South Africa
The Facts
Capital: Pretoria
Population: 48 Million
Language: 11 different, including Afrikaans, Zulu and English
Time Difference: GMT + 2 hours
Flight Time: Approx 11hours
Currency: South African Rand
Geography: Rugged Mountains contrast with wide sandy beaches, beautiful lakes and rivers and lush wine country. The Indian Ocean laps the eastern shores whilst the west is pounded by the Atlantic surf. There are few countries in the world with such a variety of landscapes.
Paperwork – Passport/Visa
We can only advise you of the requirements for British and Irish Passport holders. For British and Irish passports endorsed in any way and all other passport holders, requirements should be checked with the relevant embassy. You should ensure that you have a valid ten year British Passport with a minimum validity of 6 months after the date you return to the UK. South Africa requires two full blank pages in your passport for entry and you may be denied entry without the required pages. British passport holders do not require a Visa for South Africa.
Health - Vaccinations
As a guideline the recommended vaccinations include: Typhoid, Tetanus and Polio. Malaria is also recommended for some parts of the country and may be necessary if you extend your trip elsewhere. You should take health advice from your GP or a specialist clinic about your specific needs as early as possible and ensure that vaccinations or preventative measures such as malaria tablets are taken early enough (which may be a month or more prior to departure) to be fully effective by the date of travel. The department of health are also a good source of information offering a free leaflet ‘health advice for travellers’ (available on request Tel: 0800 555 777).
