SOUTH AFRICA
In a Nutshell
South Africa is Africa's most developed and popular tourist destination. Aptly named a "World in One Country", it is not purely a safari destination. With beautiful beaches, lush vineyards, snow-capped mountains and cosmopolitan cities, South Africa offers a wide choice of cultural, sporting and wildlife activities. Game viewing is primarily centred on the Kruger which can get rather touristy. The well-developed infrastructure makes it suitable for self-drive.
Climate
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
c |
mm |
c |
mm |
c |
mm |
c |
mm |
c |
mm |
c |
mm |
c |
mm |
c |
mm |
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mm |
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mm |
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mm |
26 |
110 |
25 |
95 |
24 |
70 |
22 |
60 |
19 |
20 |
16 |
8 |
22 |
8 |
24 |
5 |
25 |
3 |
24 |
60 |
25 |
110 |
25 |
105 |
(average high temp in degrees c and average rainfall in mm) for Kruger NP
Facts
Size: 1,228,376 Sq Km
Population: 43m
Capital: Pretoria
Flying Time: Johannesburg 11 hours, Cape Town 12 hours
People: African/black 79%, White 12%, Mixed 9%
Languages: 11 Official - English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Tsonga, Pedi, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, Swazi and Venda
Major Industries: mining (world's largest producer of gold/platinum/chromium), machinery, automobile assembly, textiles, iron and steel and fertiliser
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
Visa: Not required for UK passport holders
Time: GMT +2
Budget: From £1650 fly/drive to £2350 for 2 weeks
Background
South Africa borders Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique while Lesotho and Swaziland lie within her borders. It is Africa's 10th largest country and lies at the extreme south of the continent with a coastline nearly 3000 km long. Most of the country has a mild, temperate climate though parts of the Northern Cape, the sub-tropical Natal coast and the lowfeld bordering Botswana and Zimbabwe get very hot in the summer.
South Africa is 5 times bigger than the UK and twice as big as France.
There are around 200 National Parks and Reserves.
Principal Parks and Reserves
Kruger NP
Sabi Sands GR
Kgalagadi Transfrontier NP
Hluhluwe/Umfolosi GR
Addo Elephant NP
Mkuzi GR
Welgevonden GR
Highlights
Proliferation of wildlife in the Kruger National Park and surrounding private reserves
Cape Town - one of the world's most beautiful cities dominated by the towering Table Mountain
Picture-postcard villages in the Winelands and the scenic Garden Route
Kwa Zulu-Natal - for historic Zulu and Boer War battlegrounds
The dramatic Drakensberg Mountains
St Lucia Wetlands - some of South Africa's most remote and unspoilt wilderness
Whale watching between Sep and Dec especially at False Bay and Hermanus
Activities
Game drives and walks
Boat trips
Hiking and trekking
Climbing
Fishing
Scuba diving and snorkelling
Sailing and surfing
Ballooning
Horseback safaris
Golf
Canoeing and sea kayaking
Shark cage diving and whale watching
White water rafting and
bungee jumping
Best for
Diversity of landscape - desert, game parks, coast, vineyards, mountains, wilderness
Wine tasting in beautiful vineyards
Excellent shopping at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town
Whale watching in the Western Cape
Trekking in the Drakensburg and wilderness areas along the Garden Route
Rhino - the highest density in Africa by far
A modern road, rail and air infrastructure makes travel simple.
When to go
All year but Apr-Oct if purely for game-viewing or Oct-Mar if including the Cape and Garden Route
Oct-Mar = summer, May-Aug = winter
May-Aug (north) or Sep-Apr (south) = best game-viewing
Sep-Oct (spring) = best flowers in Namaqualand and along the coast
Sep-Oct = best whale watching
Jan-Apr (summer) = best for Cape Town
Nov-Mar = best for the Garden Route
