One Week in South Africa

What You Should Know Before Going On A South Africa Tour

Getting to South Africa

Most flights into South Africa arrive in either Johannesburg or Cape Town. From there, there are connecting flights to smaller airports in the country. Alternatively, you can drive across the border if you’re visiting a neighboring country.

How to get around South Africa

South Africa is a huge country! Unless you are spending a lot of time in South Africa, or staying in a particular region, you’re better off flying between cities, if you’re trying to visit Johannesburg and Cape Town.

City driving can get busy, and drivers can be aggressive, especially in Johannesburg. If you’re visiting Joburg, using uber or public transportation is your best bet. It can be unsafe driving through the city, because of the high crime rate.

Parking is difficult to come by, but Uber is extremely affordable in South Africa. The bonus there is you don’t have to worry about navigating the busy traffic, trying to park your car, and worrying about potential crime. In Cape Town you’re safer driving (but the traffic is very bad), though there is also great public transportation.

Driving is an option for those wanting to take the garden route. For the most part, roads are well developed, and it gives you a chance to see the countryside. South Africa has such diverse landscape, it’s worth it to visit parts of the countryside.

It’s absolutely stunning. For those who are questioning if they can adjust to driving on the opposite side of the road, it’s fairly manageable. Once you get in the car, it’s easy to navigate and catch on, especially if you’re on the road with other cars.

How Much Time Should I Spend in South Africa?

There is so much to see in South Africa. One could spend several months in South Africa and only touch the surface.

Somewhere between two and three weeks is a good time frame to get familiar with the land. Especially for travelers who decide to drive parts of the country (such as the Garden Route), the trip should not be rushed.

Because of the diversity of the country, one should see at least two cities (Cape Town, Durban, and/or Pretoria). A safari is a must for trips to South Africa. Having several day tours (between 3-5) allows for more opportunity to spot all of the “Big 5”.

Again, there is no guarantee you’ll get to see all 5. Some may be questioning spending five days in the bush on a safari, but it truly is a once in a lifetime experience. Every animal sighting is magical, even if it’s the fifth or sixth time seeing a zebra on one game drive. The calmness and quiet beauty is unlike any other experience.

Other Tips for South Africa Travel

• Use caution in South Africa. Don’t flash your money/high end items, know where you’re heading, and be mindful. Highly consider grabbing an uber or driving, especially at night, even if the distance seems walkable. You can never be too careful, and this is the place to err on the side of caution.
• On the flipside, South Africa is an amazing place to visit, and so diverse. If you have an opportunity to hop around the country to different cities, do it! The Western Cape and Eastern Cape have diverse landscapes and you should try to see different parts of the country.
• South African currency is the rand. Traveling, shopping, accommodation and food is all extremely affordable in South Africa.
• South Africa is big on tipping. If you go out to eat, expect to tip. A surprise to many visitors is the tipping of parking lot security guards who watch over your car while you’re out shopping, at the beach, etc. Most tips range from 2-10 rand.
• South Africa has three capitals: Bloemfontein (judicial capital), Cape Town (legislative capital) and Pretoria (the administrative capital).
• There are no vaccines required to travel to South Africa, except for visitors from a country with a yellow fever endemic. Proof of the yellow fever vaccination is required upon arrival in South Africa.
• A fun idea for getting around is joining a hop-on-hop-off tour bus. Both Johannesburg and Cape Town offers this tour option. Get dropped off right at the attractions, spend as much time as you went at said attraction, and jump back on the bus to head towards your next destination. Since many of these tour buses have an upper deck, it’s also a great way to see the city from a different point of view.