Orientation

Know before you go

The practical basics for planning a trip each one source-cited.

• Currency

  South African Rand (ZAR, symbol R)

  The rand is divided into 100 cents. Cards are widely accepted in cities; carry some cash for rural areas and markets.⁸⁹

• Time zone

  SAST UTC+2, all year

  South African Standard Time is two hours ahead of UTC and does not observe daylight saving, so the offset never changes.²⁴⁰

• Dialing code

  +27

  Dial +27 to call a South African number from abroad, then drop the leading zero of the local number.²³⁷

• Driving

  On the LEFT

  South Africa drives on the left in right-hand-drive vehicles. A foreign licence in English (or an international permit) is accepted for visitors.²⁴⁰

• Electricity

  230V / 50Hz plug Type M

  The standard plug is the three-round-pin Type M. Types C, D and N also appear, so a universal adapter is worth packing.¹⁸⁶

• Main airports

  Johannesburg (JNB), Cape Town (CPT), Durban (DUR)

  O. R. Tambo in Johannesburg is South Africa's busiest airport and its main international gateway the second-busiest in Africa after Cairo with Cape Town International next and King Shaka serving Durban.^1, 307

• Best time to visit

  Safari May–Sep · Cape Town Nov–Mar

  Seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere. The dry winter (May–September) is best for safari; the warm, dry summer (November–March) suits Cape Town and the coast.¹³⁰

• Flying from the Gulf

  Dubai → Johannesburg, Cape Town & Durban direct

  Emirates operates 56 direct flights a week between Dubai and South Africa's three international gateways: four daily to Johannesburg, three daily to Cape Town and a daily service to Durban. South Africa keeps the same clock all year, two hours behind the UAE, so no day is lost to jet lag.^347, 348