South Africa Travel Information

Passports & Visa
Health
Travel Insurance
Money
Communication while in SA
What to Pack

Passport & Visa

Always travel with a valid passport. Some countries require that your passport not expire within six months of the date you leave the country but do not enforce the policy upon entering the country.

WHO NEEDS A VISA TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA

Health, Malaria, Vaccines requirements...
Healtharevery healthy country and it is unlikely you will have any health issues while travelling here. However it is always worth taking precautions, so here is some information which may help.
NB! Check the vaccines and medicines list and visit your doctor (ideally, 4-6 weeks) before your trip to get vaccines or medicines you may need.....

Water: Yes, water is safe to drink, however, bottled water will always be available.

Malaria: Yes the Kruger Park is a malaria risk zone. You should be aware of the risk but it should not stop you from coming to Kruger and enjoying your African safari. There are over a million visitors to the Kruger Park and only a few cases of malaria reported. Malaria high risk is during the wet season between November and May, with the months February to May is the peak risk period. We recommend that you consult your GP for the correct prophylactic to prevent malaria. A course of anti-malarial medication will need to be taken at least a week before travelling – so be sure to consult your GP well before you travel. It’s always a good idea to have some insect repellent, sun block, a hat, a warm jacket and a long sleeve shirt depending on the season of course with you.

We all like to think that our holidays will be fun and trouble free, unfortunately

Travel Insurance is a part of travelling.
You should ensure that your travel insurance covers you for delays & cancellations as well as medical expenses and lost luggage. I personally have insurance for all my camera equipment internationally that also include medical insurance and the rest. Because of the way things work in Africa, all of our safari expenses are booked and paid for well in advance, so when the trip approaches it is impossible for us to refund money, this is why travel insurance with a cancellation coverage is really import.
When looking at policies please check cancellation reasons carefully. Also good to have is the usual trip interruption (cancelled flight), lost luggage, and the less likely illness on the trip so great it requires evacuation. Best Travel Insurance might help you get educated and give a start to finding comprehensive travel insurance. On occasion, the unexpected happens, and at times like those, it is good to know that you are adequately covered.

Money Matters
The South African local currency is called Rand $1=R14,30, Credit cards are accepted at most supermarkets, restaurants

and accommodation establishments (Visa and MasterCard are most commonly accepted) but outlets in rural areas are more likely to only accept cash payment. You will need some Rands to use for tipping, shopping, and some snacks and meals. The best place to get Rands is at the airport in Johannesburg. Not many places are equipped or safe for credit card use. The nice shops at Johannesburg airport and Kruger are best for credit cards.
Gratuities - Tipping is custom in South Africa and although you have paid for your safari already the Guiding and Hospitality industry in Africa is based on paying staff a very basic salary R3000/$200/m so staff really rely on tips to make a living. You may wish to tip the drivers on the game drives, guides, and lodge staff. Now although the US Dollar is very strong giving someone $1 is the same as $0 because foreign exchange doesn't exchange $1 notes or money that's not in very condition. It's recommended to tip in the local currency especially if your guide has added to your experiences.

Communication while in SA
Welcome to Africa as things are happening a lot slower than where you'll be coming from. If you're visiting for a while and are planning to use your phone quite a bite then I would recommend you buy an SA sim card at the airport. Vodacom would be the first choice, but be warned internet in SA is very expensive and don't think you'll be able to rely on free wifi networks they often don't work. You will have to my data and for your personal use yourself.

What to Pack
Hi here are some of the items we feel will make your trip more enjoyable...

Passport & Visas if needed (make colour copies of all your documents and keep in luggage separate from your passport.
Appropriate shoes hiking, Comfortable shoes/sandals for around the camp/lodge
Get some Rands SA currency on landing in JHB from a cashpoint.
Travel & Medical insurance
Neutral coloured clothes for field trips
A warm jacket as nights & early mornings can be cold
Torch/headlight (incl. extra batteries)
Light raincoat
Day backpack
Alarm clock
Sunglasses
An electrical adapter (make sure it's for South Africa as well as SA has their own system)
Your personal toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste etc.)
Insect & tick repellent
Sunblock (high SPF)
Wide-rim hat to protect your face & neck from the African sun

Recommended Equipment

Extra batteries
D-SLR &/or pocket digital camera/smartphone and all chargers
Telephoto lens (300mm or more + 1.4 converter) or Zoom lens like Sigma 150-600.
A Good light camera bag that complies to hand luggage regulations with rain cover always a bonus
Camera sensor cleaning kit
Any extra camera equipment like external flashes, filters...
Laptop with already installed Adobe Lightroom or my personal favourite On1
A good tip is to store all existing photos on a drive at home to have more space on your laptop.
Plenty of extra memory cards instead of just 1 very big one
Memory card reader
External travel Harddrive 500Gb + like this LaCie