Introduction
South Africa is an exhilarating, spectacular and complex country. With its post-apartheid identity in the process of definition, there is undoubtedly an abundance of energy and sense of progress about the place..
Location and Boundaries
At the southernmost tip of the African continent, the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is flanked in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south and east by the Indian Ocean, in the north by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and in the north-east by Mozambique and Swaziland.
Size
The RSA covers an area of 1,127,200 sq. km – (700 600 miles) about one eighth the size of the USA, and nearly five times the size of the United Kingdom.
Climate
Western Cape (Cape Town) and district: enjoys a Mediterranean climate (warm dry summers, cool wet winters). Average maximum summer temperature is 78°F.
Gauteng (Johannesburg / Pretoria), North West Province (Sun City / Mabula/Pilanesberg) and Mpumalanga: enjoys summer rainfalls, typically afternoon thunderstorms of short duration. Mild, dry winters are the norm. Average maximum summer temperature in Johannesburg 89 °F; winter 66 °F. Pretoria summer 85°F; winter 72°F. Midsummer temperatures in the Kruger National Park can exceed 90 °F.
Seasons
Summer : November to April
Autumn : May to June
Winter : July to September
Spring : September to October
What clothes to pack
Pack what you would normally wear in a warm, temperate climate. In the game parks, at holiday resorts and on tour, casual clothing is advisable. In city hotels and restaurants dress is smart/casual.
On tour, wear comfortable clothing for traveling and comfortable shoes for walking. Warm clothing must be packed for the late afternoon and early morning game viewing in the game parks. Pack a hat, sun glasses and sunscreen lotion.
Physical Features
Sun, wind, rain, rivers and the opposing influences of two currents, one cold, the other warm, have given rise to a phenomenal spectrum of awe-inspiring landscapes; mountains, plains, plateau and coastlands, lakes, lagoons and deserts.
Major cities
There are three capital cities: Cape Town (legislative), Pretoria (administrative) and Bloemfontein (judicial). Johannesburg is the largest industrial, financial and cultural center in South Africa.
Cape Town and Durban are two of the most popular holiday destinations. Notable cities and towns from a historical and cultural point are to include Pietermaritzburg, Grahamstown, Graaff-Reinet, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley and Stellenbosch.
The Black population is made up of several major ethnic groups. The majority are Zulu, followed by Xhosa, North Sotho, South Sotho, Tswana, Shangaan-Tsonga and Swazi. All are descendants of tribes who have migrated south from central Africa. About 50% of South Africa’s Blacks are urbanized.
The majority of Coloured (people of mixed racial origins) inhabit the Western Cape. Cape Malays, a subgroup, number about 200,000 and most inhabit the Cape Peninsula, with their origins in Cape Town’s Malay Quarter. The first Indians arrived in 1860 to work on Natal’s sugar cane fields, and today over 85% of South Africa’s Indians live in Natal. After India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, South Africa’s Indian community is the fourth largest in the world. Many are prosperous merchants, traders and professional people.
Population
The population is currently estimated at approximately 46,000,000. Most Whites are descended from Dutch, French, British and German immigrants who settled in the country between the 17th and 19th centuries. In more recent times, the country has attracted additional immigrants. Unofficial estimates put the number of people of Portuguese extraction (the largest group of recent immigrants) at half a million. It’s said that apart from New York, there is no city outside Israel, which is quite as Jewish as Johannesburg, where some 60% of the country’s estimated 120,000 Jews live.
Electricity
Power systems are 220/230 volts AC at 50 cycles per second. (Adapters for electric shavers and hair dryers are obtainable locally).
Water
Tap water is purified and 100% safe to drink.
Malaria precautions
Visitors to the Mpumalanga region and northern Natal should take anti-malarial tablets before, during and after their stay. The tablets are obtainable without prescription from local pharmacies.
Monetary system
The South African currency unit is the Rand, denoted by the symbol R. R1 = 100 cents.
Passport
Since November 2003 the immigration services require that all foreign nationals entering South Africa need at least 2 blank pages in their passport.
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