South Africa

In a Nutshell A huge, mineral-rich, scenically splendid country at the foot of the African continent, South Africa is home to over 40 million people from 20 ethnic groups. For the tourist, the country offers a dazzling variety of attractions - from sandy beaches to arid bushveld, from tropical wetlands to spectacular mountain scenery. Whether you wish to laze in the sun, swim, track the Big Five, hike along the coast or in the mountains, see wild flowers in profusion, savour good food and wine, or simply take in the history and culture of one of the world's most talked-about societies, South Africa has something special to offer you.

Top Attractions

• The Cape Peninsula - including the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Table Mountain, Cape Point, Kirstenbosch and other popular draw cards.
  
  
• The Kruger Park - one of the world's largest, most accessible and reasonably priced game reserves with a huge variety of animals and birds.

• The Drakensberg - stretching from the eastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga into KwaZulu-Natal, the country's mightiest mountain range offers spectacular scenery and many fine resorts offering a wealth of outdoor amenities and activities.

• Sun City, The Lost City and the Pilanesberg - an all-in-one, Las Vegas in the bush where one can gamble, gambol, swim, sail, view birds and wild game or simply relax in sumptuous surroundings.

• The Garden Route - 200 kms of beaches and bays, forests and mountains along a scenic highway.

• The Blyde River Canyon - one of the world's largest and most awe-inspiring.

A Taste of South Africa

If you have only a few days in South Africa, this is what you should do to get a flavour of the country.

• Visit a game park to view the Big Five
• Take a cableway trip up Table Mountain
• Visit Robben Island from the V & A Waterfront, Cape Town
• Go down a mine at Gold Reef City
• Have fun in the waves at Sun City
• Take a tour of Soweto, the country's largest township

Planning Your Trip

If you are planning a trip to South Africa, the following attractions should
feature on your itinerary

• Wildlife
• Sun & Surf
• Heritage & Culture
• Cities
• Outdoor Adventures
• Flora, Parks & Gardens
• Sport, inc Golf
• Food & Drink

Events Diary Click here for a monthly events diary

Connections Please refer to the search engine

Size 1,221,037 sq kms (= Germany+France+Italy)

Population 43,5 million

Biggest cities Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban

Official Language(s) Eleven, mainly Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English (most common)

Religion: predominantly Christian

History: Click Here for "A historical Time Line of South Africa"

Climate Summer rainfall area, except in the Western Cape

Best time to visit Sept/Oct (spring) - Apr/May (autumn)

Provinces (9) Western Cape; Eastern Cape; Northern Cape; Free State; North-West; Gauteng; Limpopo; Mpumalanga; KwaZulu- Natal

Visas please refer to the search engine for details

Health please refer to the search engine for details *

Unit of Currency Rand

Time GMT + 2

Public Holidays Fixed: 1 Jan; 21 Mar; 27 Apr; 1 May; 16 June; 9 Aug; 24 Sept; 16 Dec; 25 & 26 Dec

Variable: Good Friday, Easter Monday

* Because this is a South African website, much more information on the country may be found by using our search engine.

Links to Useful Sites

www.southafrica.net
www.aardvark.co.za
www.ananzi.co.za