South Africa. |
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HEALTH
REQUIREMENTS
In the Western &
Southern Cape, malaria is not a threat and no precautions
are necessary. The Kruger Park area is a Malaria
area and your local chemist will advise you on which
pills to start taking two weeks before departure.
Pregnant Mothers & small children should not enter
Malaria areas. South Africa requires some visitors
to have a Yellow Fever inoculation before entry.
It is recommended that you check with your local doctor
or British Airways who have a special division on
health requirements required at any destination in
the world. |
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LANGUAGE
Believe it or not
South Africa has eleven, yes eleven, official languages.
English, Afrikaans (Similar to Flemish -Dutch), and
nine local African languages. However, English
is understood throughout the country, and
if you speak Dutch you may be understood by those
who speak Afrikaans. |
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I NEED A VISA? |
SOUTH
AFRICAN VISA REQUIREMENTS
Please visit the following
website of the department of South African Home Affairs
to establish the price of South African visas and
assistance
Do
I require a South African Visa?
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SHOPPING
The South African shops
cater for all your shopping needs, from designer clothing
boutiques and fashion accessories to gift and curio
shops and virtually everything in between. A pair of
shorts can be purchased for about a third of the price
in Europe. Large food supermarkets are open long hours
7 days a week as well as convenience stores from 7am
to 11pm. These are found in every town and city suburb.
Catch up on some "Retail Therapy" and have
a bit of a shopping holiday during your tour of South
Africa. |
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INTERNAL
AIRLINE TICKETS
Selftours does book and arrange
internal domestic airline tickets. Booking in
South Africa often results in cheap airline fares compared
to purchasing outside of South Africa. |
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ELECTRICITY
South Africa operates
on 220-230v AC @ 50Hz current. SA uses 13 amp
round pin plugs. A suggestion is to bring a Multi
plug board from home. On arrival, have a local
round three pin plug fitted on the end and then you
can plug all your accessories into the board.
Some hotels have facilities for 110v outlets for bathroom
shavers. |
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SOUTH
AFRICAN DRIVING LICENSE INFORMATION
For details of driving licence
requirements in South Africa please visit our South
African car hire page where full details will be found
at the bottom of the page. International driving
license may not be required
Driving
license information |
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MOBILE
PHONES and TELEPHONES
Most hotel rooms have
telephones. Call boxes are available in hotel lobbies
and cost much less to call from. Calling cards are best
options available from convenience stores. Cell / Mobile
phones must be GSM compatible. Check with your provider.
(SELFTOURS
can provide guests with a mobile
phone when hiring a car, free of
charge against a refundable deposit of R1000 and R11.34
pd insurance- you only pay for your calls) Fax,
and email facilities are provided at most hotels. Most
towns have internet cafes. |
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