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

Malaysia Airlines Launches Two New Johannesburg-KL Direct Flights
Malaysia Airlines will launch two new weekly non-stop flights from the South African city of Johannesburg to Kuala Lumpur from March 30, bringing the total number to four weekly schedules. The two additional flights will be on Tuesday and Friday in ...
Cape Town Football World Cup Tour
South Africa is host to the 2010 World Cup. Get a behind-the-scenes looks at Cape Town's soccer scene with this football-focused tour of Cape Town. If your heart beats for football, this Cape Town World Cup tour is for you! Visit the outside of ...
Pinnacle Point Beach and Golf Resort
This award-winning golf resort, nestled on the edge of the coastline, is located near Mossel Bay (Western Cape) and impresses with its combination of natural beauty and unsurpassed luxury. Tucked away on 4km² of private land, Pinnacle Point Beach ...
Quarters Hotel Hermanus opened
Situated in the heart of Cape Whale Coast (Western Cape), Quarters Hermanus is located on the historic Hermanus Harbour. All suites and rooms are tastefully decorated and furnished. Suites feature mountain and ocean views, separate lounge area, and ...
Emirates lounge investment tops EUR 120 million
Emirates has launched its first airport lounge in Africa at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, bringing the total number of lounges the airline has established across its network, for the exclusive use of its customers, to 23. The ...

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Recommended Hotels South Africa

Harbouredge Apartments Cape Town 
For the leisure seeker, these apartments offer a cool and tranquil haven from the dynamism of bustling Cape Town and the astonishing landscape that surrounds the city.
After a day spent exploring Table Mountain, discovering the isolated beach coves, or dining at the quaint coffee shops in De Waterkant, relax in style and comfort in these apartments. The property is within easy reach of the many attractions that the city has to offer, such as the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve, as well as the shopping centres.
Sophisticated, stylish and spacious, these non-smoking apartments are ideal for entertaining and the perfect place to wind down after a memorable day. The residence also offers a modern metropolitan restaurant which serves traditional dishes along with the more recognisable international cuisine, fitness facilities and an outdoor swimming pool, everything a guest could need for a stay in Cape Town.

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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.