The Republic of South Africa
The Republic of South Africa

Wildlife, wild times and a culture in repair.
South Africa is an exhilarating and complex country. With its post-apartheid identity still in the process of definition, there is undoubtedly an abundance of energy and a sense of progress about the place. Travellers are returning to a remarkable land that has been off the trail for way too long.




Where To Go: Kruger National Park
in Mpumalanga Province
How to go there: car

As well as being one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world, Kruger National Park is among the biggest and the oldest - it turned 100 in 1998. You can see the 'big five' here (lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos) as well as cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, all sorts of antelope species and smaller animals.

Although most people will have seen African animals in zoos, it is impossible to exaggerate how extraordinary and completely different it is to see these animals in their natural environment. That said, Kruger is not quite a wilderness experience: it's highly developed, organised, accessible and popular. The main entry points to the park are through the towns of Skukuza and Nelspruit, both about a day's drive from Johannesburg. Accommodation is usually in well-managed huts run by the National Parks Board. Facilities vary from communal and basic to private and swish.

Table Mountain (Cape Town)
the park stretches from flat-topped Table Mountain to Cape Point in Table Mountain National Park
Hike up Table Mountain for an unforgettable view. The cable car is such an obvious and popular attraction you might have difficulty convincing yourself that it's worth the trouble and expense. It is. The views on the way up and from the top of Table Mountain are phenomenal, and there are some good easy walks on the summit.The mountain is home to over 1400 species of flowering plants, which are particularly spectacular in spring. For an adrenalin rush like no other consider doing the abseil. It's also possible to walk up the mountain from both the City Bowl side or the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens side.

Robben Island (Cape Town)
12km (7.5mi) from Cape Town
ferries leave from Nelson Mandela Gateway at Fish Quay, Waterfront
Robben Island
How to go there: ferry
from the Waterfront

Proclaimed a UN World Heritage Site in 1999, Robben Island is unmissable. Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC right up until the first years of majority rule, Robben Island's most famous involuntary resident was Nelson Mandela. For this reason alone, it is one of Cape Town's most popular pilgrimage spots.

Most likely you will have to endure crowds and being hustled around on a guided tour that, at two and a half hours, is woefully too short - such is the price of the island's infamy. Still, you will learn much of what happened to Mandela and other inmates, since one will be leading your tour. The guides are happy to answer any questions you may have, and although some understandably remain bitter, as a whole this is the best demonstration of reconciliation you could hope to see in Cape Town. Booking a tour is essential, as they are extremely popular. Groups are guided through the old prison and taken on a 45-minute bus ride around the island, with commentary on the various places of note. These include the prison house of Pan-African Congress (PAC) leader Robert Sobukwe, the lime quarry where Mandela and many others slaved, and the church used during the island's stint as a leper colony.

Apartheid Museum (Johannesburg)
Northern Parkway
Ormonde
cnr Gold Reef Rd

The Apartheid Museum details South Africa's era of segregation with chilling accuracy. With plenty of attention to detail and an unsparing emphasis on the inhuman philosophy of apartheid - visitors are handed a card stating their race when they arrive and are required to enter the exhibit through their allotted gate - this remains one of South Africa's most evocative museums.

Charting the course of several South Africans through the apartheid era, the museum uses film, text, audio and live accounts to provide a colourful insight into the architecture, implementation and eventual unravelling of the apartheid system. It's an overwhelming experience; sensibly there's a garden at the exit for you to feel the value of freedom. If you are on your way to Soweto, where the excellent Hector Pieterson Museum pads out the story, this is an absolute must. It is 8km south of the city centre, just off the M1 freeway.

Hector Pieterson Memorial (Johannesburg)
Pela St
Soweto
cnr Khumalo St

North of Vilakazi St is Soweto's showcase, Hector Pieterson Sq. Named after the 13-year-old who was shot dead in the run-up to the Soweto uprising , the square now features the poignant Hector Pieterson Memorial and the excellent Hector Pieterson Museum, which offers an insight into Sowetan life and the history of the independence struggle. From the square, a line of shrubs leads up Moema St to the site where he was shot outside the school.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Cape Town)
Rhodes Dr
Newlands

Covering over 500 hectares of Table Mountain, this is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. The landscaped section merges almost imperceptibly with the fynbos (fine bush) vegetation cloaking the mountain and overlooking False Bay and the Cape Flats. Apart from the almond hedge, some magnificent oaks, and the Moreton Bay fig and camphor trees planted by Cecil Rhodes, the gardens are devoted almost exclusively to indigenous plants.

About 9000 of Southern Africa's 22,000 plant species are grown here. You'll find a fragrance garden that has been elevated so you can more easily sample the scents of the plants; a Braille Trail; a kopje (hill) that has been planted with pelargoniums; a sculpture garden; and a section for plants used for muti (medicine) by sangomas (traditional African healers).

District Six Museum (Cape Town)
25A Buitenkant St
City Bowl
How to go there: train
Main Station

Your one essential museum visit in Cape Town should be here. As much for the people of the now vanished District Six as it is about them, this is a hugely moving and informative exhibition which repays repeat visits. Note that almost all township tours stop here first to explain the history of the pass laws.

The floor of the main hall is covered with a large-scale map of District Six on which former residents have labelled where their demolished homes and features of their neighbourhood were. Reconstructions of home interiors, photographs, recordings and written testimonials build up an evocative picture of a shattered but not entirely broken community. The staff, practically all displaced residents, each have a heartbreaking story to tell.

Museum Africa (Johannesburg)
121 Bree St
Newtown

At the heart of the cultural precinct, Museum Africa is housed in the impressive old Bree St fruit market, next to the Market Theatre complex. The superb exhibition on the Treason Trials (1956-61), which featured most of the important figures in the 'new' South Africa, is a must-see for anyone looking for a better understanding of the country's more recent history.

The 'Transformations' exhibition details the evolution of Jo'burg and includes a simulated descent into one of the gold mines. The Sophiatown display is outstanding. There's also a large collection of rock art, a geological museum, a display on Gandhi's time in Jo'burg and the Bensusan Museum of Photography, which charts the history of photography and has regular exhibitions by famous South African snappers.

Top of Africa (Johannesburg)
50th fl, Carlton Centre, 152 Commissioner St
Newtown

To get an overview of the hub of Jo'burg, take the lift to the Top of Africa. From the quiet remoteness of the observation deck, the sprawling city seems positively serene. The entrance is via a special lift one floor below street level and you can admire the views over lunch at the Marung restaurant.

Supertubes (Jeffreys Bay)
2.5km (1.5mi) N of the city centre
Norsekloof

Surfers from all over the planet flock to J-Bay to ride the famous wave at Supertubes, once described as 'the most perfect wave in the world'. June to September are the best months for experienced surfers.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Twee Rivieren; southern end of park
385km (239mi) N of Upington

Covering an area about twice the size of Kruger, and described as semi-desert, this park is hauntingly beautiful, with large populations of birds, reptiles, rodents, small mammals and antelopes. Aim to visit in June and July when the days are coolest and the animals have been drawn to the bores along the dry river beds.

Cango Caves
30km N of Oudtshoorn

Named after the Khoisan word for 'a wet place', the Cango Caves are heavily commercialised but still impressive. There's a choice of tours on offer, although it's fun to choose one of the longer tours which can involve crawling through tight spaces; the claustrophobic or unfit may wish to opt for a gentler excursion.

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve
N of Graskop
How to go there: car

The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is one of South Africa's scenic highlights, featuring the awesome viewpoints of Wonder View and God's Window. Once you could park quietly and enjoy the views at the lookouts; now there are entry gates and a battery of souvenir sellers. While most visitors drive, it's worth exploring the impressive rock formations and rainforest on foot if you have time.

Addo Elephant National Park
72km (44mi) N of Port Elizabeth
park is signposted from the N2
How to go there: car

This national park is near the Zuurberg Range in the Sundays River Valley. There are hundreds of elephants in the park and you'd be unlucky not to see some. They are the remnants of the herds that once roamed the Eastern Cape. Be aware that the park closes if there has been heavy rain, as the dirt roads can become impassable; call ahead if in doubt.



When To Go:
South Africa can be visited comfortably any time. Winter (June to September) is cooler, drier and ideal for hiking and outdoor pursuits. This is also the best time for wildlife-watching. Spring is the best time to see vast expanses of Northern Cape carpeted with wildflowers. More of a consideration than weather are school holidays when waves of vacation-hungry South Africans stream out of the cities, with visitors from Europe and North America adding to the crush. Accommodation is heavily booked, and prices can more than double. It's essential to book in advance. On the plus side, the high summer months offer some great festivals, including the Cape Town New Year Karnaval , and Swaziland's Incwala ceremony.

Activities:
South Africa offers everything from ostrich riding to the world's highest bungee jump. Excellent hiking trails, wildlife safaris, surfing and hang-gliding take advantage of the incredible landscape. Bird-watchers and flower sniffers love it here too, and South Africans have taken to mountain biking in such a big way that you'll find trails almost everywhere.

Transport
Domestic fares aren't cheap. If you plan to take internal flights, check with a travel agent before you leave home for special deals on tickets and air passes. South Africa is geared towards travel by private car, with some very good highways but limited and expensive public transport. If you want to cover a lot of the country in a short time, hiring or buying a car might be necessary. If you don't have much money but have time to spare, you might organise lifts with fellow travellers and, if you don't mind a modicum of discomfort, there's an extensive network of minibus taxis, buses and trains. Two major national bus operators cover the main routes and will usually be pretty comfortable. The hop-on hop-off Baz Bus is cheap and convenient for backpackers.

Timezone: +2
Daylight Savings Start: not in use
Daylight Savings End: not in use
Weights Measures System: Metric
Capital City: Pretoria (official); Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative).
Leader Name: Jacob Zuma
Leader Type: head of state
Leader Title: President
Government Type: republic and independent member of the British Commonwealth
People: 77% black, 10% white (60% of whites are of Afrikaner descent, most of the rest are of British descent), 8% mixed race, 2.5% of Indian or Asian descent
Language Spoken Type: official
Language Spoken Name: English
Religion:
Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and traditional religions
Currency Code: ZAR
Currency Name: Rand
currency Symbol: > R
Currency Unit: rand
Major Industries: Mining, finance, insurance, food processing
Trading Partner: USA, UK, Germany, Japan, Italy
Plenty of pachyderms
There are 12,467 elephants in Kruger National Park according to a 2005 census. You could try to count 'em all, but it would be a hard tusk.

Weather
South Africa has been favoured by nature with one of the most temperate climates on the African continent, and plenty of sunny, dry days. The main factors influencing conditions are altitude and the surrounding oceans. Basically, the farther east you go, the more handy your rain-gear becomes, but there are also damp pockets in the south-west, particularly around Cape Town. The coast north from the Cape becomes progressively drier and hotter, culminating in the desert region just south of Namibia. Along the south coast the weather is temperate, but the east coast becomes increasingly tropical the further north you go. When it gets too sticky, head for the highlands, which are pleasant even in summer. The north-eastern hump gets very hot and there are spectacular storms there in summer. In winter the days are sunny and warm.

Visas Overview:
Entry permits are issued free on arrival (at the airport and land crossings) to visitors on holiday from many Commonwealth and most western European countries, as well as Japan and the US. If you aren't entitled to an entry permit, you'll need to get a visa (also free) before you arrive. It's much less hassle when arriving by air if you arrive with a return air-ticket.


Electrical Plugs:
South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin

Electricity Voltage: 220/230V. Electricity Voltage: 220/230V

Destination Events
Public holidays underwent a dramatic shake-up after the 1994 elections. For example, the Day of the Vow, an Afrikaner religious holiday remembering the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at Blood River in 1838, has become the Day of Reconciliation (16 December). The officially ignored but widely observed Soweto Day, marking the student uprisings that eventually led to liberation, is now celebrated as Youth Day (16 June). Human Rights Day is held on the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre (21 March). The Festival of the Arts transforms Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape each July. As well as mainstream art, opera and theatre, there are fringe and student components to the festival, including theatre performed in many of the languages spoken in South Africa. The big Arts Alive Festival is held in Johannesburg in September and October. This is a great time to hear excellent music, on and off the official programme. There are also a lot of workshops exposing South Africans (and visitors) to the continent's rich cultures, so long denigrated during the apartheid years. The immensely popular Pretoria Show is held during the third week of August. In early August, the Oppikoppi Wildcard Festival takes place in the back of beyond (well, bushveld some 250km north of Pretoria). This is a three-day outdoor music festival, which showcases the country's best and brightest bands, DJs and hip-hop artists, as well as a handful of international performers. Apartheid-induced cultural boycotts starved South Africa's mad sports fans - and competitors - of competition. Any international cricket or rugby game is therefore a big event.

Relative Cost Rooms:
Cost low: 50-80
Cost middle: 200-500
Cost high: 80-160

Relative Cost Meal:
Cost Low: 50-80
Cost Middle: 50-80
Cost High: 80-160
Country Dialling Code: 27


Culture
The mingling and melding in South Africa's urban areas, along with the suppression of traditional cultures during the apartheid years, means that the old ways of life are fading, but traditional black cultures are still strong in much of the countryside. Across the different groups, marriage customs and taboos differ, but most traditional cultures are based on beliefs in a masculine deity, ancestral spirits and supernatural forces. In general, polygamy is permitted and a lobolo (dowry) is usually paid. Cattle play an important part in many cultures, as symbols of wealth and as sacrificial animals. The new South Africa is being created on the streets of the townships and cities. Hopeful signs include gallery retrospectives of black artists, both contemporary and traditional, and musicians from around Africa performing in major festivals.

History: Although the nomadic San (also known as Bushmen) have possibly lived in Southern Africa since around 100,000 BC, they didn't reach the Cape of Good Hope until about 2000 years ago. Because of the close relationship between the San and the Khoikhoi peoples, who intermarried and coexisted, both are often referred to as Khoisan. By the 15th century most arable land had been settled by encroaching Bantu pastoral tribes. Southern Africa became a popular stop for European crews after Vasco de Gama opened the Cape of Good Hope spice route in 1498, and, by the mid-17th century, scurvy and shipwreck had induced Dutch traders to opt for a permanent settlement in Table Bay on the site of present-day Cape Town. The mostly Dutch burghers pushed slowly north, decimating the Khoisan with violence and disease as they went. Towards the end of the 18th century, with Dutch power fading, Britain predictably jumped in for another piece of Africa. It was hoped that British settlers would inhabit a buffer zone between skirmishing pastoral Boers and the Xhosa, but most of the British immigrant families retreated to town, entrenching the rural-urban divide that is evident in white South Africa even today. Although slavery was abolished in 1833, the division of labour on the basis of colour served all whites too well for any real attempt at change. Upheaval in black Southern Africa wasn't only generated by the white invaders. The difaqane ('forced migration' in Sotho) or mfeqane ('the crushing' in Zulu) was a time of immense upheaval and suffering, a terror campaign masterminded by the Zulu chief, Shaka. This wave of disruption through Southern Africa left some tribes wiped out, others enslaved and the lucky ones running. Into this chaos disgruntled Boers stomped on their Great Trek away from British rule in search of freedom. Most of the pastures the Boers trekked through were deserted or inhabited by traumatised refugees. The Zulus were no pushovers, however. They put up strong and bloody resistance to the Boers before eventually ceding to superior firepower. Boer republics popped up through the interior, and were annexed one by one by Britain in a chaotic kerfuffle of treaties, diplomacy and violence through the middle part of the 19th century. Just when it looked like the Union Jack was going to fly from Cairo to the Cape, diamonds were discovered in Kimberley, and the Dutch resistance became suddenly stronger. The first Anglo-Boer War ended in a crushing Boer victory and the establishment of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. The British backed off until a huge reef of gold was discovered around Johannesburg and then marched in again for the second Anglo-Boer War, dribbling with empiric greed. By 1902 the Boers had exhausted their conventional resources and resorted to commando-style raids, denying the British control of the countryside. The British quashed resistance with disproportionate reprisals: if a railway line was blown up, the nearest farmhouse was destroyed; if a shot was fired from a farm, the house was burnt down, the crops destroyed and the animals killed. The women and children from the farms were collected and taken to concentration camps - a British invention - where 26,000 died of disease and neglect. The Boers were compelled to sign an ignominious and bitter peace.

Modern History: Soon after the Union of South Africa was established in 1910, a barrage of racist legislation was passed restricting black rights and laying the foundations for apartheid. After a last flutter with military rebellion during WWI, the Afrikaners got on with the business of controlling South Africa politically. In 1948 elections the Afrikaner-dominated and ultra-right National Party took the reins and didn't let the white charger slow down until 1994. Under apartheid, every individual was classified by race, and race determined where you could live, work, pray and learn. Irrespective of where they had been born, blacks were divided into one of 10 tribal groups, forcibly dispossessed and dumped in rural backwaters, the so-called Homelands. The plan was to restrict blacks to Homelands that were, according to the propaganda, to become self-sufficient, self-governing states. In reality, these lands had virtually no infrastructure and no industry, and were therefore incapable of producing sufficient food for the black population. There was intense, widespread suffering and many families returned to squalid squatter camps in the cities from which they had been evicted. Chief Mangosouthu Buthelezi was pivotal in the Inkatha movement, a failed attempt to unite Homeland leaders. Black resistance developed in the form of strikes, acts of public disobedience and protest marches, and was supported by international opinion from the early 1960s, after 69 protesters were killed in Sharpeville and African National Congress (ANC) leaders, including Nelson Mandela, were jailed. After withdrawing from the British Commonwealth in 1961, South Africa became increasingly isolated. Paranoia developed through the 1960s and 70s, as the last European powers withdrew from Africa and black, often socialist, states formed around South Africa's northern borders. South Africa's military responses ranged from limited strikes (Mozambique, Lesotho) to full-scale assault (Angola, Namibia). When Cuba intervened in Angola in 1988, South Africa suffered a major defeat and war looked much less attractive. As the spirit of Gorbachev-style detente permeated Southern Africa, Cuba pulled out of Angola, Namibia became independent and a stable peace was finally brokered in 1990. The domestic situation was far from resolved. Violent responses to black protests increased commitment to a revolutionary struggle, and the United Nations finally imposed economic and political sanctions. But in the mid-1980s, black-on-black violence in the townships exploded. Although bitter lines were drawn between the left-wing, Xhosa-based ANC and the right-wing, Zulu-dominated Inkatha movement, such distinctions are simplistic in the context of the massive economic and social deprivation of black South Africa. There were clashes between political rivals, tribal enemies, opportunistic gangsters, and between those who lived in the huge migrant-workers' hostels and their township neighbours. President PW Botha detained, tortured and censored his way to 1989, when economic sanctions began to bite, the rand collapsed and reformist FW De Klerk came to power. Virtually all apartheid regulations were repealed, political prisoners were released and negotiations began on forming a multiracial government. Free elections in 1994 resulted in a decisive victory for the ANC and Nelson Mandela became president. De Klerk's National Party won just over 20% of the vote, and the Inkatha Freedom Party won 10.5%. South Africa rejoined the British Commonwealth a few months later. Despite the scars of the past and the enormous problems ahead, South Africa today is immeasurably more optimistic and relaxed than it was a few years ago. The international community has embraced the new South Africa and the ANC's apparently sincere desire to create a truly non-racial nation. It will be some time before the black majority gain much economic benefit from their freedom, as economic inequality remains an overwhelming problem. However, the political structure seems strong enough to hold the diverse region together. There are huge expectations for the new South Africa.

Recent History: In 1999, after five years of learning about democracy, the country voted in a more normal election. Issues such as economics and competence were raised and debated. There was some speculation that the ANC vote might drop with the retirement of Nelson Mandela. The ANC's vote didn't drop - it increased, putting the party within one seat of the two-thirds majority that would allow it to alter the constitution. Thabo Mbeki, who took over the ANC leadership from Nelson Mandela, became president in the 1999 elections. In November 2003 the government finally approved a major program to treat and tackle HIV/AIDS. Prior to that time, the government had refused to provide anti-AIDS medicine through the public health system. In April 2004 the ANC won another landslide election victory, garnering 70% of the vote. In September 2008, Mbeki resigned from the presidency and was replaced by Kgalema Motlanthe. In 2009, ANC leader Jacob Zuma was elected president after his party easily won the national elections. In 2010 South Africa will be the first African nation to ever host FIFA's World Cup.


Warning:
Travel Alert Travellers should be aware that criminal gangs are known to operate at airports, bus stations and other major transport hubs in South Africa, particularly at Johannesburg International Airport. Muggings and carjackings are regularly reported in Johannesburg's city centre. .
Mid-level alert

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