Visas
Visitors should ascertain visa requirements before travelling to South Africa. Some neighbouring states, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mocambique, Swaziland, Lesotho have individual visa requirements. Check with their consulates.

Airport
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) copes well with international flights. Security conducts 24-hour patrols of the airport and parking facilities. Corporate aircraft park at the southern end of the airport in an area visible from the control tower.

The airport is located 22 km or 13.7 miles from the city with a travel time of 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Taxis, buses and rental cars are widely available. If you plan to rent a vehicle, be sure to drive on the left side of the road.

Road Travel
Traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. Maximum speed limit on highways is 120km/hour, 80km/hour on freeways, and 60km/hour in urban areas. Foreign drivers' licenses are valid in South Africa, provided that they include a photograph of the driver.

Currency
South African Rand (ZAR, or R) .100 S. A. cents = R1.00   Get the Latest Exchange Rate.

Credit Cards
Most hotels, shops, restaurants and airlines accept internationally recognised credit cards.

Hours of Business
Most businesses operate from 08h30 to 17h00 daily, and to 13h00 on Saturdays. Major shopping centers and convenience stores open on Sundays. In most towns, all-night pharmacies are open for extended hours, but the hours may vary from business to business. Liquor stores are not open on Sundays. Most banks operate from 09h00 to 15h00 daily, and from 09h00 to 11h00 on Saturdays.

Value Added Tax
14%, included in prices of goods and services. Foreigners may claim VAT refunds at departure points upon leaving South Africa.

Cellular Telephones
Cellular telephones are available for hire at South African International Airports. South Africa is standardised on GSM, and there are presently two network operators, namely Vodacom and MTN.

Internet
South Africa has many ISP's. It is possible to purchase prepaid "Yebo! Net" vouchers from computer stores, enabling convenient access to the WWW while visiting South Africa. There are also many Internet cafe's located in major centers.

Languages
English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Setswana, South Sotho, North Sotho, Tsonga, SiSwati, Venda, Ndebele.

Electricity
220V AC, 50Hz