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Cars 4 Rental Information on South Africa

General

Area: 1,219,090 sq km (470,693 sq miles).

Population: 44,560,644 (2001).

Population Density: 36.6 per sq km.

Capital: Pretoria (administrative). Population: 1,080,187 (1991). Cape Town (legislative). Population: 2,350,157 (1991). Bloemfontein (judicial). Population: 300,150 (1991).

GEOGRAPHY: The Republic of South Africa lies at the southern end of the African continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland and totally encloses Lesotho. South Africa has three major geographical regions, namely plateau, mountains and the coastal belt. The high plateau has sharp escarpments which rise above the plains, or veld. Despite two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange, most of the plateau lacks surface water. Along the coastline are sandy beaches and rocky coves, and the vegetation is shrublike. The mountainous regions which run along the coastline from the Cape of Good Hope to the Limpopo Valley in the northeast of the country are split into the Drakensberg, Nuweveldberg and Stormberg ranges.
Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was organised into nine regions. These comprise the Western Cape with its provincial and national capital of Cape Town, the Eastern Cape with its provincial capital of Bisho, the Northern Cape with its provincial capital Kimberley, KwaZulu-Natal with its provincial capital Pietermaritzburg, the Free State with its provincial capital of Bloemfontein, the North West Province with its provincial capital Mmabatho, Limpopo (formerly called the Northern Province) with its provincial capital Polokwane (formerly called Pietersburg), Mpumalanga with its provincial capital of Nelspruit, and Gauteng with its provincial capital of Johannesburg.

Government: Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1910. Head of State and Government: President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki since 1999.

Language: The official languages are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.

Religion: Most inhabitants profess Christianity of some form and belong to either Catholic, Anglican and other protestant denominations, Afrikaner Calvinist churches or African independent churches. There are also significant Hindu, Muslim and Jewish communities, and traditional beliefs are still practised widely, sometimes in conjunction with Christianity.

Time: GMT + 2.

Electricity: 220/240 volts AC; 250 volts AC (Pretoria), 50Hz. Three-pin round plugs are in use.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available. Country code: 27. Outgoing international code: 09.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900/1800 networks. Operators include Cell C Ltd (website: www.cellc.co.za), MTN (website: www.mtn.co.za) and Vodacom (website: www.vodacom.co.za). Coverage extends to most urban areas.

Fax

Most main hotels have this service.

Internet

ISPs include I-Africa (website: www.iafrica.com), M-Web (website: www.mweb.co.za) and Sangonet (website: http://sn.apc.org). Visitors can access their e-mail from Internet cafes around the country.

Telegram

Services are available in all towns.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes up to 7 days. Post office hours: Generally Mon-Fri 0830-1630, Sat 0800-1130. Some transactions may not be carried out Mon-Fri after 1530 or Sat after 1100. The smaller post offices close for lunch 1300-1400. Poste Restante services are available throughout the country.

Press

The main newspapers are in English and Afrikaans, and include Business Day, Cape Argus, Cape Times, Mail and Guardian, Mercury, The Star, Sowetan, and Sunday Times.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Rand (R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Currency exchange: Money can be changed at banks, bureaux de change, some hotels, and larger shops and restaurants. Automated foreign exchange machines and ATMs are available at various locations.

Credit & debit cards: MasterCard and Visa are preferred. American Express and Diners Club are also widely accepted. Some ATMs will give cash advances with credit cards. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Valid at banks, hotels, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: The import of local currency is limited to R5000 in cash. The export of local currency is limited to R500 in cash. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited provided it is declared upon arrival or departure.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Rand against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04
£1.00= 11.75 11.65 12.87 12.50
$1.00= 7.37 6.96 7.07 7.00

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1530, Sat 0800-1130.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No 1
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 2 N/A
Malaria 3 N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving within 6 days from infected areas. African countries formerly classified as endemic zones are considered by the South African authorities to be infected areas. The yellow fever vaccination certificate only becomes valid 10 days after immunisation.

2: Vaccination against typhoid is advised.

3: Malaria risk, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, exists throughout the year in the low altitude areas of the Northern Province, Eastern Transvaal (including the Kruger National Park) and northeastern KwaZulu/Natal as far south as the Tugela River. The risk is highest from October to May. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. It is strongly recommended that visitors to these areas take anti-malaria tablets before entering these zones (tablets are available from pharmacies without prescription). The recommended prophylaxis is chloroquine plus proguanil (World Health Organisation), chloroquine plus pyrimethamine (South African High Commission) or mefloquine alone.

Food & drink: Mains water is considered safe to drink in urban areas but may be contaminated elsewhere and sterilisation is advisable. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Other risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is endemic in the north and east and may be present elsewhere. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Hepatitis A occurs and hepatitis B is hyperendemic. Dengue fever and filariasis are present.
Rabies may be present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Health care: Medical facilities are excellent. Health insurance is recommended. A leaflet on health precautions is available from the South African High Commission (see Contact Addresses section).

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Climate

South Africa’s climate is generally sunny and pleasant. Winters are usually mild, although snow falls on the mountain ranges of the Cape and Natal and occasionally in lower-lying areas, when a brief cold spell can be expected throughout the country.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens and rainwear. Warmer clothes are needed for winter.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No/1 Yes
Australian Yes No/1 Yes
Canadian Yes No/2 Yes
USA Yes No/2 Yes
OtherEU Yes No/1/2 Yes
Japanese Yes No/2 Yes

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least 30 days longer than the period covering stay in South Africa required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following for business and tourist purposes:
(a) 1. nationals of Australia, Northern Ireland and the UK;
(b) 2. nationals of Canada, EU countries (except Northern Ireland and the UK (see above); Cyprus, Hungary, Poland and Slovak Republic for up to 30 days; Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia who do require a visa), Japan and the USA for stays of up to 90 days;
(c) nationals of British Overseas Territories, British Virgin Islands, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland;
(d) nationals of British Dependent Territories (except Arguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, the Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia and the Turks & Caicos Islands, who do require a visa);
(e) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Ecuador, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, St Vincent & the Grenadines, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uruguay and Venezuela for stays of up to 90 days;
(f) nationals of Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Gabon, Guyana, Hong Kong (SAR), Jordan, Korea (Rep), Lesotho, Macau (SAR), Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, Peru, Seychelles, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkey and Zambia for stays of up to 30 days;
(g) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport.
Note: (a) Holders of Visitors visas are not allowed to take up employment in South Africa. However, employment can be taken up under certain circumstances and if the requirements for a work permit are complied with, but only if the Embassy/Consulate is contacted in advance. (b) Unaccompanied children under the age of 18 years must hold written consent from their parents when travelling alone. (c) Study or work permits must be obtained in the country of normal residence before entry into South Africa. However, exceptions may be made.

Types of visa and cost: Visitors, Business and Transit: £33. Study Permits: £33 (depending on level of education). Work Permits: £118. Nationals of India and Zimbabwe are exempt from visa fees. Other nationals must apply for a visa with the appropriate fee. All fees are subject to change without notice; please check with Embassy or Consulate to confirm costs.
Note: Visa fees will only be requested from nationals of Belize, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Hong Kong (SAR), Korea (Rep), Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand and Turkey if the intended visit exceeds 30 days.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or High Commission); see Contact Addresses section. Applicants in countries where South Africa is not represented may send their applications to the embassy in the nearest country.

Application requirements: (a) Passport, with at least two blank pages, valid for 30 days longer than the duration of the visit to South Africa. (b) Two passport-size photos. (c) One completed application form (failure to complete the application fully and in detail may result in visa being delayed or refused). (d) Fee (payable by cash, bank draft or postal order). (e) A stamped self-addressed special delivery envelope if applying by post. (f) A valid yellow fever certificate, if travelling through or from a yellow fever endemic area. (g) Proof of sufficient funds to cover visit. (h) Onward/return ticket and, if in transit, proof of sufficient documentation for admission to the country of destination. For Study permits: (a)-(g) and, (h) Letter, with official letterhead, of admission from a South African education institution, confirming exact period of study and accommodation arrangements. (i) Letter from current place of study, if on a student exchange. (j) Fully completed application form BI-1738. (k) Proof of qualifications. For Business permits: (a)-(h) and, (i) Comprehensive business letters from both the UK and South African companies confirming the purpose, nature and duration of the visit, containing written partner agreements with full details of the partners/directors and their residential status in the Republic, if applicable. (j) Certification by a chartered accountant that the applicant will have at least R2,5 m value invested as part of the book value of the business and will comply with at least one of the other criteria stipulated in regulation 24 (contact Embassy/Consulate for further details). This may include audited financial statements proving viability of any future business.
Note: (a) In the case of failure to comply with any of these regulations, visitors may be required to leave a cash deposit with the Immigration Officer. (b) Visitors must be of sound mind and body. (c) Medical insurance is required by all visitors. (d) There is now no single work permit. The work permits available are: a ‘General Quota’ work permit, an ‘Extraordinary Quota’ work permit, a general work permit, an exceptional skills work permit, an intra-company transfer work permit, a work permit under a corporate permit, a work permit for a corporate worker in terms of an agreement with a foreign state, and a work permit for a corporate worker undertaking seasonal labour. Each of these particular work permits has specific application requirements. These specific requirements can be obtained directly from the Embassy/Consulate or from the form BI-1738, which is available online (website: www.southafricahouse.com/VisTempRes.htm).

Working days required: Applications should be made well in advance. The processing time is 10 days, although visas may be processed quicker if application is submitted directly rather than by post. Nationals applying in the UK for a visa are advised to apply well in advance of their departure date. Work permits may take 12 to 30 calendar days to process.

Temporary residence: Temporary residence permits encompass Study, Work or Workseeker Permits. Contact the nearest Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) for further details.

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