South Africa Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Southern Africa.

Language

The official languages are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.

Area

1,219,912 sq km (471 011 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 2.

Electricity

220/230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs have three fat round pins.

Population

49.3 million (2009).

Population Density

40.4 per sq km.

Capital City

Pretoria Population: 1.6 million (2009).

Government

Republic. Gained partial independence from the UK in 1910 and was declared a republic in 1961.

Head of State

President Jacob Zuma since 2009.

Religion

Around two thirds of South Africans are Christian of some form including Catholics, Anglicans, Dutch Reformed or African independent churches. There are significant Hindu, Muslim and Jewish communities and traditional African beliefs are also practised.

Recent History

Colonialism was taken to extremes in South Africa, with a white minority enforcing the system of Apartheid to subjugate the black majority. Decades of internal activism re-enforced by external sanctions eventually broke the system. The dismantling of Apartheid officially began in 1990 after negotiations between President FW De Klerk and jailed African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela.

The first historic one-man-one-vote elections in 1994 swept the ANC to power and Mandela became the country's iconic president. Mandela earned enormous international respect for leading South Africa into democracy with relatively little bloodshed.

Since his retirement the political stage has lacked such leadership or charisma, with his successor Thabo Mbeki doing little to combat the twin ravages of violent crime and an AIDS pandemic.

ANC leader Jacob Zuma was elected in April 2009 in a presidency so far more noteworthy for Zuma's headline-hitting personal life than for effective governance.

The legacy of Apartheid still shapes much about the country, its economy, education system, its workforce and the massively unequal division of wealth, and racial tension still occasionally flares up more than 16 years after the official introduction of democracy.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +27. Area codes are used even for local calls.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Coverage extends to most of the country except the very remote areas. GPRS for data coverage is also widespread.

Internet

Internet cafes are common in towns throughout the country and wireless is available at airports and in upmarket hotels.

Media

South Africa's many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population. Freedom of the press is constitutionally protected and many newspapers have begun to flex their muscles with stronger and more critical political analysis in recent months. The main English newspapers are The Star, Sowetan, The Citizen and weekly Mail & Guardian. The state-run SABC and commercial E.tv networks broadcast nationally, and many viewers subscribe to pay-TV operated by Multichoice. The proliferation of commercial and community radio stations includes Highveld, Jacaranda, 702 Talk Radio and Classic FM.

Post

Airmail takes a minimum of two days to Europe, three days to USA and four days to Australia.Generally Mon-Fri 0830-1530; Sat 0800-1100; longer in airports and shopping malls. The smaller post offices close for lunch 1300-1400.

Public Holidays

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2010-December 2011 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
21 Mar Human Rights Day
22 Apr Good Friday
25 Apr Family Day
27 Apr Freedom Day
1 May Workers’ Day
16 Jun Youth Day
9 Aug National Women’s Day
24 Sep Heritage Day
16 Dec Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Day of Goodwill

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
21 Mar Human Rights Day
6 Apr Good Friday
9 Apr Family Day
27 Apr Freedom Day
1 May Workers’ Day
16 Jun Youth Day
9 Aug National Women’s Day
24 Sep Heritage Day
16 Dec Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Day of Goodwill
Holidays falling on a Sunday are observed the following Monday.

Contact Information

The British High Commission in South Africa

255 Hill Street, Arcadia, Pretoria, South Africa
Tel: (012) 421 7600.
Website: www.ukinsouthafrica.fco.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0800-1700; Fri 0800-1230.

South African High Commission in the UK

South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DP, UK
Tel: (020) 7451 7299.
Website: www.southafricahouse.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

South African Consulate in the UK (Visa services)

5 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DD, UK
Tel: 090-655-40798 (appointments) or 0207 925 8900 (enquiries).
Website: www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate.htm
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1030 (appointments only).

South African Tourism Board in the UK

6 Alt Grove, Wimbledon, London SW19 4DZ, UK
Tel: (020) 8971 9350 or 0870 155 0044 (inquiry line).
Website: www.southafrica.net
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in the USA

3051 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 232 4400.
Website: www.saembassy.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1245 and 1330-1700.

Consular Section (for visas, passports, immigration matters)
4301 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 220, Washington, DC 20008
Tel: (202) 274-7991.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1200.

South African Tourism Board in the USA

500 Fifth Avenue, 20th Floor, Suite 2040, New York, NY 10110, USA
Tel: (212) 730 2929 or 1 800 593 1318 (information and brochure requests).
Website: www.southafrica.net
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.