South Africa Passport/Visa

Visa Required?
British, Australian, Canadian, USA: No
Other EU: Some

Return Ticket Required?
British, Australian, Canadian, USA, other EU: Yes

Passports
Passport valid for at least 30 days after the intended date of departure required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.
Passport must have at least two blank pages for entry stamp. This cannot include the 'endorsement' page at the back. Passengers who also require a visa must have a passport with two blank facing pages, one for the visa and one for their entry stamp.

Currency

Rand (ZAR; symbol R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Currency Exchange

Money can be changed at banks, bureaux de change and some hotels. Proof of identity may be requested; therefore, it is advisable to carry a passport. Visitors are restricted to bringing in and taking out a maximum of R5,000 in cash.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

MasterCard and Visa are preferred. American Express and Diners Club are also widely accepted. ATMs are available all over the towns and cities including shopping malls and petrol stations, and accept all international debit and credit cards. Almost all hotels, shops and restaurants, and even national parks and game reserves, accept credit cards. Credit and debit cards are not always accepted at petrol stations, however, especially outside the big cities.

South Africa Duty Free

The following goods may be imported into South Africa by passengers over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 250g of tobacco.
• 1l of spirits or liquor and 2l of wine.
• 50ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette.
• Other goods up to a value of ZAR3000. Additional goods up to R12,000 are charged duty of 20%.

Restricted items
Plants and plant material without import permit, including margarine, honey and other vegetable oils.
Prohibited Imports
Narcotics; flick-knives; ammunition; explosives; meat, processed cheese and other dairy products; obscene literature. If you're coming over a land border, firewood is not allowed to be brought into South Africa.

South Africa Weather and Climate

South Africa's climate is generally sunny and pleasant, but there is considerable regional variation: the northwest is very arid, the south is temperate, and the northeast has a more typically tropical climate. Winters (May to August) are generally mild, particularly in the Western Cape; most of the rest of the country receives only a brief cold spell, when snow falls on the mountain ranges and occasionally in lower-lying areas. The rainiest months in Cape Town are May to August; Johannesburg receives most of its annual rainfall in the summer, between November and March.

Required Clothing
Lightweight cottons and linens; rainwear. Warmer clothes are needed for winter.