South Africa
South Africa14 guides across 2 destinations — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in South Africa
Practical essentials for South Africa
South African rand (ZAR)
Twelve official languages, South African Sign Language added in 2023; English dominates government, business and signage.
Type M (large three-pin), with Type C and N also found, 230V 50Hz
Visitors mostly use hire cars and e-hailing apps; the Gautrain links Johannesburg, Pretoria and OR Tambo airport, and Cape Town's centre is served by the MyCiTi bus.
Expected — 10–15% in restaurants and bars, plus small change for petrol attendants and the car guards who watch parked cars.
Tap water is safe to drink in Cape Town, Johannesburg and other major cities; treat it with caution in rural areas.
Left-hand side; a photocard licence in English is accepted for up to 12 months, otherwise you need an International Driving Permit.
10111 police, 10177 ambulance (112 from a mobile)
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from South Africa
The Quiet Corners of Cape Town That Locals Love
Beyond the cable car queues: the gardens, tidal pools, forest walks and slow seaside suburbs where Capetonians actually spend their weekends.
First Time in Cape Town: Everything You Need to Know
When to go, where to base yourself, how to get around and what to book ahead — the practical answers every first-time visitor to Cape Town needs.
48 Hours in Johannesburg, Hour by Hour
Two days in Jozi: the Apartheid Museum, Soweto's Vilakazi Street, Maboneng's galleries, and where the city eats, drinks, and dances after dark.
You Will Drive to Dinner in Johannesburg
Johannesburg keeps its kitchens in suburbs that do not touch each other, so eating well here means choosing a neighbourhood first and a table second.
Cape Town Logistics: Arriving, Moving and Timing It Right
The unglamorous knowledge that makes a Cape Town trip work — how to leave the airport, why the mountain dictates your schedule, and which weeks reward you with the sea and which with the vines.
The Johannesburg Bucket List, Ranked
From the museum that makes the country legible to a cave system holding some of humanity’s oldest relatives, the essential Johannesburg, in order.
One Perfect Day in Cape Town
Mountain, ocean, color and light — Cape Town compresses an entire continent's drama into a single peninsula. Here is how to spend one flawless day in it.
Cape Town on a Layover: A 24-Hour Plan That Actually Works
One day, one city, and a mountain that may or may not cooperate. An hour-by-hour route built around weather contingencies, for travellers who land at dawn and fly out the next morning.
Johannesburg with Kids: A Day Out That Works for Everyone
A zoo, a lakeside picnic, a leafy cafe street and an easy city-square finish. How to build a family day in a city that expects you to drive.
The Sweet Side of Cape Town: Puddings, Cafés and Market Mornings
Malva pudding, milk tart, syrup-soaked koeksisters and a centuries-old dessert wine — Cape Town's sugar story is one of the best ways to read the city.
Sleeping Well in Cape Town on Every Budget
Waterfront glamour, City Bowl convenience, Atlantic Seaboard sunsets or a Constantia vineyard — Cape Town’s neighbourhoods deliver very different trips. A guide to choosing the right one first.
In Cape Town, the Wind Picks Your Hotel Before You Do
Table Mountain makes its own weather, and from November to March it decides which terrace is usable and which beach is worth the drive, so here is where to sleep in Cape Town, area by area, at three prices.