South Africa Travel - Hotels, Sightseeing Tours, Attractions, Information

South Africa - "a World in One Country" - is a land rich in history, culture and a great diversity of scenic splendor - from the pulsating rhythms of the bushveld, through deserts and along pristine beaches, to cosmopolitan cities - South Africa has something to offer every traveler.

The renowned wildlife parks of South Africa which are home to some of the best game viewing in Africa, include the Kruger National Park Park and surrounding private reserves of Sabi Sand, Timbavati, and Makalali; Zululand's parks of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi and the wetlands of St Lucia, as well as the malaria free safari regions of Madikwe and Addo Elephant Park and the private Shamwari reserve.

The white beaches of South Africa's Garden Route around Plettenberg Bay and Knysna are vast and unspoilt, while the Whale Coast around Hermanus provides some of the finest land based whale viewing in the world.

Cape Town, with its magnificent Table Mountain, Cape Point Nature Reserve and the sophisticated Waterfront, has established itself as one of world's most beautiful cities, and is the ideal place to end a South African safari. more about the tourist attractions from south africa...

The South African Tourism market is a market that has grown aggressively in the past few years and has become a significant part of the economy within the country. It is because of this that Imbizo, the Business unusual Road show, was run in three major Australian cities.

Imbizo is a Road show that was created with the objective to establish contact with key conference organizers and incentive partners, to present the Business unusual concept while offering South Africa as an alternative and sophisticated offshore destination.

“Tourism from Australia has grown substantially over the past year with Australia now ranking number six in terms of South African Tourism growth,” said South African Tourism Australasia general manager Bangu Masisi. “Australians are looking to South Africa as a destination for meetings, conferences and incentives because it is unique. Where else in the world can you emerge from a game drive after viewing the most spectacular animals in their natural habitat to be greeted by warm and friendly Zulus cooking a sumptuous dinner amongst the trees, each branch lit by its own tiny light.”

Location

South Africa is located on the southern tip of the African continent, bordered by northern neighbours Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It encompasses the independent mountain kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland and is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the warm Indian Ocean on the east - giving the country its spectacular range of biodiversity.

Size

South Africa occupies 4% of the continent's total landmass, covering an area of 1 221 040 square kilometres. The country is five times larger than Great Britain and three times the size of Texas.

Climate

South Africa enjoys a temperate and pleasant climate, with lovely warm sunny days most of the year. The seasons of the southern hemisphere are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere so our summers runs from November to February, when most of the country is characterised by hot weather with afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are generally mild and dry. South Africa enjoys one of the world's highest average daily hours of sunshine - 8.5 compared with 3.8 in London, 6.4 in Rome and 6.9 in New York.

Average temperatures in ºC Summer Winter

For daily and long-term forecasts for South Africa, visit www.weathersa.co.za.

People

South Africa is home to some 43 million people - a colourful population as diverse in makeup as the country's geography is varied. Almost 77% are black (or African), 11% white and 9% "coloured", the local label for people of mixed African, Asian and white descent. Just over half the population live in the cities. Three-quarters are Christian and most of the other major world religions are represented here.

Language

There are 11 officially recognised languages, most of them indigenous to South Africa. English is one of these, and everywhere you go, you can expect to find people who speak and understand it. English is the language of the cities, of commerce and banking, of government and official documents. Road signs and official forms are in English. The President makes his speeches in English and at any hotel, the service staff will speak English.

Provinces & Major Cities

South Africa is divided into nine provinces, namely Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu- Natal, Limpopo, Mpumulanga, Northern Cape, North West and the Western Cape. Major cities include the modern economic hub of Johannesburg, coastal Cape Town picturesquely perched between mountain and sea, historic Pretoria and the 'sun and surf central' city of Durban.

Time Differences

South Africa operates two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time throughout the year, making it an hour ahead of Central European Winter Time, seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Winter Time and seven hours behind Australian Central Time.

Money

The currency unit is the Rand, denoted by the symbol R, with 100 cents making up R1 (one Rand). Foreign currency can be exchanged at local banks and Bureaux de Changes. Most major international credit cards such as American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa and their affiliates are accepted for most purchases.