| Useful stuff to know |
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| Most white South Africans are going to tell you how dangerous South Africa is. But most white South Africans live in fear of everything except TV - which is probably the only thing they should fear! (That's a joke, if you are a white South African. See the end of this page for more info...) |
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There is crime, but if you don't walk around looking like a Japanese tourist you should be fine. (and hey, if you are a Japanese tourist that's also supposed to be funny... ;-) On a more serious note, click here for safety tips. |
| If you want an "African" experience, head for Zululand, Swaziland, Lesotho, the Transkei or Zimbabwe which all have a strong African identity and are not as "westernised" as most of Southern Africa. But remember, balance is best. So we suggest a little bit of everything... |
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 | Currency |
| South Africa is cheap! The currency is South African Rand (ZAR), and we can't give you an exchange rate because it changes every day. Mostly in your favour. | |
Banks | ||
 | Most banks are open from 9am - 3.30pm Monday to Friday and from 9 - 11am on Saturdays. Small town branches often shut for lunch between 1 - 2pm. If you have the right sort of card, you can use Automatic Teller Machines to withdraw cash - just check with your bank before you leave home. Thomas Cook and other exchange bureaus are scattered all over the place, so changing money is rarely a problem. | |
| Post Offices | GPO's generally trade from 8.30 - 4.30pm weekdays and from 8am to noon on Saturdays. But who needs the Post Office when you can e-mail? Most backpacker hostels and towns have internet facilities (maybe you shouldn't tell mom this?) so keeping in touch is a breeze. |  |
| Bilharzia and Malaria have taken their toll on human life in Southern Africa. They are both real risks but it's easy enough to take precautionary measures. | Health  | Avoid contact with bilharzia-infected water and take prophylactic drugs for Malaria. Your doctor will know which prophylactic is best suited to the area you'll be visiting. |
Southern Africa is huge and the distances between places are great. People often run out of time. We suggest that you think about making use of internal flights or about arriving in and departing from different cities. How about starting in Cape Town and leaving from Johannesburg (which isn't as bad as the news says it is)? See the "Getting around" section for ideas on transport. Remember! |
| Minds are like parachutes, they only function when open. |